Dr Craig West is a strategic accountant with over 25 years of experience advising business owners. He is widely regarded as the “go-to” expert on Business Succession and Exit planning and employee ownership and is a sought-after business conference and keynote speaker. Following 6 years of study to gain two master’s degrees, Craig West focused on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for business sales advising clients who are business owners on strategic management of taxation issues. This experience formed a strong view that most business owners (and often their advisers) were unprepared and unaware of the steps required to maximise business value and prepare the business, the family/shareholders and finances for an exit. Craig West now acts as a strategic business and financial mentor for mid-market business owners and has written five critically acclaimed books educating business owners on employee incentives, business succession, succession planning, asset protection and exit strategies. His expertise in the financial aspects of business sales and exit planning is particularly noteworthy. He emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive Business Succession and Exit Plan, particularly focusing on the unique 21-step Business Succession and Exit planning process he has designed and utilised with over 1,000 business owners in the last fifteen years. This process has led to the success of many business owners.  In November 2021, Craig West was appointed Executive Chairman of NSW Leaders, a business mentoring group for leading NSW businesses.