Leslie Horton: Founder and Owner

Leslie Horton created the CFO As You Grow and the Deal Maker Acquisitions and Exits Program for executives/business owners who seek and recognize they need outside guidance in several key areas.

Leslie believes in integrated thinking as a strategist and is a value “maximizer”.  Her forte is working closely with top management to achieve desired objectives. 

The entrepreneurial spirit requires initiative, creativity, resourcefulness, consistency, diligence, and persistence to be successful in business.

She is a successful entrepreneur, business strategist, CFO and an M&A Broker/Advisor. Leslie has worked with Fortune 500 firms such as Bay Networks, Advanced Micro Devices and Apple Computer, well established smaller firms as well as early-stage companies.

Select accomplishments include:

Raising/facilitating $100+ Million in funding through private placement with angel investors and venture capitalists, conducting a road show and serving as a key contributor on two public offerings.

Spearheading mergers & acquisitions to ensure rapid traction is one of her passions.  Whether it is searching for companies wishing to rapidly expand their company or finding an excellent purchaser on the sell side, Leslie knows how to achieve results.  She has negotiated with publicly held companies and a wide variety of other purchasers while representing smaller firm clients from several industries including construction, high technology, manufacturing, specialized plastics, and professional services.  Ms. Horton sells both businesses and commercial buildings and enjoys finding the right acquirer for every good business.

She completed her undergraduate work at CSU Northridge and received her MBA from Santa Clara University and graduated with honors in both programs. She is a published journalist and enjoys writing vignettes.


Edward Cotney: Business Taxation Advisor

Edward (Ed) is the founder and principal at Olympus Tax, Business and Insurance Solutions, Inc. and the author of Tax Secrets Made Simple. He hails from Alabama (Roll Tide), earned degrees in Physiology and Aviation Management, and served active duty in the US Air Force for twenty years before retiring in 1998 in Northern California.

His introduction to Family Wealth Counseling came as a close friend was struggling with the preparation and future sale of his very successful multi-million-dollar business. He was anticipating a tax liability of nearly half of the proceeds.

Ed graduated from the prestigious Professional Mentoring Program in Franklin, Indiana, where he became a Family Wealth Counselor in 2000. Working as a strategy and tax designer over the past since then, he applied this practical knowledge to helping families implement advanced strategies to significantly reduce taxes, increase income and make a difference in the world.

Lauded for making the complex simple to understand, Ed is well known for providing continuing education classes to professional advisors from basic to sophisticated estate planning techniques, business formations, mergers, private placement, research and development tax credits, domestic asset protection trusts, domestic international sales corporations, business succession planning, and multi-generational business planning.

Ed has provided input to several senate and congressional committees on legislation to benefit philanthropic tax law for non-profit operations. Ed is a popular speaker and participates in radio programs on the topic of Maximum Wealth Control.