Business Succession & Leadership Transition
Independent advisers specialising in the human and leadership dimensions of succession.
Business succession isn't just about structuring. It's about people and business continuation.
Communication, identity, expectations, role clarity and relationship factors all come into play.
We help family and founder-led businesses navigate these challenges with independent guidance, facilitation and coaching that builds clarity, trust, capable leaders and stronger businesses.
Whether you're growing and professionalising your business, preparing for the next generation, developing future leaders, strengthening your management team or getting ready for a successful exit, we help you have the right conversations and make the right decisions to protect relationships and business value.
About Us
Chris Bates (Founder)
After an initial career in insurance and financial services and observing both of his parents farming families take different succession pathways, Chris founded a strategy and leadership firm in 2004 (Checkside) that he sold via a progressive partner buyout in 2021. He moved to an Advisory Board role whilst transitioning into a CEO role for a diversified mid-market family business (Waringa Farming, Aviation and Distribution) for 4 ½ years - successfully implementing his own succession plan.
With experience as a business owner, CEO, coach and adviser, Chris relates to what is important to clients and works effectively alongside accountants and other advisers.
His qualifications include a Bachelor of Business degree from Curtin University, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors course (GAICD) and Certified Chair with the Advisory Board Centre.
Chris has helped over 200 mid-market clients with strategy, leadership and succession challenges over the years. He retains a passion for coaching, both in business and sport, to help people reach their full potential.
Who we help
Our clients are typically mid-market family and founder-led businesses (circa $5M to $250M revenue) - the engine room of the economy.
We are sector agnostic, with experience across almost every industry, including farming and agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, mining, civil, transport, technology and professional service firms.
For businesses at this scale, succession is nearly always a strategic priority but carries a high degree of complexity when it comes to dealing with the human and emotional elements of leadership transition and business continuation.
There are simply not many independent experts available who do what we do, with relevant first-hand experience in the family and founder-led market.
Sidelight fills that gap.
Our Services
Delivered separately, sequentially or concurrently, each element of our Advice Model helps navigate, clarify and maintain what's most important to the success of each client.
Whether you are a business owner looking for guidance or an accountant, lawyer or financial adviser seeking an independent expert for your client, we can help.
Testimonials
"I've worked with Chris for over 20 years across my own businesses and have also referred him to other business owners.
What differentiates Chris from other coaches is that his advice is grounded in real commercial experience. He understands first-hand the realities of running, growing and exiting a business and that comes through in the quality and practicality of his guidance."
Eric Cain
CEO - QPR Premium Funding
"Chris worked with me and my leadership team at Fleet Network over a 3 year period. He brings a commercially astute lens to coaching and it was always clear that he believed in and cared about our team reaching our full potential.
His work helped prepare us for our next stage of growth and has endured, including our brand promise that remains core to the way we work at Paywise today."
Frank Agostino
CEO - Paywise
"Chris helped EBM with a review of our organisational structure to support our growth and provided coaching support for our leadership team as we prepared for and implemented those changes.
He has a strong understanding of what is important to a professional services firm like ours and has always provided me and our leaders with valuable insights and advice."
Ward Dedman
Director / Former CEO - EBM
“As CEO and as an adviser to us, Chris has helped us grow all three of our business in terms of structuring, process improvement, acquisitions, succession planning and the development of our teams.
Chris has a strong business skill-set and also cares a lot about coaching people to build their capabilities and achieve their potential."
John Warr
Managing Director - Waringa
Business Succession & Leadership Transition
Helping businesses navigate the leadership and human dimensions of succession.
