M&A specialist extends global reach with South Africa launch

Steven Keane, executive chairman; Andre Bresler, managing director; James Thornton, chief operations officer; Dustin Graham, managing director.

Manchester-based Benchmark International has expanded into South Africa, with the opening of offices in Cape Town.

The mergers and acquisitions specialist has a strong presence in the UK and North America, with its original Manchester base having been joined by offices in Oxford, New York, Tampa, Austin and Nashville.

Expansion into South Africa represents Benchmark International’s “increasingly global reach”, it said.

Benchmark’s Cape Town offices will be headed up by Andre Bresler, South Africa managing director, and Dustin Graham.

“This is a very exciting time to be part of Benchmark International’s investment in South Africa,” said Bresler.

“The country is a strategically important market for any M&A team, as it’s the conduit through which almost half of the continent’s M&A activity flows. South Africa also counts among the 10 countries with the highest M&A growth predicted over the next two years.

“Benchmark International brings together the proven ability and capacity to address a very rapid increase in domestic demand for specialist M&A skills, especially concerning cross-border deals in this environment.”

James Thornton, Benchmark International’s chief operating officer, added: “South Africa represents a key element of our international growth strategy. The country has great potential as an investment destination, with a highly-developed economic infrastructure and one of the most vibrant emerging market economies worldwide.”

“South Africa’s financial and legal systems, with their similarities to their UK and North American counterparts, together with a familiar business culture and a very long-standing history of trade between these regions, means that our expansion into South Africa is set to benefit our seller and buyer clients alike.”

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