The family business is often the crown jewel of a family’s wealth—but succession rarely happens on ideal terms. Whether due to emotional ties, unspoken expectations, or lack of planning, too many successful businesses fail to survive their founders.
In this episode of Making Cents, host John Napolitano sits down with Mark Henry, partner at Citrin Cooperman, one of the nation's top 20 accounting and advisory firms. Mark brings over 25 years of experience helping privately held and family-owned businesses navigate the challenges of leadership transition, succession planning, and long-term sustainability.
Together, they tackle the key issues that high net worth families face when integrating the future of a business into their broader financial lives:
- Why most family businesses don’t survive to the third generation—and what families can do to reverse that trend
- The hidden risks of defaulting to the oldest child or waiting too long to start transition conversations
- The role of communication, governance, and outside advisors in preserving not just enterprise value—but family harmony
You’ll also hear Mark and John discuss how a thoughtful buy-sell agreement, an updated estate plan, and well-defined roles for family members (and non-family executives) can be the difference between generational wealth and generational friction.
Whether you're thinking of passing the torch soon or just beginning to sketch your succession roadmap, this conversation will help you see the business through a longer lens—and prepare your family for the future with clarity and confidence.
Listen in to learn how the right planning today can secure your family’s business and legacy for tomorrow.
Key Links- Napier Financial –https://napierfinancial.com
- John Napolitano’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpnapolitano/
- Citrin Cooperman Website - https://www.citrincooperman.com/
- Mark Henry’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-henry-05759917/
Podcast produced and distributed by Evergreen Financial Marketing https://www.evergreenfm.com/
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