About Us

At Green Sail Transitions we know and understand dentists. We have worked in the dental practice sales industry for a combined 90 years, and have built strong relationships based on trust and the highest level of integrity. You can be assured that your interests are paramount to us.

Green Sail Transitions specializes in connecting Dentists who want to buy a dental practice and Dentists who want to sell their dental practice by integrating our tremendous network of contacts and relationships.

We can assist with:

  • Practice sales
  • Practice mergers
  • Practice appraisals
  • Retirement Planning
  • Partnership agreements
  • Associate placements

Management Team

Since 1981, doctors have trusted their dental practice transitions to us. With over 90 years of combined experience, Green Sail Transitions can help you transition into or out of your dental practice. Our founders are uniquely positioned to assist you in planning and executing a transition that fits your individual business situation.

John Van Leeuwen

President & Co-Founder

John Van Leeuwen was a Certified Financial Planner professional with over 27 years of experience. During his career as a financial advisor for dentists, John advised dentists on all aspects of their personal and practice financial planning including: retirement, tax, estate, investment, cash flow and debt management. He was the founder and President of IPA Dental Financial Planning, a Portland firm, from 1994 through 2005. In 2006 John orchestrated a merger of IPA with The Partners Group where he acted as a Senior Vice President and Director of Dental Practice services and Wealth Management. John is a regular speaker at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry, as well as regional and national dental and medical events. He has been published in dental magazines on topics such as debt management and successful investing and wealth building.

He is a co-founder of Life and Practice Transitions, and presents at seminars on the financial aspects of selling a practice including at various events including the Oregon Dental Convention in 2011 and the Hawaii Dental Convention in 2012. John is also a member of the Business Advisory Board for the OHSU School of Dentistry and served on the Portland Metropolitan Business Leadership Council for the Oregon Community Foundation from 2005 through 2010.

John grew up in a Dutch dairy farming family in Southern California and then in Southern Oregon where he learned the values of hard work and responsibility at a very young age. John resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon with his wife and two children and enjoys tennis, fly fishing, skiing, woodworking, and camping with his family.

John graduated from Southern Oregon State University in 1987 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. In 1991 he received his Certified Financial Planner professional designation.

Nancy Knot

Nancy has been in the healthcare field since 1991. She worked for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies in sales, and in 2008 transitioned into dental. She spent the last decade as an Account Manager with a large dental distributer working directly with dentists and their staff. She has extensive experience and training in the business of dentistry, dental equipment, consumables, technology and implants. She has seen first-hand the opportunities and challenges that go along with owning a practice and strives to help dentists reach their full potential. Nancy knows that times of transition can be both an exciting and stressful time and looks forward to helping make the process a smooth and successful one. Nancy graduated from Southern Oregon University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Marketing and a minor in Communications. She has two grown children and enjoys hiking, wine tasting, and exploring the beautiful NW with her husband Tom in their RV.

 

AJ Van LeeuwenAJ Van Leeuwen

AJ is the newest member of the Green Sail team and is a licensed Oregon real estate broker with Doug Bean & Associates, Inc. A graduate of Montana State University, he brings a fresh knowledge of business marketing and entrepreneurship to the group. He began conducting appraisal work for Green Sail while finishing his final semester of college. Upon graduation, he moved back to Lake Oswego and began learning the ropes. While in school, AJ started his own social media marketing company which he owned and operated for two years. The business provided social media and content creation services with significant improvements to its clients’ online presence and recognition, both locally and on a national industry scale. AJ has experience in the dental industry stretching beyond his latest involvement with Green Sail. He interned for a leading national dental finance company in the summer of 2018. His internship consisted of creating a comprehensive, integrated marketing communications plan for the company, which he presented to the company leadership at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. The project consisted of in-depth primary and secondary research on the industry, providing him significant insight and knowledge into the workings of the national dental environment.

Steve-Head-Shot-webSteve Persichetti, DDS, MBA

Steve Persichetti has always been engaged in all aspects of dental practice and dental practice transitions. He has enjoyed being an independent, full time, clinical dentist; teaching practice administration as an Associate Professor at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry for over 30 years and holding leadership positions in multiple dental organizations.

Steve has an MBA from Portland State University. The combination of his business education, years of lecturing on successful practice transitions and his strong desire to see buyers and sellers manage these transitions successfully, truly positions him in the marketplace. Steve wants Green Sail Transitions clients to succeed. He feels that he has much insight and experience to bring to your practice transition.

Dr. Persichetti makes his home in Raleigh Hills with his two daughters.

Rob-Head-Shot-WebRob Kay, Retired

Rob Kay has held several key positions over the past thirty years with North America’s largest dental distribution company. Starting as a Territory Sales Representative, he soon moved into management as Branch Manager and Region Manager. Serving the Portland dental community for over a decade as the Portland Branch Manager, he was responsible for over 60 employees and annual revenues of over $35 million dollars.

As the Western Region Manager, he oversaw fifteen years of growth and expansion. Building the region to seventeen branches and over 1000 employees the Western Region had annual revenues of over $400 million.
Rob has served on the Board of Advisers for Proofs Magazine and Dental Economics, two of the largest dental trade magazines. He speaks regularly at OHSU School of Dentistry, several local dental societies, and at A-dec’s Education Center.

Having a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University, he has utilized his strong business and financial acumen to help Dentists, dental laboratories and other dental related businesses achieve and exceed their goals. With over thirty years of expertise in dental equipment, dental consumables, floor planning and office design, he has the knowledge and experience that you can trust and depend on.

 

Chris Van Leeuwen

Chris brings 30 years of marketing and public relations experience to Green Sail. She has owned her own consulting business since 1993 and has helped companies develop and implement marketing strategies through corporate events, educational seminars and promotional campaigns. Chris feels quite at home with the dental community, as she has worked with husband, John, in his dental financial planning company and now his growing dental brokerage business. She was one of three to start the seminar series – Life & Practice Transitions for retiring dentists. Chris earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Oregon State University in Ashland, OR. She enjoys being active and spending time with her family, traveling, camping, fishing, running and playing tennis.