Rich Gove, in Minneapolis MN

About Rich Gove

With over 30 years of experience in providing financial services to business owners, I focus on preparing you for either an internal or external transition. I help you get “exit‑ready” years in advance with practical steps: valuation readiness, continuity planning, retaining key employees, reviewing buy/sell agreements and family or leadership succession design. You’ll have a coordinated plan with your CPA and attorney and other applicable team experts, clear timelines, and decision support that aligns cash flow, taxes, and risk with your personal goals, so your next chapter is intentional—not accidental.

Prepare before the transition starts choosing for you.

I help privately held companies prepare well before a sale, recapitalization, succession event, or internal transition so they can protect options, strengthen value, and make better decisions earlier.

Most owners spend years building enterprise value and very little time preparing for the decisions that will shape what they ultimately keep, how the transition happens, and what life looks like after it.

What I help clients do

The work happens in the prepare stage, before a banker-led process narrows options and before urgency starts driving the conversation.

Improve readiness

Get "succession ready" years in advance through practical work on valuation readiness, continuity planning, and decision timing.

Connect the moving parts

Bring business value, personal wealth, family priorities, and management-team readiness into one coordinated planning process.

Align the advisory bench

Coordinate with CPAs, attorneys, and other specialists so taxes, cash flow, risk, and timelines stay aligned with personal goals.

What this looks like in practice

- A better-prepared owner with clearer timelines and next-step decisions

- A stronger plan for continuity, value, and management readiness

- A more coordinated advisory bench across legal, tax, and wealth planning

- Better positioning for a sale, recapitalization, succession event, or internal transfer

- Decision support that helps make the next chapter intentional instead of accidental

"I help business owners prepare for what comes before the transaction, not just what happens during or after it."

Additional Planning Capabilities

Coordinated owner planning

I help clients align cash flow, taxes, risk, and personal goals with the transition plan so decisions across the full advisory team move in the same direction.

Executive equity compensation

I also advise executives with equity compensation, translating RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, ESPPs, vesting schedules, blackout windows, concentration risk, and liquidity decisions into a tax-aware, diversified strategy.

Where I am distinct

I am most valuable when owners need a practical structure for readiness, continuity, and coordinated decision-making before major outcomes are locked in.

- Work before the deal process is driving decisions

- Help owners decide how, when, whether, and under what structure a transition should happen

- Clarify transferability, continuity, and post-transaction expectations before a transaction is underway

- Prevent owners from going to market before they are financially or mentally ready

- Bring business, personal, and family decision-making into one coordinated conversation

- Especially valuable when leadership continuity after closing will materially affect the outcome

- Turn complex transition planning into a practical process owners and advisors can actually use

- Build a stronger foundation for whatever transition comes next

Ideal fit

Every business owner's journey is unique, but certain situations benefit most from the thoughtful transition planning I can offer. If your business aligns with the profile below, I can help you prepare with confidence, create a strategy that reflects your goals, and position your business for a successful future.

Company profile

Privately held companies typically between $20 million and $1 billion in revenue.

Timing

Owners who are thinking about transition readiness before a formal process begins.

Complexity

Situations where management continuity, family alignment, or advisor coordination will materially affect the result.

If you want a seasoned partner who treats your transition or your equity as distinct, high‑stakes priorities within a cohesive plan, let’s start a focused conversation and build clarity.

MEETING OPTIONS:

In Person | Virtual | Phone

To schedule a complimentary consultation,

select preferred option below:

Virtual – Teams Phone | Golden Valley Office | Burnsville Office

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