How do you approach an owner to provide them their exit options? Most owners are unfamiliar with the language and process behind exit planning. When working with an owner during what is likely the largest financial transaction of their life, understanding how to effectively communicate is crucial.
In this session, you will work through a hands-on case study to develop your conversation skills. Through this case study, you will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of advisors to gain experience you can directly apply to your practice.
Learning Objectives:
- Illustrate how to approach an owner to begin an exit planning conversation
- Dissect empowering conversations with owners
- Learn to slow down to ask beneficial questions
- Understand an owner’s baseline knowledge about exit planning
About the Presenters:
Hear from industry experts Shanda McFadden, Maryann Czarnota, Tim Oliver, Rakesh Parikh, and Jeff Armstrong.
Event Details
Who Should Attend?
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Attorneys
You have close relationships with clients, and can benefit from being the first advisor to introduce the idea of exit planning.
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CPAs/Accountants
Owners participating in the State of Owner Readiness research continue to indicate that you are the No. 1 "Most Trusted Advisor." You are a natural fit to lead the exit planning team and deepen your relationship (and retention) of next generation owners.
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Wealth Managers
You’re a skilled relationship person. Being entangled into your clients’ professional lives matters as you build a strategy to manage their wealth upon them harvesting it from their business. Exit planning allows you to build a deeper relationship with your client, expands your COI network, while giving you an early seat at table well before the liquidity event.
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Financial Advisors
One of the critical ‘legs of the stool’ is personal financing planning. An owner must have a strong financial plan & contingency plan post-transition to enable them to thrive in the next act of the lives personally and financially. Exit planning brings this future mindset into the present. Exit is now.
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Valuation Analysts
Valuation is both a billable engagement AND an opportunity to provide owners some perspective on how to accelerate value drivers (and deal with value killers). Use exit planning to make that valuation into a longer term value acceleration engagement.
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Investment Bankers
Only 2 of every 10 businesses that come to market actually sell. Learn how exit planning can bring attractive AND ready business to your purview.
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Strategic Consultants
One of the most critical roles in exit planning is building transferable value. Strategic consultants have the ability to expand options and drive rapid business value that affect performance today.
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Estate Planners
Exit planning is a natural fit for estate planners who want to operate more holistically with their owner clients.
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Insurance Professionals
Exit planning addresses the 5 D's. So do you. Approach the risk conversation differently with exit planning.
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Mergers & Acquisition Advisors
Proper exit planning causes less deals to fall through at the last minute. Connect with CEPAs to build your healthy deal flow network.
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Commercial Lenders
One of the best relationships a business owner makes is with their banker. How can you help your corporate clients think about the future and ensure financial continuity? Answer: exit planning.
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Family Business Advisors
More than 50% of lower middle market business owners would prefer to transition to the next generation. Help them succeed with exit planning strategies.
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Other Professional Advisors
Regardless of your unique specialty, there is seat at the exit planning table for you. Learn more at www.EarnCEPA.com.
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Private Business Owners
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Members of Family Business Boards
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Professional Advisors
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Business Consultants
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Other Business Professionals
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Business Owners
EXIT PLANNING IS GOOD BUSINESS STRATEGY
The Exit Planning Institute, provides Financial Advisors, Accountants, Consultants, and other advisors of business owners with the critical education to differentiate themselves and add value to their existing client relationships through a credential, conference, courses, and content. Download the CEPA brochure for more information.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Shanda is a financial advisor with the Oberlander Timmerwilke Group, a well-recognized,
Chicago-based team who has helped individuals and families pursue their financial goals for more than 40 years. She brings nearly 10 years of experience as a commercial banker, primarily focused on credit and cash management for middle-market businesses. With her transition to private banking and wealth management, Shanda leverages this experience for the benefit of business owners, high-net-worth individuals and families, providing customized and strategic investment guidance.
As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Shanda holds unique expertise in helping business owners transition their businesses to the next generation, employees or a third-party. Employing an owner mindset honed by her graduate degree in business and an empathetic approach, she works with business owners to asses what they need to retire, determine the value of their business and work toward that ultimate goal of entering a new and financially secure phase of life.
Shanda is passionate about shrinking the racial wealth gap and focuses her non-profit involvement on financial literacy. She is a Bank of America Better Money Habits Champion and volunteers her time teaching Chicago’s youth about money management and introducing them to careers in banking and financial services.
Shanda earned her BS in Economics from DePauw University and her MBA from Indiana University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc - Chicago Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter and Social Venture Partners, Chicago (SVP). Shanda lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, children and 80-pound Pit Bull, Rocky. She's an avid photographer and enjoys exploring the city (while logging steps for her Fitbit challenge) with her family.
Meet Maryann Czarnota:
Maryann Czarnota is a partner in Marcum’s Tax & Business Services Division and a
member of the Firm’s national Healthcare Group. She has developed an expertise
working within the medical and dental professions, providing services such as
accounting, tax, business valuations, compensation modeling and structuring, and
consultation on mergers and acquisitions, practice expansion, buy-ins, and buy-outs.
She holds numerous professional certifications, with designations including Certified
Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified in Financial
Forensics (CFF), Certified Forensic Financial Analyst (CFFA), Certified Divorce Financial
Analyst (CDFA), Certified Exit Planner Advisor (CEPA), and Master Analyst in Financial
Forensics (MAFF).
Before joining Marcum in 2019, Ms. Czarnota was a partner at The Abrix Group, L.P.
She also has “Big 4” accounting firm experience.
Professional & Civic Affiliations
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Illinois CPA Society
National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts
Healthcare Financial Management Association
Chicago Health Executives Forum
American College of Healthcare Executives
Meet Tim Oliver:
Timothy Oliver is a Partner in the Commercial Practice Group. He’s a founding member of the Exit Planning Institute Chicago Chapter (EPIC) where he develops best-in-class practices to prepare business owners for their eventual sale and “next chapter.” At Handler Law, he collaborates with the Advanced Planning team to protect and grow the wealth of clients, along with their families and future generations. Together, Tim and the Advanced Planning team provide unique solutions to businesses and individuals both in their current state and their future plans.
Tim partners with clients as their outside counsel on contracts, compliance and corporate structuring, and acts as their M&A counsel for major purchase and sale transactions. He has managed numerous legal issues for his clients, including company formation and organization; trademark registration and enforcement; purchase and sales; commercial leases; employee and contractor agreements; and regulatory compliance.
Tim prepares his clients to avoid issues that they may not know exist. From years spent litigating business disputes, he brings a heightened appreciation of the potential risks involved in various business ventures. He is particularly adept at spotting latent issues when reviewing contracts, planning for the unexpected in drafting organizational documents such as partnership and shareholder agreements, and protecting his clients’ long-term interests while negotiating deals.
Before joining Handler Law, Tim was a partner at a multi-practice law firm. Prior to his law firm roles, he worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the derivatives and foreign exchange trading industry. He reviewed new legislation and planned changes in the bank’s trading software to achieve governing standards.
Tim earned his Juris Doctorate Degree at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, where he received awards for his studies in contracts, patents and trade secrets, and obtained a certificate in intellectual property law. In addition, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Manhattan College and attended the La Salle Institute. Tim is licensed to practice law in Illinois. He is a devoted family man and an avid reader and gamer. He lives in Westmont with his wife, Jana, and their two children.
Jeff Armstrong is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Cultivate Advisors. In this role, Jeff has talked with 1,000+ business owners to help them assess the health and value of their businesses. Jeff is also a lifelong entrepreneur and owned a service based business in Chicago for 23 years before having his own successful exit.