CNBC: Most small business owners don’t do the math on their most valuable asset

Brett Dearing is a Partner and Exit Planning Specialist in the New York office with almost thirty years experience working with privately-held businesses and business owners. Brett assists business owners in working through the complexities of transitioning a family business, structuring comprehensive succession plans and growth planning. His specialization is preparing a business and business owner for transaction while maximizing enterprise value. He also assists his clients with mergers & acquisitions, recapitalizations, private equity purchases, strategic acquisitions, spin-out acquisitions, tuck-in strategies, ESOP’s and company valuation & analysis.

Before joining Cerity Partners, Brett worked as an outsourced Chief Operating Officer. He also served as Senior Director at BNY Mellon, a Senior Vice President at Goldman Sachs and Managing Director at AllianceBernstein. He was responsible for actively consulting with over 1,000 financial advisors across the United States on investment strategy and client engagement for privately-held businesses. Brett has worked closely with family offices, various hedge funds, REITs, and private equity firms to set up investment and operational infrastructures.

Brett received his degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder and President of the Business Owners Exchange (BXO), a boarded member of the Exit Planning Exchange New York Chapter (XPX). Committee Chair of The Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors™ (AM&AA), and committee member of the Member- Exit Planning Institute (EPI) and the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP).

He is a frequent speaker at events focused on educating and preparing business owners for the sale of their business.