Most business owners understand the importance of attracting and retaining talented employees. What many fail to appreciate is how much risk can be concentrated in just one or two key individuals. Whether it's a top salesperson, lead engineer, operations manager, or other critical team member, the sudden loss of a key employee can create significant disruption to revenue, customer relationships, operational continuity, and future growth plans. In some cases, it can materially reduce the value of the business itself.In this episode, Pat Ennis and Walter Deyhle are joined by Mark Gage to discuss one of the most overlooked areas of business risk management: identifying and protecting key employees. The conversation explores how business owners can assess their exposure to key person risk, understand the role of insurance in mitigating that risk, and implement strategies that protect both the business and its stakeholders.This discussion is especially relevant for founder-led businesses where significant knowledge, customer relationships, or operational expertise may be concentrated in just a few individuals.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What defines a "key employee" from a risk management perspective
• How to identify the employees whose loss would create the greatest disruption
• Why many business owners underestimate key employee risk
• The financial and operational consequences of losing a key employee
• How Key Person Insurance works and when it should be considered
• Determining the appropriate amount of insurance coverage
• Common misconceptions surrounding Key Person Insurance
• How buyers evaluate key employee risk during due diligence
• Strategies for reducing dependency on critical employees
• Why protecting key employees is an important component of exit planning

Guest:Mark Gage, CLU
Vice President | Northeast BrokerageMark has worked in the insurance industry for more than 30 years and specializes in succession planning, estate planning, life insurance contract analysis, and impaired risk underwriting. A Certified Life Underwriter through The American College, Mark works with insurance professionals and their clients to identify appropriate life, disability, and long-term care insurance solutions while representing more than 30 insurance carriers.Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gage-clu-a48b7a7/  ─────────────────────────────────────────
Ready to assess your own exit readiness? Take the free ExitReadiness® DIY™ Assessment at exitreadiness.com.

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com
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Trying to build your exit plan yourself?ExitReadiness® DIY™ provides a proven framework with tools, assessments, and educational resources designed to help business owners make better decisions and create more options for the future. And when judgment and experience matter most, credentialed exit planning professionals are available to help.

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

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Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.