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SPEAKER SCHEDULE

PREPARING FOR A TRANSITION: Double the Value of Your BusinessPresentation by Mark Wardell of Wardell International

THE MECHANICS OF A TRANSITION: Understanding Valuation and the M&A ProcessAxel Christiansen of Renaissance Group

TRANSITION YOUR BUSINESS WITH CONFIDENCE Hosted By:

Tuesday, January 16

8:00 – 9:30 am

Tuesday January 23

8:00 – 9:30 am

Two seemingly identical businesses can sell for vastly different amounts of money. It’s important to prepare for a transition well in advance in order to end up on the right side of the equation.

In his presentation, Mark will discuss key strategies for maximizing the market value of nearly any company, including how to access the untapped value hidden within your people, your systems, and your culture.

How companies are valued can be a bit of a mystery to entrepreneurs who have not sold a business previously. Enterprise value, capitalized earnings, discounted cash flow, EBITDA multiples, synergistic premiums, etc...what does it all mean? Axel will explain the art and science of valuation so that you can embark on a sale process with a value expectation based on appropriate valuation concepts.

The best way to maximize value is to conduct a well executed professional selling process which ensures that you reach the right buyers, provide them the right information at the right time and maximize competitive tension. Axel will outline the techniques used by professional M&A advisors in a typical sale process. Since most transactions will face a few ‘bumps’ - common transaction challenges will also be discussed.

LOCATION: 610 – 1200 W. 73rd Avenue, Vancouver BC V6P 6G5

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EARLY BIRD Registration before Dec. 31st

$60/person Non-FEX Members

No charge for FEX Members

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS OF A TRANSITION: Legal Issue in the Sale ProcessDon Sihota of Clark Wilson

TAX CONSIDERATIONS OF A TRANSITION: Proposed Private Company Rules With Respect to the Sale and Transition of a BusinessDino S. Infanti of KPMG

Tuesday, January 30

8:00 – 9:30 am

Tuesday February 6

8:00 – 9:30 am

Family business owners face a unique set of circumstances when it comes to succession planning – how do you transfer ownership to children (or employees) who may not have sufficient cash to purchase the business outright? How do you deal fairly with children who are not involved in the business? Don will discuss the legal solutions available to help you navigate this important transition. But what if there is no natural successor to your business? In today’s market there are lots of potential buyers for established businesses but also many pitfalls for the unwary. Don will discuss the legal issues involved in a sale to a third party purchaser, and show you how you can avoid making costly mistakes.

This presentation will focus on the tax issues regarding the transition of a private business. In particular it will address the income tax issues pertaining to the Department of Finance’s proposed private company tax changes and what they may mean to you when transitioning your private business.

REGISTRATION AFTER Dec. 31st

$75/person Non-FEX Members

No charge for FEX Members

OR VISIT: https://www.wardell.biz/fex-boardroom

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Axel ChristiansenRenaissance Group

Mark WardellWardell International

Axel brings over 20 years of M&A and Corporate Finance experience to Renaissance, serving as an integral member of the Mergers and Acquisitions division. With a career focused on serving small to mid-sized BC companies across a wide range of industries, Axel is routinely sought out by entrepreneurs seeking to successfully transition their businesses.

Prior to joining Renaissance, Axel was a founding member of Vancity Capital – the mezzanine financing division of Vancity Savings Credit Union. Subsequently he held the role of Managing Director for BDC Capital’s mezzanine financing

group covering BC and the Yukon. In both positions he was actively engaged in structuring and negotiating merger and acquisition transactions. He also created the successful ‘Exit This Way’ and ‘How to Buy a Business’ seminar series’ which have provided entrepreneurs with diverse transition expertise for over 15 years.

Additionally, Axel is on the advisory board for a couple of local companies and is a past board member at Family Services of Greater Vancouver where he held the position of Treasurer and chaired the Fund Development Committee. Axel is a CFA charter holder.

Mark Wardell is an entrepreneur, author and internationally-renowned business advisor.

As Founder and President of the consulting firm, Wardell International and the software company, Harold, Mark has been helping business owners achieve their entrepreneurial dreams for more than 20 years.

The Wardell methodology, which systematically addresses the realities of small and medium sized business markets, is used with vast success in almost every industry around the globe.

Mark is a published author of seven business books, and a sought-after contributor to top national and international publications, including Profit Magazine, The Globe and Mail, The National Post and CEO Magazine. He’s featured on television programs, such as BNN’s Money Talk, and frequently headlines Business in Vancouver’s Roundhouse radio segment, Management Matters. Mark is also an acclaimed keynote speaker with talks in Canada, US, United Kingdom, France, Barbados, Argentina and Australia.

When he’s not networking, exploring and researching new ideas with business thought leaders from around the globe, the one-time musician and national gymnastics coach enjoys his family and fitness.

For more information about Wardell International, visit www.wardellinternational.com/services.

For more information about Harold, visit www.MyHarold.com

SPEAKER BIOS

Dino S. InfantiKPMG

Don SihotaClark Wilson

Dino is a Tax Partner and National Leader Enterprise Tax at KPMG LLP. Dino is also a member of our Canadian Firm’s Tax and Enterprise Leadership Teams. He joined the firm in 2011 as part of a merger.

Dino has been practicing in taxation for over 20 years, specializing in owner‐managed enterprises primarily in the construction, real estate development, and holdings sectors, in addition to the property and casualty insurance sector. His tax technical work is in estate and succession planning, corporate restructuring, and divestitures.

Dino has authored various tax papers, presented tax planning strategies, and providedcommentary on Federal and Provincial budgets.

Dino is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and former chairperson of the Canadian TaxFoundation Young Tax Practitioners (Vancouver Chapter). He is also a Board member of theItalian Cultural Centre Senior Citizens Housing Society.

Don is a seasoned M&A lawyer having worked on transactions totaling approximately two thirds of a billion dollars of value to date. Don has successfully represented a very large number of business owners over a broad range of industries giving him an incredible depth of experience in M&A transactions. This depth of experience allows Don to be a true champion for our clients, providing sophisticated legal advice, anticipating and avoidingchallenges and protecting clients from the pitfalls inherent in complex and sophisticated business sale and purchase transactions. But Don’s work does not stop there. In addition to M&A transactions, Don assists our clients with

shareholder disputes, corporate reorganizations and general corporate matters.

Our clients regard Don highly for his expertise, responsiveness, and ability to explain complex legal issues in a clear and comprehensive manner, enabling them to make the best decisions possible based on grounded and timely advice. Don establishes key business strategies in advance of negotiations and advocates for those positions powerfully to accomplish our clients’ goals.

While Don routinely acts in the purchase and sale of some of the largest companies in British Columbia, his experience and expertise is accessible, whether a business is worth $100M or under $2M. Don’s role depends on the nature of the transaction and the budget. For larger and more complex matters, Don’s role will be very hands-on. For other transactions, Don will provide comprehensive conceptual oversight and lead the negotiating strategy, but day-to-day management and document drafting can be handled by lawyers at theappropriate level of experience under Don’s supervision, ensuring a cost-effective result. By choosing Don for the M&A transaction, our clients will receive high-quality legal services regardless of transaction size.