Dan Guglielmo

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

In the rapidly emerging Exit Planning field, Dan Guglielmo is considered a national thought-leader. His goal is to continue expanding the influence and deepening the impact of two significant communities: owners of closely-held businesses who have proven leadership skills, and the community of advisors whom these families must rely upon to realize their goals.

He began his professional career at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Finance Attorney in the Division of Enforcement.  As much as he enjoyed learning about the public markets at the SEC, he discovered that his professional calling was working with owners of privately-held businesses. This should come as no surprise, as Dan is a fourth generation entrepreneur.

In 2001, with his partner Ronald B. Ware, Dan founded TrustDesign, a planning-based wealth management firm. Dan now serves as a Personal Wealth Advocate for successful business owners and their families, focusing on increasing the sustainability and transferability of the family’s most valuable asset: the family business. Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, a Jurist Doctorate degree from Arizona State College of Law and studied for his LLM in Taxation at Boston University.

Jeffrey Hart

Boston Chapter

Jeffrey P. Hart is a founding member of the Boston law firm of Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers, P.C.  A member of the firm’s management committee, Jeff concentrates his practice in advising businesses and individuals in the areas of business law, taxation, and estate planning, with a special emphasis on business succession planning.

He was an Adjunct Professor of Law at New England School of Law from 1985 through 1997, teaching courses in Advanced Corporate Taxation and Business Planning and has also lectured on advanced topics of estate planning at Suffolk University Law School.

Earlier in his career, Jeff practiced as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Chicago.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and New England School of Law.  Jeff was voted one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts in a survey of Massachusetts attorneys published in the November 2004 issue of Boston Magazine.

Michael Oleksak

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

Michael Oleksak is a co-founder of Trek Consulting where as both a management consultant and a coach, he helps clients to grow their businesses His corporate experience spans finance, sales, marketing and management at Bank of Boston and Thomson Financial.

As a consultant, Michael works with owner-managed businesses to develop action plans for growth. Michael also works with the owners to prepare for their successful exit by coordinating the resources necessary to increase and preserve the firm’s value, creating the succession plan and assembling the right transaction team, financing and post-transaction plan.

In addition to consulting, Michael is an energetic speaker and author on topics related to strategic customer conversations, growth and value creation. He has taught seminars at Northeastern University, writes a monthly column on Strategic Action and has been published internationally. In the 1990’s, he also co-authored a book entitled, Beisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game.

Ron Ware

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

Ron Ware is the founder of Wealth Impact Partners and a Personal Legacy Advisor to individuals, families and business owners who have the resources and the passion to make a difference. For the last 12 years, Ron has helped his client families articulate their personal definition of legacy and stewardship and then design and implement a “targeted” wealth preservation and legacy plan for the people, causes and institutions about which they care most deeply.

Ron began his professional career in his family’s floor covering business in Rhode Island, where he learned invaluable lessons about family, relationships, work, values, character, community, charity and money. He learned his planning trade working with Cigna Financial Advisors in Waltham, Massachusetts, accumulating substantial and valuable experience in high net worth fee-based financial planning during that time. Ron practiced as an estate and tax attorney for more than ten years, but no longer actively practices. He now focuses exclusively on the economic and human aspects of wealth planning.

In 2001, Ron cofounded TrustDesign, a family wealth advisory firm located in Franklin, Massachusetts. Until the end of 2008, at which time Ron was inspired to leave TrustDesign to create Wealth Impact Partners, TrustDesign had experienced exponential growth and successfully developed two unique and differentiated areas of expertise, exit planning for business owners, and family legacy and philanthropy planning for average affluent families.

Ron is passionate about, and involved in his own philanthropic efforts, serving on various boards and committees for local charities. Since 2006, he has helped organize and produce the Willow Creek Association’s Global Leadership Summit in Port au Prince, Haiti. The annual conference promotes human dignity and self-worth, integrity, character, self-reliance, innovation and ultimately improvements in Haiti’s quality of life. Former President Bill Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, rock-star Bono and Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are among past conference speakers.

John H. Wheeler, Jr.

Boston Chapter

John Wheeler is Managing Partner of Wheeler Performance Group (www.wheelergroupllc.com ), an organization effectiveness and operations improvement management consultancy.  As a certified management consultant (CMC®) with over twenty-five years of multi-disciplinary expertise in sales, marketing, product development, management, organization development, operations and information technology Mr. Wheeler has worked with over 300 companies in sixteen industries. He has served as the Chief Operating officer of six companies, is a published author, sought-after industry and corporate speaker, educator and business success skills radio personality.  Based in Boston, Mass., Mr. Wheeler currently serves on four non-profit Boards. His book “V-O-E: A Business Success Formula” will be published in 2010.

Katharine White

Boston Chapter

Katharine White is an executive leadership coach, trained behavioral health specialist and executive health care consultant   She helps entrepreneurs and organizational leaders to strategically plan to achieve their defined measures of success and is the author of a newly launched leadership curriculum entitled the 5 C’s of Leadership.

During her 32 year career in health care, she occupied roles from professional care provider, educator and therapist, to executive positions in patient care, quality management and organizational development. Inspired by the need for leaders to increase their effectiveness for personal and organizational success, she launched Lighthouse Performance Strategies, Inc., a coaching and consulting company that delivers executive and entrepreneur organizational development services to companies that are starting up, facing turbulent or uncertain times, experiencing transitions or taking their business to the next level.

White has served on the faculty of Northeastern University and the graduate school of the University of Rhode Island, teaching courses in management and leadership development, and also serves as a Mentor in the Babson College Women’s MBA Program. She has authored articles on coaching impact on success and powerful leadership skills. She is a graduate of the University Of Rhode Island College of Nursing, Boston University’s Graduate Nursing School and Coach University.

Shannon Zollo

National Executive Board, Boston Chapter

Shannon Zollo, an attorney with Morse, Barnes-Brown, & Pendleton P.C. , represents a variety of U.S. and international clients in securities and corporate matters. As part of his general corporate and technology practice, he advises, amongst others, emerging growth companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and technology and life sciences companies. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, strategic technology licensing and transfer, and executive employment matters.

As the former general counsel of a high growth, venture-backed company, Shannon has substantial experience advising executive management on a wide range of U.S. and international legal and business issues, including corporate transactional negotiations, debt and equity financings, licensing and protection of intellectual property, corporate governance, leasing, import/export compliance, immigration, executive compensation, and employment/labor matters.

Shannon is a graduate of Brigham Young University (Sc.B., International Business Administration, B.A., Portuguese) and Northeastern University School of Law.