Beyond the Transaction: The Succession Issues That Shape Every Business Transition
Presented by Jeff Faulker, Michael Valdez and Kelly Maheu, JD
Why Ownership Transfer Alone Doesn't Ensure Long-Term Success
A successful business transition requires more than a well-structured deal.
While ownership transfer often receives the most attention, many transitions ultimately succeed or fail based on factors that have little to do with the transaction itself, including leadership continuity, successor readiness, governance, family dynamics, advisor coordination, and business continuity.
Join Michael Valdez, Co-Founder of the Business Transition Council (BTC); Jeff Faulkner, President of The Rawls Group – Business Succession Planners and Co-Founder of ISPA; and Kelly Maheu, CEO of ISPA, for a discussion on the succession issues that shape transition outcomes before, during, and after a transaction.
Michael and Jeff will share perspectives from decades of experience helping business owners navigate transition and succession challenges, while Kelly will bring insights from working with ISPA's community of succession planning professionals across multiple disciplines. Together, they will explore the issues that often determine whether a transition succeeds long after the transaction is complete.
In addition to practical insights and real-world examples, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the presenters during a live Q&A discussion.
What You'll Learn
Why ownership transfer alone does not ensure long-term success
The leadership, continuity, governance, and successor-readiness issues that often influence transition outcomes
Common succession planning gaps that can create risk for owners, families, and businesses
How advisors can identify succession-related challenges earlier in the planning process
Ways business transition and succession planning professionals can work together to better serve clients
Meet Our Speakers
Jeff Faulker
President, The Rawls Group
Jeff Faulkner is President of The Rawls Group and Co-Founder of the International Succession Planning Association (ISPA). For more than two decades, he has worked with business owners, families, and their advisors to navigate the complex leadership, ownership, governance, and family dynamics issues that shape successful business transitions.
Drawing on his background in psychology and counseling, Jeff is known for helping business families address the human side of succession planning while also guiding the strategic and financial decisions necessary for long-term continuity. His work focuses on aligning family, business, and ownership systems to create durable succession outcomes across generations.
Jeff holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Samford University and a Master of Science in Counseling from Georgia State University. He is a frequent speaker on succession planning, family business continuity, and business transitions, having presented to numerous professional and industry organizations throughout the country. He is also the author of an upcoming book focused on succession planning and family business continuity.
As President of The Rawls Group and a leader within ISPA, Jeff continues to help business owners and advisors approach succession planning as an ongoing discipline rather than a single transaction or event.
Michael C. Valdez, CFP ® , CLU ® , AIF ® , CSP ®
Co-Founder, Business Transition Council (BTC)
Michael C. Valdez brings more than four decades of experience guiding business owners, executives, and family enterprises through complex transition and succession decisions. His work centers on helping leaders develop deep self-knowledge—clarity of purpose, values, and decision-making style so they can navigate business transitions with intention, continuity, and confidence. Michael coaches’ founders and leadership teams through the human dimensions of succession planning, including identity shifts, family and stakeholder dynamics, and readiness for leadership transfer.
He integrates financial, organizational, and personal insight to support durable outcomes that align business strategy with the leader’s long-term vision and legacy. A former CExP for many years (Certified Exit Planner) and currently CFP ® (Certified Financial Planner Practitioner™) and a current CSP ® (Certified Succession Planner), Michael has held senior leadership roles in corporate benefits, retirement consulting, and family office services.
He is a Co-founder of the Business Transition Council of Tampa, a multidisciplinary group focused on succession, exit, and transition planning for closely held businesses. His credentials reinforce his integrated approach to business continuity and leadership transition. Michael has served clients since 1983 and works with professionals, entrepreneurs, and family businesses seeking thoughtful, value- driven transition strategies that preserve both enterprise value and personal purpose.
Kelly Maheu, JD
Chief Executive Officer, International Succession Planning Association (ISPA)
Kelly Maheu, JD, is Chief Executive Officer of the International Succession Planning Association (ISPA®), where she leads the organization's efforts to advance succession planning as a recognized professional discipline. She works closely with financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs, consultants, insurance professionals, and business advisors to help them better serve business owners and multi-generational families navigating leadership, ownership, and continuity challenges.
With more than 20 years of experience in professional education, credentialing, partnerships, and industry leadership, Kelly has held senior leadership roles across the insurance, financial services, media, and technology sectors. She is a frequent speaker and author whose work focuses on helping advisors move beyond transactional planning to address the broader issues that often determine long-term success, including leadership continuity, governance, family dynamics, successor readiness, and advisor coordination.
Kelly earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and her bachelor's degree from Miami University.
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