No program or product can be expected to go on forever, but the timing and manner in which International Finance Corporation (IFC) executes an exit can make a tremendous difference to clients, staff, and the Corporation's reputation. This smart lesson draws on the experience of the IFC against AIDS team after IFC advisory services decided to exit from the HIV/AIDS space in February 2009. It shares observations regarding what was done well and what could have been done better and lessons learned about how to approach future program exits.