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GIYA · Keyman Planning & Continuity Framework
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GIYA · Business Continuity & Legacy Planning
KEYMAN Save the Business. Protect the Family.
This executive reference summarizes key methodologies, calculators, and communication strategies for corporate key person planning. Keyman planning bridges the absolute disconnect between protecting physical assets and insuring the human enterprise that creates the actual value.
Content Creator: Nilo B. Matunog, PFA, RFP
Framework Date: June 2026
Quick Navigator
Core Philosophy
Which Asset Creates the Real Value?
Most businesses readily insure modern factory equipment valued at ₱50 Million (and pay high premiums without hesitation), yet they leave their Key Person—the actual engine of customer relationships, vision, and operational success—completely uninsured.
"The Empty Chair tomorrow creates a catastrophic business and family crisis simultaneously."
Physical Assets (Insured)Human Capital (Uninsured)
90% INSURED90%
10%
90% of local corporations fully insure machinery; less than 10% protect key personnel.
The Impact of One Loss: Four Affected Worlds
🏢
Business Operations
Immediate revenue disruption & lost profit
Operational gridlock & delayed execution
Loss of critical technical or domain expertise
🏠
The Owner's Family
Sudden income halt & salary discontinuity
Estate and inheritance taxes triggered instantly
Potential forced liquidation of family assets
👥
Employees & Staff
Critical loss of morale & general security
Key talent attrition to eager competitors
Uncertainty about business future viability
🤝
Clients & Creditors
Dramatically reduced customer confidence
Immediate calls on corporate loan guarantees
Risk of credit facility lines being frozen
Module · Prospecting
Finding Keyman Opportunities
Focus your time where access, need, and opportunity align. Your first cases will come from relationships you already have—not from cold outreach to large corporations.
Step 6
The Business Insurance Prospect Pyramid
Focus your time where access, need, and opportunity align.
Top · Large Corporations
Hardest to penetrate
Middle · Established SMEs
Best balance
Family Professional Medical Agency
Most Accessible · Highest Opportunity
Top tier
Complex buying process
Multiple stakeholders
Existing relationships
Long sales cycle
Middle tier
Growing businesses
Recognize risk
Open to solutions
Good access and timing
Base tier · Start here
High dependency on key people
Easier access and relationships
Immediate need awareness
Faster decisions
Strong potential for first cases
Start where you have access
Build trust first
Identify dependency & need
Protect the business · Create impact
Referral strategy
The Fastest Path to Keyman Opportunities
Your best referral sources are already working with business owners.
Accountants / CPAs
See financial dependence
Understand business risk
Trusted advisor to owners
Lawyers
Buy-sell agreements
Estate planning
Corporate structuring
Doctors & specialists
Business owners themselves
Networks of professionals
Bankers
Business loans
Credit facilities
Business expansion
HR consultants
Executive benefits
Retention concerns
Key employee issues
Management consultants
Succession planning
Growth strategy
Continuity concerns
The simple referral question
“Which of your clients would experience significant disruption if a key owner or executive suddenly became unavailable?”
Key insight
One accountant can introduce you to more Keyman opportunities than 100 cold calls.
Identification
Your Next 10 Keyman Prospects Already Exist
Stop searching. Start identifying.
Check your existing network
Business owner clients
Business owner referrals
Agency leaders
Doctors & clinic owners
Lawyers & accountants
Family business owners
Contractors & developers
SME owners
Ask one question
“If this person could not work for 12 months, what would happen to the business?”
Qualifying answers
Revenue drops
Operations stop
Clients leave
Key employees leave
Expansion stalls
You have found a Keyman opportunity.
30-day funnel preview
20 Identify business owners
10 Talk to business owners
5 Fact-find in depth
3 Present a solution
1 Close your first Keyman case
Key message
Keyman cases are not found—they are identified. Every business that depends on a key person is a potential Keyman case. The easiest case is usually someone you already know.
Execution
The 30-Day Keyman Challenge
This month’s goal: move from identification to one closed case.
This month’s
Goal
20 Business owners identified
10 Business conversations
5 Discovery meetings
3 Proposals presented
1 Keyman case closed
Key insight
Most advisors fail because they never start enough conversations.
Framework Protocol
Determining Key Person Status by Dependency, Not Title
Use these tests on any executive or team member to assess corporate exposure. Check all that apply to run a live assessment.
📈
1. Revenue Test
Does this person generate substantial directly-attributable corporate income?
🤝
2. Relationship Test
Would major clients immediately migrate if this person left the company?
💡
3. Expertise Test
Is this specific technical or strategic knowledge nearly impossible to quickly source?
⚖️
4. Leadership Test
Does this person drive the central strategic and capital allocation decisions?
⛓️
5. Dependency Test
Would core operational capacity immediately fall below 50% without them?
❓
Corporate Risk Appraisal
Toggle criteria above to gauge the relative depth of Keyman dependency risk.
Risk Assessment: Pending
The Keyman Risk Calculator
Calculate real enterprise exposure based on proven methodologies instead of arbitrary multiples.
1. Salary MultipleCommon fast metric (10x Comp)₱0.00
2. Lost Profit MethodCalculates gross profit at risk₱0.00
3. Replacement CostSum of hiring, drift & ramp₱0.00
Recommended Keyman Coverage Framework Range
₱0.00 - ₱0.00
Range automatically calculated utilizing the Lost Profit exposure ceiling down to the Replacement Cost floor to establish a scientifically defensive corporate planning portfolio.
💡
Advisory Transition Insight
"Corporate clients do not buy policies to save taxes—they allocate reserves to guarantee ongoing liquidity. Present this range dynamically so corporate directors see premium as capital reallocation rather than an operating expense."
The Solve Block
Four Business Risks Solved by Keyman Liquidity
1. Revenue Protection Risk
Insures the immediate revenue shortfall that occurs when key client interactions and projects stall after executive loss.
2. Debt & Credit Stability Risk
Provides guaranteed liquid capital so business loan guarantees aren't called on personal assets and credit ratings remain secure.
3. Ownership Stability Risk
Funds Buy-Sell arrangements. Prevents family from inheriting operational burdens they cannot handle, and preserves business integrity.
4. Talent Retention (Golden Handcuffs)
Utilizes premium cash value accumulation to incentivize key executives with non-qualified deferred compensation perks to ward off competitor poaching.
Interactive Review Quiz
Module Competency Check
Which underlying corporate structures should trigger a direct Debt Risk Keyman discussion?
Click an option to confirm your answer.
Advisory Playbook
The 10-Minute Discovery Agenda
Meeting Phase 1: The OpenSuggested Duration: 2 Minutes
Objective:
Create safety, establish credentials, and build an understanding of the business operations without mentioning specific insurance products.
Verbatim Advisor Script:
"Thank you for sharing your calendar with me today. Most business owners invite me over when they want to talk about specific tax products or buy policies. I actually prefer starting somewhere different: tell me about the story of your business. How did you get started, and what are the core drivers of your operations?"
Complete Print Agenda & Discovery Script
Phase 1: Open (2 Mins)
"Thank you for sharing your calendar. Tell me about the story of your business. How did you get started, and what are the core drivers of your operations?"
Phase 2: Discover (3 Mins)
"If we looked at your entire company directory today, who is the one single person whose empty chair tomorrow would cause you to stay up at night worrying about financial damage?"
Phase 3: Explore (2 Mins)
"If that specific key person was no longer available tomorrow, what actually happens to current client contracts, outstanding credit lines, and bank guarantees?"
Phase 4: Quantify (2 Mins)
"How much real financial loss does the corporation sustain while we search, recruit, train, and ramp up their replacement?"
Phase 5: Transition (1 Min)
"Would it be valuable to review corporate funding structures designed to secure that specific exposure using off-balance-sheet reserves?"
1. IDENTIFYLocate key dependency
2. QUANTIFYCalculate financial threat
3. PRIORITIZEClassify primary threat
4. FUNDStructure corporate assets
5. IMPLEMENTReallocate reserves
Tax Reality A
Premiums Deductibility
Under standard revenue regulations, corporate Keyman premiums are Generally Not Deductible for corporate income tax purposes if the company is directly or indirectly the designated beneficiary.
Rule: Keep continuity structure as the primary business focus; treat tax optimization as secondary.
Tax Reality B
Death Benefit Status
Keyman insurance proceeds received by the corporate employer upon the death of the insured are Generally Received Tax-Free, allowing instant, non-taxable liquidity to hit the balance sheet.
Value: Immediate tax-free reserves can be used to meet obligations, loans, and settle estate claims.
Tax Reality C
Cash Value Allocation
Premium policy cash values build on the balance sheet as an asset. Withdrawals, policy loans, or plan assignments require Proper Structuring to ensure minimal tax implications.