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by Kellie Nock on May 6, 2025
Exemplifying Exit Planning Through Excellence
Every year, Exit Planning Institute® (EPI) recognizes individuals in the community who have become leaders in the profession across three categories. These are:
- The Peter Christman Exit Planner of the Year: This prestigious award, named after EPI's co-founder, recognizes outstanding excellence within the exit planning field. Presented to a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), the award honors those who actively engage in exit planning, lead planning initiatives, educate both business owners and advisors, or offer innovative exit planning tools that transform outcomes for business owners and their advisors. The recipient must have made significant contributions to the industry, embodying EPI’s core values and the principles of the CEPA credential, while also positively affecting the broader exit planning community, whether locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally.
- The EPI Member of the Year: This award recognizes a CEPA for their substantial contributions to the EPI community of advisors and the broader exit planning profession. This individual is a prominent leader and authority within their local or regional markets, spearheading exit planning education and enhancing market awareness.
- The EPI Thought Leader of the Year: The Leader of the Year Award honors a CEPA who has pioneered a unique project, initiative, or practice that significantly benefits the exit planning profession and the wider community. This advisor is recognized as a thought leader—an individual who has established expertise in a specific niche, someone who creates, innovates, and influences, while demonstrating strong collaborative qualities.
Exit Planner of the Year
EPI wishes to extend its congratulations to Joe Seetoo, the recipient of the 2025 Peter Christman Exit Planner of the Year award. Joe is not only a trusted advisor for business owners but also the founding member and president of the Conejo Valley Chapter in the EPI Chapter network. As a consistent and passionate member of the exit planning community, Joe is dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for owners and educating them on the value of their businesses through his podcast, The Ripcord Moment. In an interview with EPI earlier this year, Joe highlighted the significance of the “balancing act” with business owners.
“Being flexible and being available to work on the owner's timeline to some degree is something that everybody in the exit planning should prioritize. It's a balancing act of pushing the owners along to make sure stuff gets done, but also again understanding that they have a lot on their plate,” he said.
Joe achieved his CEPA in 2018.
Thought Leader of the Year
A thought leader is dedicated to exit planning expertise and committed to the initiative or project they have developed to better serve the profession. It follows logically that the 2025 Thought Leader of the Year would be Renee Russo, a CEPA who has consistently focused on educating and uplifting business owners. Renee is an Expert EOS Implementer®, a business coach and facilitator, and the founder of the advisory practice Rise Up Business Coaching Ltd. When EPI spoke with Renee earlier this year, she highlighted the importance of personal experience and a hands-on approach.
“The world needs more CEPAs. Not just CEPAs who speak the language and educate and inspire business owners, but CEPAs who can roll up their sleeves and go into the trenches and change the game for business owners and help them unlock all that intangible capital in the business and align the business with what they want personally and financially,” she said.
Renee achieved her CEPA in 2022.
Member of the Year
Known as the “M&A Cowboy,” Rick Krebs has been awarded the 2025 Member of the Year for being a significant leader and innovator in the exit planning profession. Rick is a co-founder of the Utah Chapter in the EPI Chapter Network and the founder of the business valuation firm My Biz Value. He has over 15 years of experience closing transactions and working with business owners. When asked what matters in exit planning, Rick told EPI earlier in 2025 that a service-first approach is key.
“Chris and Scott Snider tell us we need to be Best-in-Class. Best-in-Class advisors are the ones who have a servant's heart. They're the people who are always giving to the client and always adding value. Being a team player is crucial. That starts with knowing what you do well and defining what you do well, then bringing in people who do things outside of your lane. Anything that's outside of your lane, you have to surround yourself with really smart people who do what you don't do.”
Rick achieved his CEPA in 2022.
Continued Commitment to Excellence
Achieving excellence in exit planning is possible for all exit planners, and the profession can only evolve through a continuous commitment to being best-in-class. EPI expresses gratitude to this year's winners for their contributions to the profession and their role as an inspiration for advisor peers to keep striving for excellence.
Read our blog here to learn more about the 2025 nominees and winners.
