The Psychology of Succession – Why clients don’t take our advice (and what to do about it)
Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Location: The Grand Event Center, 4101 E. Willow St
Speaker: Michel Zelnick
The Psychology of Succession, Estate & Financial Planning – Why clients don’t take our advice (and what to do about it)
Does psychology really matter in estate and financial planning? Certainly, everyone knows about the “inevitability of death, illness, and taxes”. Yet, many very smart people just don’t prepare for it. Why is that? It’s not about the lack of competent resources – experts abound with insightful and efficient approaches that can elegantly address all of an estate’s stakeholder needs. Yet, tragically, the subject is often ignored, handled poorly or, even worse, addressed too late – much to the frustration of professional advisors and others who are adversely affected. Often, it comes down to common psychological barriers. Business Therapist Michel Zelnick will discuss many of the key psychological issues that interfere with effective estate planning and, most importantly, what can be done about it.
MICHEL ZELNICK
I’m never the first person that feuding partners call. I’m usually the last.
Growing up, I started my career in a family business with my immigrant parents and brothers in Montreal, Canada.
Over the next forty-plus years, my business experience became further grounded in many facets of executive management, including roles as President & CEO, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Attorney, and CPA with private and public companies.
In addition to having been in private practice working with couples in La Jolla, California, my clinical experience has included working as a psychotherapist with both the Departments of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and at the Veterans Health Administration, San Diego.
In this most recent phase of my career, I have been applying all of the above experiences to advise private businesses, partnerships, families, and boards. My emphasis has been on the resolution of conflict among and between business owners, particularly where there is a convergence of strong negative emotions and significant economic stakes. Bet the company stuff.
My formal education includes a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences, a Diploma in Public Accounting from McGill University School of Graduate Studies, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the McGill University School of Management.
Professionally, I am licensed in California as a CPA (inactive), an attorney (inactive), and a Marriage and Family Therapist.
Thank you to this month's speaker sponsor: Trust Properties USA
