Tom Deans

Combining humor with his experience as president of a family-owned multinational corporation, Tom Deans' best-selling book, Every Family's Business, provides the framework for his keynote speeches and seminars.

Every Family's Business captures Tom's personal story of how three generations of his family founded and sold their private and publicly traded companies for more than $100 million. This start and sell approach, and the annual review of 12 basic questions about the operation of the business, profoundly shaped his unique and contrarian view of business succession planning.

Sold in 14 countries, Every Family's Business is the best-selling family business book of all time and has changed the lives of thousands of business owners and their families.

Tom has delivered his revolutionary approach to family business succession planning to all manner of families, from billionaires in South Dakota to impoverished coffee growers in El Salvador.

Deans' message is especially relevant to franchisors and their franchisees as well as associations who aim to help their member firms with succession planning. His message on the importance of estate planning makes him a particularly engaging speaker for spousal events at conventions.

Virtual Keynote - How Extraordinary Companies Are Helping Employees Start the most Important Conversation of a Lifetime.

One major lesson to be learned from a global pandemic, is that estate planning is not just for old wealthy people.  In fact, the indiscriminate attack of COVID-19 on all segments of the population shows the importance of Power of Attorneys and Health Care Directives for everyone over the age of 18. Prepare to unlearn everything you thought you know about estate planning as Dr. Tom Deans, The NewYork Times Top-ten Author of Every Family’s Business and Willing Wisdom: 7 Questions Successful Families Ask, shares practical easy to understand tips and tools to help families talk and take care of one another.

With 12.5 million Canadians without wills, Power of Attorneys and Health Care Directives, there is no more inspiring, thoughtful and timely gift an employer can offer employees than the message offered by this award winning speaker and thought-leader. All participants over aged 50 are invited to complete a proprietary, confidential estate planning checklist to reveal the opportunities to improve their own estate plans.  Employees under age 50 are invited to share this educational resource with their family over age 50 to begin these urgent conversations.

Associations - Associations are being confronted with declining membership as aging business owners struggle to plan their retirement.

Deans makes a compelling case that associations have never been more important and indispensable when it comes to helping owners with their business succession planning.

Wealth Management/Financial Advisors - Why succession planning is key to tapping $10 trillion of new client capital.

Deans assists financial professionals in understanding the unique role they can play in helping family business clients safeguard their business assets.

Accountants -When do business owners turn to their accountants for therapy?

Deans provides business owners with the tools to protect generational wealth. Too many business owners have no succession plan - Deans assists accounting professionals to craft a sustainable tax efficient succession plan.