About Me

Since 1988, Douglas Cook has directed multiple teams within the areas of sales, marketing and management who have delivered dramatic business improvements and financial results. His approach has been to aggressively seek the involvement of major stakeholders, both inside and outside of the organization, in order to reveal and address underserved needs critical for long-term growth and sustainability. Through this work he came to recognize the staggering challenges small- to mid-market private owners face in originating and implementing long-term initiatives that grow their business’s value. With this top of mind, Douglas became a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) through the Exit Planning Institute following his service in ownership and executive roles at companies during their mergers and transitions. He specializes in helping business owners formulate exit strategies that increase the transferrable value of their companies.

As a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix, Douglas rounded out his unique blend of training by completing the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School (HBS). Specific areas of focus included strategy, negotiations and company transitions, a comprehensive endeavor for which he was awarded the status of Alumni by HBS leadership.

Douglas’s extensive experience and education is the foundation on which he formed his own Minnesota based firm where he currently serves as Senior Value Advisor at Headwaters Strategic Succession Consulting, LLC.