WHY WE'RE UNIQUE
McKee Wallwork was launched in 1997 after the failure of a succession plan at another firm where Steve McKee and Pat Wallwork were the two leading members of its management team. That plan had been four long years in development when, finally, all parties became convinced it just wasn’t going to work. A great deal of time, effort, money, emotion, and–most importantly–potential ended up being wasted.
As is often the case with failed succession plans, Steve and Pat left the company and set about to create their own firm, which has since twice been recognized by Advertising Age as regional Small Agency of the Year and twice been deemed one of America’s Best Places to Work. More than two decades later, both have also been awarded their industry’s “Silver Medal Award for Lifetime Achievement.”
It’s Not Just Business. It’s Personal.
Day One: Friday, May 25, 1997
Well, after four years of attempts, today I finally stopped trying to buy the company. I quit. It was time. I anguished over whether or not it was the right thing to do—for me, for my family, for those I’m leaving behind, for my clients and, yes, for [the founder]. Although I think only he could have prevented this from happening, I’m trying hard not to be angry. It just didn’t work out, that’s all. In that sense I think I left the company just in time—soon I would have gone over the edge into bitterness.
Our succession planning services were borne of experience. Above is the actual journal entry of one of our company founders, recorded the day after the buyout of his former firm fell through. 24 years later, we’re carrying out a successful succession plan of our own. We know how it feels on both ends.
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Needless to say, nothing goes on forever, and Steve and Pat were determined from the beginning that when it came their turn they were going to manage succession well. Today, a new generation of McKee Wallwork ownership is working alongside the original founders, with all of the negotiations completed and paperwork signed. Both generations are working side-by-side for the long-term success of the organization, which now includes an increasing number of succession planning consultations.
We’re unique not only in how we approach the challenge of succession at our clients' companies, but the unique empathy, borne of experience, we bring to the table from the perspective of both incoming and outgoing generations. It can be difficult to work in tandem with someone in the trenches of everyday business only to find yourselves suddenly sitting across from one another on different sides of the negotiating table. We uniquely understand that and have an equally unique method of ensuring you remain allied throughout the succession process.
