Hale Partners · Private Business Advisory
Private business owners call Dax Whitehouse.
Succession. Strategy. Governance. Leadership. These aren't problems you solve with a template or a junior team. They require someone who has actually sat in the chair — and knows what it costs to get them wrong.
Sound Familiar?
Most clients don't call Hale Partners when things are going well. They call when the situation is too important to get wrong — and too complex for a generalist.
They need someone who has been in their seat. Someone who sees the whole picture — strategy, people, governance, family dynamics — and gives them straight talk about what it takes to move forward.
"Dax has the exceptional ability to see both the forest and the trees. He is honest and sincere in his communication and other employees gravitate to his approachable leadership style."— Investment Banking Partner
A founder is ready to step back — but there's no clear successor, no transition plan, and no road map. The stakes are too high to improvise.
The plan looks good on paper. The team is committed. But 90 days in, nothing has changed. The problem isn't the strategy — it's the deployment.
The board exists on paper. Family dynamics create friction. Accountability is unclear. It's time to build structures that actually function.
You've built something worth protecting. But the culture has developed blind spots — accountability gaps, disengagement, or ways of working that need to evolve without losing what makes it yours.
The business has outgrown its leadership team. Key executives need development — or replacement. Culture is drifting. Outside perspective is overdue.
What We Do
Most advisors specialize in one lane. Dax has worked in nearly every function of a business — and served as CEO — before advising others. That means one person who understands the whole picture, not a parade of specialists talking past each other.
Get clear on direction — then build the operating system to actually get there. Not just a plan in a binder, but deployed strategy with aligned teams, clear accountability, and measurable progress.
Overcome execution gapsLeadership and ownership transitions handled with care, structure, and continuity. Whether passing the company to the next generation or stepping back from the CEO role — navigate it right.
Navigate with confidenceBuild or rebuild boards, family councils, and shareholder structures that provide real accountability and real value. Governance that works — not governance for show.
Make your board matterDevelop the leaders, teams, and cultural environment the business needs to grow beyond where it stands today. Executive coaching, talent development, and organizational capability — built for your context.
Build what lasts
About Dax Whitehouse
"Before I could advise others on navigating hard situations, I had to live through a few of my own."
I spent more than two decades inside businesses — in engineering, operations, marketing, finance, and the C-suite — before becoming CEO of NetShape Technologies, where my team and I turned around a stagnant company to achieve 40% revenue growth and significantly improved profitability across seven manufacturing sites.
After that, I served as Senior Advisor at HMS Global Maritime, then spent two years as a Vistage CEO Group Chair — sitting alongside dozens of CEOs navigating their hardest challenges. That breadth of experience is what makes Hale Partners different. I don't bring a template. I bring pattern recognition built from living it.
What Clients Say
I have been in the same Vistage group with Dax for the past 5 years. You get to know a leader very well in a group such as Vistage. I estimate his reputation without hesitation in Dax's case.
Dax has the exceptional ability to see both the forest and the trees. He operates at a strategic level, while also being able to sort out the practical details of any issue. I hold Dax in the highest regard.
Dax is an outstanding leader who has the correct balance of intelligence and experience coupled with the ability to execute on multiple dimensions simultaneously. I would be delighted if the opportunity to work together arose.
Ready to Talk?
If you're a private business owner or CEO facing a situation that's too important to get wrong, I'd welcome a conversation. No sales pitch — just an honest discussion about your situation and whether Hale Partners can help.