Don Martone

Executive Exit & Legacy Design | Guiding Plastics, Petrochemical & Downstream Energy Executives and Business Owners Through High-Stakes Transitions with Clarity & Control

You’ve built a career in one of the world’s most demanding industries.

Your exit should reflect that.

For nearly three decades, I lived the same world my clients lead today—long hours, global demands, complex compensation, and decisions with real human consequences. In plastics, petrochemicals, and downstream energy, leadership becomes more than a role.

It becomes your identity, your community, and the story others will tell about you long after you step away.

So, when it’s time to transition—retirement, reinvention, separation, or a redefinition of success—the moment is rarely simple. Not financially. Not emotionally. Not professionally.

That is why I built a practice focused on one thing: Helping industry leaders navigate high-stakes transitions with clarity, confidence, and control—through a disciplined, tax-aware framework designed for the realities of complex compensation.

You’ll gain clarity around:
• Timing — when to move and why
• Equity, pension & deferred-compensation decisions
• Income and distribution strategies
• Tax-aware planning considerations
• Family stewardship & multigenerational goals
• Purpose, identity & legacy beyond your role

I bring an engineer’s precision, an operator’s practicality, and a strategist’s discipline — helping you see the full path ahead before you take the next step.

My work is shaped by two worlds — the global industry I spent my career in, and the values I learned from my father — quiet strength, sacrifice, and the belief that legacy is earned through steady, intentional choices.

He taught me that ‘What you leave behind should reflect who you are — not just what you’ve earned.’

That’s the lens I bring to every conversation.

Every transition deserves dignity.

Every legacy deserves intention.

Every leader deserves a plan that honors what they've built.

If you're beginning to think about what comes next, now is the right time to start the conversation.

Your next chapter shouldn’t be left to chance — let’s design it with purpose.

Exits are Best When You Call the Shots

*Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.