Dr. Tom Deans is the author of three books on the subject of family
wealth transfers. His first book, Every Family’s Business: 12
Common Sense Questions to Protect Your Wealth, remains the
best-selling family business book of all-time and was selected by The
New York Times as one of the top-ten books business owners should
read. The book has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
His second book, Willing Wisdom: Seven Questions Successful
Families Ask, reached #2 on the Globe and Mail’s best-sellers List.
The book has received critical acclaim for its controversial
explanation of why 15 million Canadians do not have a legal will.
Willing Wisdom continues to stir debate on the merits of disclosing a
will with intended beneficiaries.
In May 2024, Dr. Deans released The Happy Inheritor: How
Successful Families Prepare Heirs and Transfer Wealth, the third
and final book in his Family Wealth Trilogy.
The book examines how many successful families transfer wealth
with the help of their advisor through the use of facilitated family
meetings to bring predictability and transparency to their estate plans.
For families who struggle with this process, the book offers insights
into why. This ground-breaking book reinforces the importance of
family philanthropy in preparing the next generation for the $300
million that is inherited every day by Canadians.
Having delivered more than 2000 speeches in 28 countries, he is
regarded as the preeminent thought-leader on the subject of inter-
generational wealth transfers.
With his family selling businesses for more than $100 million, prepare
to unlearn everything you thought you knew about transitioning family
wealth.
Deans is a graduate Mount Allison University, McMaster University
and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick in England.
His books and speeches aren’t just about money and clever tax
plans. They’re about giving people the confidence, inspiration and
the tools to begin important family conversations about the last taboo
– money.
To learn more about Dr. Deans and his books, visit
https://www.thomaswilliamdeans.com/.
