Succession Through ELBOs, EOTs and Surety
Blue Harbour Capital:
Tasmania - 8 January 2026, Table Cape
Drinks and Canapés
Why This Matters Now
More than 60% of Australian private business owners are over 55, yet fewer than one-third have a documented succession plan. In Tasmania, where so much of the economy is powered by privately owned SMEs in sectors like tourism, agribusiness, manufacturing and professional services, this raises a very local question: what happens to these businesses, their people and their communities when founders are ready to step back?
That’s where Employee-Led Buyouts (ELBOs), Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), and Surety-backed funding models come in.
These modern succession tools are designed for continuity and culture, not just capital. Proven in the UK and gaining momentum in Australia, they allow founders to exit with confidence while enabling their employees or management team to step into ownership, without risking personal capital or guarantees.
Event Purpose:
Join us for an invitation-only event exploring people-first succession solutions, including:
- Employee-Led Buyouts (ELBOs) – structured internal successions where employees or management teams become owners
- Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) – trust-based models that preserve culture and enable broad-based ownership
Surety – an innovative tool that offers founders financial certainty during internal buyouts, without requiring outside buyers or PE funds
This session is designed for advisors, founders, and financial partners who are:
- Supporting SME owners through succession and exit planning
- Exploring alternatives to trade sales or private equity
- Interested in employee ownership structures that offer both continuity and liquidity
- Building networks in the values-led succession space
Why Attend?
- Understand how ELBOs and EOTs work, and when they fit best
- Explore Surety as a powerful tool to de-risk founder exits
- Learn how founders are preserving culture, rewarding employees, and unlocking legacy
- Connect with a values-led community of advisors and capital partners shaping the future of succession
Who Should Attend?
- SME advisors (legal, tax, succession, governance, finance)
- Founders considering exit or transition in the next 0-5 years
- Government leaders and financial partners interested in supporting ELBOs or trust-based successions
- Professionals building expertise in employee ownership and people-first transitions
Table Cape Roundtable
Date:
Thursday, 8 January 2026
Time:
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Location:
72 Tollymore Rd, Table Cape Tasmania
Agenda
Drinks and canapés served throughout
5:00 – 5:15 pm
Registration, refreshments and networking.
5:15 – 6:00 pm
Introduction to ELBOs, EOTs & Surety
David Harris – Blue Harbour Capital
An overview of employee-led succession in practice, including how Surety provides vendor certainty in ELBOs
6:00 – 6:30 pm
Interactive Q&A + Roundtable Discussion
Facilitated by:
David Harris
-Blue Harbour Capital
Hunter Page
-Valloop (Financier & Surety Provider)
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Drinks, networking and closing remarks