Book Review: The ESOP Coach: Using ESOPs in Ownership Succession Planning

Kelly O. Finnell is a highly respected consultant and speaker on the topic of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and ownership succession planning. He is involved with the National Center for EmployeeOwnership (NCEO), the Business Enterprise Institute (BEI), The ESOP Association, and M Financial Group. Vestry Member and Treasurer of his church, President of theMemphis Chapter of the Society of Financial Services Professionals, President of Family Services of Memphis, participant on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Christian Brothers University School of Business, and a member on both the Economics Club of Memphis and the Board of Directors of Renasant Bank are all representations of how Kelly exhibits leadership in his personal and professional life. Here, Kelly focuses on the breakdown of ownership succession strategies, specifically ESOPs, to appeal to ready-to-retire business owners. He compares the pros and cons of an ESOP to other business ownership succession strategies, while answering the question that will impact the business owners’ decisions. In his book, The ESOPCoach: Using ESOPs in Ownership Succession Planning, Kelly dissects what an ESOP is to a level that is easily comprehendible to the audience.