Meet Abby Donnelly: Your Expert on Transformational Leadership Development + Successor and Owner Readiness

Abby Donnelly, CEO Coach and President of The Leadership & Legacy Group is a renowned executive coach for the business, strategic, leadership and interpersonal side of succession planning and exit. Her clients are business owners and successors in small to mid-market companies, as well as multi-generational family businesses who are concerned about how to ensure their successor is prepared to lead, and uncertain about how to prepare themselves for a relevant and rewarding next chapter. They may be facing complex decisions and challenging conversations they’ve never had to deal with before and they really want them to go well.

With a deep passion for helping her clients achieve their goals, Abby enhances individual and organizational performance

Abby’s focus areas include:

Noteworthy Achievements

Best-selling Author: Abby is the best-selling author of “An Insider’s Guide to Succession and Exit” which hit #1 New Release and top 5 best-seller on Amazon, as well as the acclaimed author of "Networking Works!" and "128 Tips to Make You a More Effective Leader" Her book, "Straight Talk About Planning Your Succession," is required reading for Pinnacle Equity Solution’s Exit Planning Certification, where she serves as a faculty expert.

Sought-After Speaker: Abby is an acclaimed speaker on leadership, succession and exit, and improving performance, most recently presenting at the 2024 National Exit Planning Summit, as well as Penn State Behrends’ 2024 Family Business Conference. She’s also presented to many prestigious local and global groups such as Vistage International, Mackay CEO Forums, YPO, and The Women Presidents’ Organization.

Influential Board Service: Abby serves on a number of public, private and nonprofit boards including First Bank (FBNC), ABCO Automation, Cone Health and Crescent Rotary Club Foundation. She’s served as the Chair of the Board of Kindermusik International and in leadership roles with Leadership Greensboro, Women Presidents Organization, and Rotary at the club and district level. In 2022, she was invited to join EWOB (Extraordinary Women on Boards).

Award-Winning Leadership: Abby has been featured in the Triad Business Journal and on Fox 8 Klaussner at the Market, and quoted in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine. Abby was honored with the Moyer-Schaaf Distinguished Service Award for her many contributions to the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Greensboro Chapter. She has also been recognized by the Greensboro Chamber and Triad Business Journal with Women in Business awards, as well as a Rotary International Service Award for her innovative approach to raising money to immunize over 650,000 children against polio.

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Proven Success

Abby’s clients, from founders and multi-generational family businesses to CEOs of small and medium-sized companies, praise her as an excellent listener with a keen understanding of complex dynamics. Her ability to identify key themes and nuances, coupled with her talent for asking tough questions, leads to deeper clarity, greater insight, and robust action plans.

Remarkably, over 75% of the leaders Abby coaches:

  • Successfully take on significantly more responsibility.

  • Earn recognition and respect both within and outside their companies for their impactful contributions.

  • Substantially enhance their earning potential.

For her ‘What’s Next?’ clients, Abby consistently delivers outcomes where they feel happier, more confident about their future, and assured of their meaningful contributions.

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So, if this is what you're looking for, call or email me. I'm always happy to have a conversation about your specific situation.

Career and Education

Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, Abby launched her career at Procter & Gamble, where she led strategic planning, process improvement, and team management. She later gained invaluable experience buying and later selling an ownership stake in a Sandler Training (Triad) franchise.

Abby holds a Master of Statistics from the University of Florida and a BA in Mathematics from SUNY Albany.

Personal Life

Abby has been happily married to Jim Donnelly for over 35 years! She loves working with talented leaders! She also enjoys networking, reading, working out… and dancing to Motown.

Connect with Abby

If you’re ready to elevate your leadership and navigate your succession with confidence, reach out today!

Call Today: 336.458.9939. Abby@LeadershipLegacyGroup.com

Value Builder Certification

 

Exit Planning Certificate