Are You Ready?

In this episode of Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn is joined by Megan Harris of Barr LLP to discuss wills, estate planning, estate administration, and the problems that can arise when planning is delayed or incomplete. Megan brings perspective from both the planning side and the litigation side, offering practical advice on when to create or update a will, why powers of attorney and personal directi...

How do you know when your business needs more financial leadership, but not necessarily a full-time CFO? In this episode of Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn sits down with longtime colleague and financial leader Ray Hawrelak to explore the growing role of the fractional CFO. With more than four decades of experience across real estate, public companies, private enterprises, family businesses, and not...

Selling a business is often the largest financial transaction an entrepreneur will ever undertake. Yet many owners underestimate the time, preparation, and scrutiny involved once a deal enters the due diligence phase. In this episode of Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn is joined by Hugh Watt, Chief Operating Officer of Acera Insurance, to explore the realities of due diligence during a business sale...

What actually happens when you move from planning your exit to executing it? In Part 2 of this conversation on Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn continues his discussion with Gerry Robitaille, President of Assurgo Enterprises, diving deeper into the realities of mergers and acquisitions and what business owners should expect once a deal is in motion. Building on the foundation from Part 1, this episod...

What does it really take to sell a business successfully? In this episode of Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn is joined by Gerry Robitaille, President of Assurgo Enterprises, to explore the realities behind mergers, acquisitions, and business exits. With more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance, ownership, and transaction advisory, Gerry brings a practical, real-world perspective to one...

What does it really take to transition a family business without damaging the family behind it? In this episode of Are You Ready? , Neil Cockburn is joined by Don Humphreys of Newcastle West to explore the realities of multi-generational family enterprise. Don brings a rare perspective, having taken over the family business from his father, in partnership with his brother and working  in the busin...

What if the best buyer for your business is already working inside it? In this episode of Are You Ready?, Neil Cockburn is joined by John Stevens, founder of Camilla Advisory Group and a long-time advocate for employee ownership, to explore how Employee Share Ownership Plans can offer a powerful and often overlooked path for business transition. With more than 35 years of experience in senior fina...

What does it really take to prepare a business for sale, succession, or transition? In this episode of Are You Ready? , Neil Cockburn is joined by Brad Gaulin of MExit and Neha Desilets of Kingston Ross Pasnak to explore the realities of business exit planning. The conversation goes far beyond the idea of simply selling a company. Instead, it focuses on the strategic and often lengthy process of p...

What if the most important plan you will ever make is the one you keep putting off? In this first episode of Are You Ready? , host Neil Cockburn, Director of Family Enterprise Advisory Services at Kingston Ross Pasnak, explores one of the most overlooked but critical areas of readiness planning: wills, estate planning, and end-of-life preparation. Drawing on decades of experience advising business...