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O P I N I O N
Professional help
L ast fall we had our annual awards event, the Hot Firm & A/E Industry Awards Conference, in Dallas. As always, the gathering was full of energy and was a true celebration of the accomplishments of many of the top AEC firms across the United States. The words ‘difficult’ and ‘uncomfortable’ are synonymous with ownership transition. If you try to execute one on your own, it might come out half-baked.
Will Swearingen GUEST SPEAKER
services firm: Bo Sutton from Bow River Capital (private equity); James Swabowski from Wintrust (ESOP); and Don Alford, executive vice president of strategic growth for NV5 (M&A). From traditional internal transitions to private and keynote speakers, many are pushing the envelope of what it means to be successful in today’s industry.” “The vibe of the conference is one that feels as if you are being drawn forward. Through breakout sessions
As a testament to the incredible people in attendance, the vibe of the conference is one that feels as if you are being drawn forward. Through breakout sessions and keynote speakers, many are pushing the envelope of what it means to be successful in today’s industry. I was fortunate enough to be asked to lead a panel on one of the most important topics in the industry today – ownership transition. They come in many different forms, starting with the simple dichotomy of internal or external. As Zweig Group’s director of ownership transition, I focus more on the internal transitions and have seen a wide variety of options, offerings, and methods of execution. Going into the panel I was excited to have three panelists representing the three most prevalent forms of a transition for professional
See WILL SWEARINGEN, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 21, 2019, ISSUE 1280
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