We are entering active due diligence and the workload is overwhelming our leadership team. Should we create a temporary Exit Project Manager seat on our Accountability Chart, and who should report to it during this high-stress period?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Yes, creating a temporary Exit Project Manager seat is a highly effective way to handle the intense workload of due diligence without letting your core business operations slip. However, you must structure this seat correctly on your Accountability Chart so it does not disrupt your existing reporting lines.

The Exit Project Manager seat should report directly to the Integrator, not to the Visionary. The roles for this temporary seat must be highly specific: coordinating data requests from buyers, managing the digital data room, liaising with legal and financial advisors, and tracking due diligence deadlines.

It is critical to understand that this is a project management seat, not a decision-making seat. The leadership team members do not report to the Exit Project Manager. Instead, the person in this seat acts as a central coordinator, requesting information from department heads and keeping the process moving forward.

You can fill this seat with an internal operational leader who has strong organizational skills, or you can bring in an external consultant. By placing this temporary seat on your Accountability Chart, you protect your leadership team's capacity, ensuring they can keep running the day-to-day business and hitting their target numbers. Showing a buyer that you have a structured process to manage due diligence proves your business is highly organized and exit-ready.