I’m Rich Poole - Strategic Advisor, trusted Co-Pilot®, Advisory Board member, Board/Strategy Day facilitator & speaker, for business owners, family enterprises & leadership teams at key crossroads: strategy, succession, leadership transition & exit-readiness.

I work at the intersection of  business, life & wellbeing - where real decisions get made.

When business gets complex, clarity matters.

Owning or leading a business is rewarding - and often lonely.

Many of the people I work with are successful, capable and respected - yet they find themselves:

• Carrying big decisions with no independent sounding board
• Avoiding succession or exit conversations because they feel hard or unclear
• Too central to the business - and aware that’s a risk
• Juggling too many priorities without enough traction
• Feeling the personal weight of leadership, not just the commercial one

You don’t need more noise.  You need calm thinking, perspective and someone who’s been there before.

How I help

I work alongside you to help you get clear, aligned and moving - especially when the stakes are high.

Exit-Readiness & Succession (Anytime)

Preparing your business - and you - for succession, transition or sale, so you’re never caught off guard.

Even if you’re not selling, this is simply good business practice.

Strategic Advisory & Sounding Board

A trusted, independent partner to help you think clearly, prioritise well and make better decisions with confidence.

Business Audits & Strategy

Focused diagnostics and action plans that lift value, reduce risk and remove owner-dependence.

Governance, Boards & Leadership Alignment

Bridging owners, boards and management - including Advisory Board roles that bring structure, discipline and accountability.

Family Business & Generational Advisory (generations®)

Succession planning, family governance, next-generation preparation and ownership clarity.

Connections That Matter

Introducing you to the right people - advisors, peers and opportunities - when it counts.

Exit-readiness, Anytime

Being exit-ready doesn’t mean you’re selling tomorrow. It means your business is:

• More valuable
• Less risky
• Less dependent on you
• Better governed
• Ready for options

And it means you are personally prepared for whatever comes next.

That’s smart leadership.

What clients gain working with me

Working together, you can expect:

• Clearer thinking and confident decisions
• Calm, perspective and momentum
• A stronger, more transferable business
• Reduced reliance on you as the bottleneck
• Freedom to focus on what really matters - now and later

Why work with me

• Built and sold GrownUps® to Cigna/Chubb (a Fortune 500 company)
• Fourth-generation family business background (later sold to Toll Holdings)
• 30+ years across ownership, strategy and advisory
• Advisor to 150+ owners, founders, executives and partners
• Known for calm in complexity, straight talk and no ego

I approach your business as if it were my own.

Fit really matters

I work best with people who:

• See their business as an asset, not just a job
• Value advisory as an investment, not a cost
• Want clarity, accountability and a trusted sounding board
• Are open, values-aligned and ready to move
• Want someone they can trust implicitly

When the fit is right, the results follow.

             Paths & Choices - Yesterday doesn't have to determine Tomorrow...

You’ve worked too hard to leave your legacy to chance. Let’s make sure your business - and your life - is ready for whatever comes next.