“We had three adult children and no agreement on who would run the workshop. The ownership mapping sessions forced us to put numbers and voting weight on paper instead of arguing in the kitchen. The plan still took months, but the shouting stopped earlier than I expected.”
Client stories
What owners say after the plan is on paper
These accounts reference specific advisory work. Names are shortened where clients asked for discretion.
“I wanted my operations manager ready before I stepped back from client visits. The handoff calendar was detailed — almost too detailed for my taste — but the bank and our two largest accounts noticed the difference within a quarter. I still sit on capital decisions; day-to-day no longer waits for me.”
“Family governance sessions were uncomfortable in the first meeting. That was the point. We left with written rules for dividends and hiring that our solicitor could reference. Mild reservation: we needed one extra session after a sibling dispute we thought was settled.”
“The full succession engagement gave us a timeline we could show staff without promising a sale. Successors knew what authority they would gain each quarter. We are still mid-handover, and the written decision register has already prevented two rushed share transfers.”
Extended note
Regional manufacturer, Mid North SA
A founding couple held equal shares; two adult children worked in operations and sales. No successor had been named, and a trade buyer had made an informal approach. Over five months we mapped ownership, ran family governance sessions, and produced a staged handoff that kept the firm family-held while defining the daughter’s path to managing director.
Constraint: the son preferred a liquidity event. The decision register recorded that preference without forcing an immediate sale. Staff were briefed only after the ownership path was settled. Mild friction remained between siblings on dividend timing — addressed in a follow-up governance session rather than left unspoken.
Extended note
Private services firm preparing founder exit
The founder remained the face of major accounts. Management Handoff Planning focused on twelve months of client introductions, a temporary capital veto for the founder, and written readiness scores for the operations manager. The bank relationship moved first; two long-standing clients required a joint visit before accepting invoices under the new signature.
Outcome: operational control transferred on schedule. Ownership transfer remains a separate, slower conversation with the family’s solicitor — by design.