Privacy Policy

Scope and responsibility

This policy covers personal information handled by TEA through executorandco.com, website forms, newsletter subscriptions, inquiries, business development contacts, consultations, and TEA communications. It also describes our general treatment of information associated with professional engagements. Third-party sites and platforms linked from our website have their own privacy practices.

For information TEA collects and uses for its own operations, TEA determines the purposes and methods of processing. When we process information for a client under that client's instructions, the client may be responsible for the relevant privacy decisions. Client contracts, confidentiality commitments, and any applicable service-specific notices continue to apply and are not replaced by this policy.

Information we collect and where it comes from

Website inquiries. Our inquiry form requests your name, email address, role, message, and timing. It may also ask for your organization, how you heard about TEA, and an optional post or episode reference. We retain communications you exchange with us and limited records of our responses.

Newsletter subscribers. When you choose to subscribe to The Executor, we collect your email address and subscription preferences and may retain records showing subscription and unsubscribe activity.

Professional and client relationships. If you work with TEA or explore an engagement, we may handle business contact information, meeting and scheduling details, proposals, contracts, billing records, correspondence, and information reasonably necessary to provide the requested advisory services. Depending on the work, clients may provide organizational, executive, public-facing, reputational, or crisis-related materials. These records may include information about third parties.

Website and technical information. Our website and service providers may automatically receive limited technical information, including IP address, browser or device details, access times, referral information, security logs, and information needed to operate the site, maintain settings, or protect forms from abuse.

Other permitted sources. We may receive business contact details from referrals, client representatives, publicly available professional sources, or communications you initiate with us. If we use public-facing information in a professional engagement, we do so for the purposes of that work and subject to applicable obligations.

How we use information

We use personal information for defined business purposes, including:

• Responding to inquiries. Reviewing messages, evaluating fit and timing, arranging follow-up, and performing proportionate conflict checks before accepting work.
• Providing services. Preparing proposals, performing agreed engagements, coordinating with authorized client contacts, maintaining engagement records, and managing invoicing and business administration.
• Sending requested publications. Delivering The Executor newsletter and administering preferences and unsubscribes. An inquiry does not automatically subscribe you to marketing.
• Operating and securing our services. Maintaining website functionality, preventing spam and misuse, investigating security concerns, and protecting our personnel, clients, systems, and legal rights.
• Meeting legal obligations. Responding to lawful requests, preserving records that must be retained, and handling disputes and compliance matters.

We do not sell personal information. We also do not currently share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not use the general website inquiry form as authorization to publish, publicize, or use your confidential matter in marketing or a case study.

Confidential client information and client channels

TEA's advisory work may involve commercially sensitive information or information affecting a person's reputation, security, or livelihood. Access to engagement materials is limited to personnel and service providers whose functions require it, subject to applicable confidentiality and contractual protections. Specific handling, access, storage, and retention arrangements may be set out in an engagement agreement or separate instructions.

Where TEA provides a client portal or secure document exchange, its access controls and any service-specific notices apply to materials shared there. Do not assume that a standard inquiry form, ordinary email, or a third-party social messaging platform is an approved channel for sensitive materials. Ask TEA for the designated channel before sharing them.

Automated assistance and human contact

A response to an initial inquiry may come from a TEA team member or an automated digital business development assistant. Such tools may process the contact details and messages you submit so that inquiries can be routed, assessed for follow-up, or answered. An automated reply is not a professional engagement, a crisis-response activation, or a promise to accept a matter.

Calls and meetings are with a person at TEA. If you would prefer a human response to an inquiry, say so in your message or email office@executorandco.com. We do not describe automated inquiries as confidential client consultations. If we introduce automated decision-making that requires additional disclosures, we will provide them as required.

The Executor newsletter and communications

Subscription to The Executor is voluntary and separate from contacting TEA about work. Newsletter messages provide an unsubscribe method. We honor marketing opt-out requests as required by applicable law, including within 10 business days for commercial email covered by the US CAN-SPAM Act. We may retain a minimal suppression record so that an opted-out address is not inadvertently re-added.

Operational communications, including replies to an inquiry, meeting arrangements, transaction details, and service notices, may continue when needed even if you stop receiving the newsletter.

Cookies, site technologies, and external platforms

Our website uses cookies or similar technologies needed for core operation, such as remembering settings, and may use anti-spam and security services for forms. Pages may request third-party resources, including hosted fonts such as Google Fonts; those providers may receive an IP address and associated technical information.

We do not currently use analytics or advertising cookies. If we introduce these technologies, we will review applicable consent and notice requirements, update this policy, and provide any required controls before deployment.

You may restrict or delete cookies using your browser settings, although some features may be affected. Our website does not currently provide a separate response to browser "Do Not Track" signals. This is distinct from any legally recognized opt-out preference signal, which we will address where required if relevant processing is introduced.

Links to Instagram, LinkedIn, video platforms, or other third-party sites take you to services that operate under their own privacy policies. We do not control the information those services collect after you follow a link.

When we disclose information

We share personal information only as reasonably needed for the purposes described here, including with:

• Authorized personnel and collaborators. TEA employees, contractors, advisers, and other authorized people whose assigned work requires access, subject to appropriate confidentiality expectations.
• Service providers. Companies supporting website hosting, email, customer relationship management, scheduling, communications, document storage, client portals, security, or approved automated assistance. They receive information needed to perform their services and may process it under their own applicable terms and safeguards.
• Professional or legal purposes. Counsel, auditors, insurers, or authorities when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to lawful process, manage risk, enforce rights, or protect people and systems.
• Organizational changes. Parties involved in a potential merger, reorganization, or transfer of business assets, subject to reasonable confidentiality and legal restrictions.

We do not disclose a prospective client's sensitive matter to third parties for publicity. Any disclosure made on a client's behalf in carrying out an engagement is governed by the client's instructions and applicable agreement.

Retention and deletion

Unsuccessful inquiries. If an inquiry does not result in an engagement, we delete the inquiry content 12 months after the last contact. We may retain a limited conflict-history entry consisting of a name, organization, date, and outcome for as long as reasonably needed to evaluate and avoid conflicting engagements.

Newsletter records. We retain subscription information while you are subscribed and may keep the minimum information necessary to honor an unsubscribe or document compliance afterward.

Engagement and business records. We retain client, contract, and financial records in accordance with the engagement terms, legitimate business needs, applicable law, and any preservation obligations. Security logs and system backups may follow separate limited retention cycles.

You may request deletion using the contact details below. We will evaluate the request, explain any legally permitted or required retention, and confirm the action taken. Deleted information may remain temporarily in restricted backups until normal backup rotation, where permitted by law.

Security and incident response

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of information held, including access controls and measures intended to reduce unauthorized access or disclosure. We evaluate the role of vendors that handle information for us. No internet transmission, website, email system, or storage service can be guaranteed completely secure.

If we discover a security incident affecting personal information, we will investigate and take responsive steps, including notices to affected people or regulators where required by applicable law. If you believe information sent to TEA has been exposed or misdirected, notify us promptly at office@executorandco.com.

Your choices and privacy rights

You can unsubscribe from The Executor, decline optional information requests, and ask us to review or correct personal information you previously provided. Depending on applicable law and your circumstances, you may also have rights to request access, deletion, portability, or limits on certain uses; object to or restrict processing; withdraw consent; or appeal a denial of a privacy request. Rights are subject to verification and lawful exceptions.

Send requests to office@executorandco.com with "Privacy Request" in the subject line. To protect your information, we may ask for reasonable identity verification. We respond within the period required by the applicable law and explain if an extension or exception applies. We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising a legally protected privacy right.

If California privacy law applies to TEA and to your information, you may have rights under that law in addition to the choices listed here. TEA does not currently sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, so we do not currently offer an opt-out mechanism for those practices. We will reassess that position if our practices or legal obligations change.

International visitors and applicable data protection law

TEA is based in Georgia, United States. Information submitted to us is generally processed in the United States and may be handled by providers in other countries. Privacy protections may differ among jurisdictions. Where a law requires a particular safeguard for an international transfer, we will assess and use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism.

Where the European Union General Data Protection Regulation or United Kingdom GDPR applies to processing by TEA, relevant lawful grounds may include steps requested before entering into a contract; performance of a contract; our legitimate interests in responding to business inquiries, protecting systems, and avoiding conflicting engagements, subject to an applicable balancing assessment; legal obligations; and consent where it is the appropriate basis, including for optional subscriptions. Special-category information, if accepted during an engagement, requires a separate lawful basis and any additional condition that applies.

Individuals with rights under those laws may request access, correction, erasure, restriction, portability, or objection, and may withdraw consent where processing depends on it. They may also complain to the relevant data protection authority. Requests are handled within the timelines and exceptions applicable to the relevant law. Our mere website availability outside the United States does not, by itself, mean that every foreign privacy law applies to TEA.

Children

This website and our advisory services are directed to professional and organizational audiences, not to children. We do not knowingly solicit personal information from children under 13 through the website. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, contact us so that we can review and remove it as appropriate.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our services, technologies, or legal obligations change. We will post the revised policy with a new "Last updated" date. When applicable law requires additional notice or consent before a material new use of information, we will take those steps.