The History of the Exit Planning Institute
Founded in 2005, the Exit Planning Institute has its origins in the Exit Planning Coach process
developed by Peter Christman during his 26-year career in investment banking.
Peter realized business owners needed a more proactive approach to exiting their
businesses. He and his team developed a “prototype” for the exit planning process.
Between September 2001 and April 2003, the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market slowed down
considerably, providing Peter a unique opportunity to test his exit planning process.
- The first beta test client was as an injection molding company with revenues of
$6 million located in a Western suburb of Chicago.
- The second beta test client was a female-owned nurse staffing company in
Indianapolis, with revenues of $10 million.
- The third beta test client was a flavor manufacturer in the Chicago suburbs with revenues
of $6 million.
Each time an exit plan was completed, the process and resulting deliverables were revised based on
input from the client and advisors involved.
In early 2003, the exit planning process and related reports were finalized.
Interest in the exit planning process on the part of business owners and their advisors
exceeded expectations. Between 2003 and 2005, Peter and his four person team completed
two dozen exit planning assignments, roughly one per month. In addition, they gave over 100 presentations
on the topic of exit planning to professional and trade associations, business owner groups, and business advisor
groups around the country.
In early 2005, Richard Jackim wrote The $10 Trillion Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit
Strategies for Middle Market Business Owners to respond to the growing interest in the exit planning
process. The first printing of The $10 Trillion Opportunity sold out in less than 10 months.
Originally, the Exit Planning Institute was established to publish
The $10 Trillion Opportunity. However, based on demand from readers for more information and resources,
the Institute became a membership based association in 2006. The Institute is now the recognized thought
leader and standard setter in the field of exit planning. |
