Transition & Succession Solutions - North Group Consultants

Every business owner eventually starts to contemplate the future and what is to become of their hard work.

I want my business to outlive me.
I want to leave my employees and customers in good hands.
I wish I could create a sustainable legacy for future generations.
I just want to transition into the next phase of my life with a sense of peace.
I want to maintain family harmony and resilience that benefits the business.
I want to make sense of the complex and competing priorities and find a clear path forward.

Now, these outcomes may seem hard to reach, but they are the natural result of a well-planned transition process. At North Group, we develop leaders and organizations towards their highest potential. One way we do that is through a principles-based approach to helping our clients transition to the next generation of leadership and ownership of their business. Often, families are an integral part of these transitions.

We Quarterback the Planning Process on Your Behalf

The planning process requires the coordination of many details, conversations, and priorities, and it involves various stakeholders and professional advisors. We orchestrate the entire process to maximize efficiency—keeping all parties informed and working together.

We Simplify the Complex

We thrive in complex client situations that require intricate and diligent coordination, such as:

Significant enterprise value or family wealth
Multiple entities under common control
Both family and non-family shareholders
More than one class of stock
Multiple locations and/or multi-state issues
Significant philanthropic intent
Multiple family lines in the business
Having more than two generations active in the business

An Effective Succession or Transition Plan Must Be Built Around Several Key Pillars

Organizational Health

A strong organizational health and culture is your foundation.

Change inevitably reveals underlying issues and challenges in any organization.

Are these issues or challenges well-known to your organization?
How will you move forward once these challenges are revealed?

Leadership

As the exiting leaders prepare to move on, it is important to develop a clear standard.

What is expected of their successor(s)?
What timelines are in place?
What pathways are available?
How do we prepare the next generation of leadership?

Ownership

Ownership and ultimate control must also be transferred in a family or privately-held business transition.

All of the following matters must be thoughtfully addressed.

Practical
Emotional
Technical

Family

In a family enterprise, the family is the glue that holds everything together.

Generational and cross-generational alignment around values and family legacy must be clear.

To support all other pillars, our team will:

Convene family meetings
Build alignment
Adopt key policies

The North Group Approach

In recognition that each business, leadership team, and family are unique, we avoid formulas and are in favor of a principles-based framework that provides the basis for a durable and adaptable plan.

Assessment

We start with an assessment that provides a snapshot of your organization's health, history, and family.

Collaboration with Other Advisors

As early in the process as possible, we begin communicating with your existing professional advisors. Our services are complementary to those provided by your attorney, accountant, financial planner, and other advisors.

Sudden Event Preparedness

We ensure that a contingency plan is in place to cover unexpected tragedies. The likelihood of this occurrence is very low but the implications can be disastrous so it’s prudent to be prepared.

Stakeholder Alignment

A significant amount of effort is dedicated to the facilitation of meetings with the goal of building clarity and alignment around key objectives and timelines. This often includes meetings of the board, leadership team, owners, next generation, family, and advisors. The scope is fully dependent on the complexity of your unique situation.

Implementation and Monitoring

The process culminates in a formally documented plan that guides the transition and provides clarity and consistency for all stakeholders. Certain aspects may occur immediately and others may occur over time or at some point in the future.

Want to Learn More About North Group’s Transition & Succession Solutions?

Contact Leron Lehman
(717) 299-9800
llehman@northgroupconsultants.com

Blog, Podcasts, Case Studies

May 15, 2025

North Group’s Leadership Transition: From Founder to Future (Podcast Ep. 43)

By Administrator

Ten years ago, the partners at North Group began asking a critical question: What will leadership and ownership look like beyond our founder? In this special episode, Brian Black sits down with Founde...

Apr 29, 2025

Simple Truths for Successful Business Transitions

By Leron Lehman

I recently read a blog post by Morgan Housel in which he makes the point that architecture that wins awards and looks great in magazines is often not very practical for the people who actually live in...

Feb 18, 2025

Beyond the Numbers: Ownership Structures that Prioritize Purpose & Vision (Podcast Episode 42)

By Gina Breslin

In this episode, Roger North and Gina Breslin dive into the complex world of ownership structures for privately-owned companies, including the often-debated 50/50 partnership model. Together, they ana...

Jan 7, 2025

Family Business: “Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves” or Hope for the Future? (Podcast Ep. 41)

By Jerry Murray

Join Jerry Murray, Leron Lehman, and Brian Black in this episode of The North Group Podcast as they discuss the outlook on success for family businesses. Statistics claim that less than half of family...

Jan 2, 2025

The Power of Shared Values | The Agriteer Merger Story (Part 3 of 3)

By Craig Schloneger

How many times have we walked into a meeting feeling skeptical—about the people, the topic, or the outcome? I know I have. I often enter with preconceived notions or worry that a difficult conversatio...

Dec 18, 2024

The 3 Key Players | The Agriteer Merger Story (Part 2 of 3)

By Josh Keefer

In this video, Josh Keefer highlights our recent podcast where Roger and Craig sat down with Eugene Hurst to discuss the merger that led to the creation of Agriteer. Their conversation focused on the ...

Dec 3, 2024

Cultivating Unity | The Agriteer Merger Story (Part 1 of 3)

By Roger North

In Episode 40 of The North Group Podcast, Roger North is joined by Craig Schloneger and Eugene Hurst, CEO of the newly formed company Agriteer. Agriteer was created from the merger of two leading agri...

Nov 4, 2024

Camper of the Week | Nikki Shingle’s Story (Part 3 of 3)

By Jerry Murray

One of our deepest held beliefs at North Group is that “All people are created by God for a special and unique purpose.” We are convinced that everyone is gifted in their own way, and these gifts are ...

Sep 3, 2024

The Power of an Ending | Josh Fisher’s Story (Part 3 of 3)

By Brian Black

Josh Fisher’s story, as narrated through our recent podcast, reflects the significant moments when he set things aside in his life, only to find new opportunities or pathways emerging in their place. ...