About | The Advisory Register

Our Mission

The Advisory Register was founded in 2019 to address a persistent gap in the market: business owners preparing for a sale, recapitalization, or ownership transition had no reliable, independent resource for identifying qualified advisors. The landscape was, and remains, fragmented. Referrals are often based on personal relationships rather than demonstrated competence, and most online directories are pay-to-play platforms that rank advisors by advertising spend.

We set out to build something different. The Advisory Register is a curated, editorially independent directory. We do not accept payment in exchange for inclusion, ranking, or preferential placement. Every advisor listed in The Register has been reviewed by our editorial team against a consistent set of criteria focused on professional qualifications, relevant experience, and client outcomes.

Editorial Independence

Editorial independence is the foundation of our credibility. We maintain a strict separation between our editorial review process and any commercial considerations. This means:

No advisor can purchase a listing or pay for enhanced placement.
Our editorial team operates independently, without influence from advertisers, sponsors, or listed advisors.
Listing decisions are based solely on professional merit, experience, and demonstrated track record.
We do not accept referral fees or commissions from advisors listed in The Register.

This approach limits our revenue options, but it ensures that business owners can trust The Register as a genuinely independent resource. We believe this trust is our most valuable asset.

How Advisors Are Listed

Our editorial team identifies potential additions to The Register through a combination of industry research, peer recommendations, and direct submissions from advisors. Each candidate is evaluated against several criteria:

Professional credentials. We look for recognized designations such as CFA, CVA, ASA, CPA, CEPA, JD, and similar qualifications relevant to the advisor's specialty.
Experience and focus. We evaluate the advisor's years of practice, the types of businesses they typically serve, and the depth of their experience in their stated specialty.
Client outcomes. Where possible, we review publicly available information about transactions completed, client references, and professional reputation.
Geographic reach. We aim to provide meaningful coverage across all 50 states, and we consider regional representation when evaluating candidates.

Advisors who meet our standards are added to The Register with a brief profile summarizing their practice. Listings are reviewed annually, and advisors may be removed if their circumstances change or if we receive credible negative information about their practice.

What The Register Is Not

The Advisory Register is not a recommendation engine or a matchmaking service. We do not guarantee outcomes, endorse specific advisors, or suggest that listed advisors are superior to those not listed. Our goal is to provide a starting point for business owners conducting their own due diligence.

We encourage every business owner to interview multiple advisors, check references, verify credentials, and ensure that any advisor they engage is a good fit for their specific situation.

History

The Advisory Register launched in 2019 as a small pilot covering advisors in the Northeastern United States. Over the following years, we expanded our coverage to include all 50 states and added specialty categories to reflect the full range of advisory services that business owners need during a transition.

Today, The Register includes more than 850 reviewed advisors across seven specialty categories. Our editorial team continues to grow, and we are committed to maintaining the rigor and independence that have defined our approach since the beginning.

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