We are pleased to announce that TPG’s Director of Wealth Planning Lauren Reed has become a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). As one of just 15 women in Oregon’s total of 66 CEPAs, this is a significant benchmark for Reed as well as for The Partners Group. Reed has also had her Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation since 2009.

The CEPA program was designed by the Exit Planning Institute in 2007 to train business advisors how to advise owners of privately held companies on “what comes next” in their business’s succession plan. According to the Institute, exit planning combines the plan, concept, effort, and process of transferring a business into a clear strategy through four types of capital – human, structural, customer, and social.

After completing a rigorous program that involved 150 hours of coursework and a three-hour proctored exam, Reed is certified to help business owners understand not only their exit options, but how their vision, values, and financial needs align.

“Business owners are so focused on their day-to-day operations that they often don’t take time to plan for the future or the transition of their business. On average, 80% of a business owner’s net worth is tied to their business.”

If over three-quarters of a person’s net worth is wrapped up in an intangible object, Reed asks, then why did an independent study show that:

  • 99% of owners agreed with this statement: “Having a transition strategy is important both for my future and for the future of my business.”

 However:

  • 79% of owners have no written transition plan
  • 48% have done no planning at all
  • 94% have no written personal third-act plan

“As a CEPA, I will guide clients through a process that involves evaluating three parts of their lives – business, personal, and financial – to prepare them for a future sale and transition into the next phase of their lives.”

The Partners Group is fortunate to now have two Certified Exit Planning Advisors on its team, as Managing Director of Wealth Management John Woolley completed the CEPA program in 2021.

“Being able to offer a two-person CEPA team both to our wealth management clients as well as to all divisions’ clients is a real benefit for TPG,” says Reed. “It furthers our One Partner Advantage, in which TPG’s experts from insurance, employee services, and financial consulting work together across divisions to provide comprehensive strategies to our clients. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

To speak with Lauren Reed, CFP®, CEPA, about your exit planning strategy or wealth management needs, email lreed@tpgrp.com or call (800) 722-6339