Philanthropy as a Strategic Tool for Family Business Succession: A discussion with Joshua E. Chadajo, CEO, JEC Philanthropy
Succession in family enterprises is rarely just a legal or financial event—it is a test of leadership readiness, legitimacy, and continuity. Increasingly, research suggests that philanthropy can play a meaningful role in meeting these challenges.
Stronger Family Bonds and Better Strategic Decisions: Mediation in a Second-Generation Family Business
In the first article of a new series from the Family Firm Institute Virtual Study Groups, Paul Edelman and Nuria Lasheras Mayoral of the Mediation Group examine how a second-generation family enterprise used mediation to navigate a leadership crisis, repair strained relationships, and strengthen strategic decision-making.
Leadership Succession: Selecting an internal or external successor?
This week, Paolo Morosetti explores the complexities involved in the process of selecting the successor in a family enterprise and shares an approach to help your clients answer the fundamental question of whether to select an internal or external successor.
Challenges of the Sandwich Generation in Leading a Family Enterprise
Thanks to the FFI Asian Circle Virtual Study Group and Yirhan Sim for this week’s edition that features a family enterprise case that demonstrates the challenges experienced by the “sandwich generation” through the transition to lead a family enterprise.
Sympathy and Succession: Lessons from history
This year is the 300th anniversary of notable economist and philosopher Adam Smith’s birth.
Three Kingdoms: Three Succession Results from Chinese-Indonesian Family Businesses
Thanks to the FFI Asian Circle Virtual Study Group and Linda Salim for this week’s edition featuring mini-cases on succession planning in three Chinese-Indonesian family enterprises with lessons for advisors around the world.
Professionalizing Family Businesses: How to orchestrate, change, and get things done
In this week’s FFI Practitioner, Paolo Morosetti addresses the topic of family enterprise professionalization.
“I’m Never Working for My Family Business.” What I Learned from My Transition to My Family Business and Becoming a Family Advisor
In this week’s FFI Practitioner, members of FFI’s Asian Circle Virtual Study Group, Kimberly Go and FFI Fellow Paul Chung, explore the complex choices facing next gen family members about whether to join the family business and the role of family business advisors in helping the family navigate these decisions.
The Challenges of Working with a “Flat FOOT” Enterprise
In this week’s FFI Practitioner, Steve Legler shares his observation that, in some family enterprises, when a generational shift occurs, an existing corporate hierarchy may transform into a less defined and ambiguous structure when the next gen leaders have roughly equivalent managerial roles.
Planning for the Sudden Death of a Family Business Leader
In this week’s edition of FFI Practitioner, FFI Fellow Patricia Annino explores the impact that the sudden death of a family business leader can have on the entire enterprise.
Keeping the Entrepreneurial Flame Alive: Insights from the Loy Family in Malaysia
Thank you to this week’s contributors from the FFI Asian Circle Virtual Study Group, Mita Dixit and Esther Kong.
The Heartbeat of Family Business Leadership Succession: A perspective from Southeast Asia
In this week’s edition of FFI Practitioner, Jonathan Ramos explores the unique challenges faced by enterprising families when making the transition from the second to the third generations.
Five Sisters and Two Executors: A case study
Thanks to Vijay Sathe, Alfredo Enrione, Donna Finley for this week’s edition, which is a case study about how five sisters, who suddenly and unexpectedly inherited their father’s businesses, and how they dealt with the influence of two executors to reach harmonious ownership of the family enterprise.
The Impact of a Global Crisis on Family Business Transitions: Some scenarios
Thanks to this week’s contributor, Ken McCracken, for his article exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on family business succession planning.
Changing Demographics in Family Businesses: Highlights from the STEP 2019 Quantitative Survey
Thanks to this week’s contributor, Andrea Calabrò, for summarizing the findings of the STEP 2019 Global Family Business Survey, which was introduced in the January 8 FFI Practitioner edition about applied research in the field.
Succession Planning Using OKR Leadership: A case study
In this week’s edition, we are pleased to share a piece about OKR Leadership, a management methodology that can help advisors organize and measure their clients’ succession planning process.
Accidental Partnerships: A new lens on sibling and cousin partnerships
At first, it seemed ridiculous – how could they possibly fill the shoes of their father, Greg, who built such a remarkable portfolio of commercial real estate holdings? And how would they ever figure out how to work together?
When Science and Law Intersect: Preparing for a new age of wealth transition planning
This week’s FFI Practitioner examines how advances in science can impact multidisciplinary approaches to family business consulting.
Cases for Clients
Family business cases can serve as powerful tools to integrate into consulting and educational work with clients. Cases provide an engaging way for family enterprise members to recognize issues similar to the ones they face, helping evaluate potential, less emotionally-charged solutions. To further this publication’s mission to provide readers with practical materials that support their work with multi-generational family enterprises, we are pleased to feature a selection of family business cases previously published in FFI Practitioner.
When a Three-Legged Relay Race Replaces Passing the Baton
Thanks to Gaia Marchisio for this week’s article which discusses the importance of recognizing and addressing strong beliefs about “universal truths” and misconceptions in the field of family enterprise. In this article, Gaia urges advisers to avoid becoming too narrow-minded and entrenched in an established way of thinking. Instead, she encourages advisers to maintain an outsider’s perspective on conventional family business truths that are often taken for granted.