Authors’ opinions and reflections on family governance strucutures suitable for use with various generational, cultural and industry related clients.
Thanks to the authors of this article—the first in the 2026 series from Withers—for their analysis of multi-generational investing in sports within the US.
Performance evaluation in family enterprises is more than a human resources process—it is central to fairness, accountability, and leadership credibility.
Family enterprise advisors are often trained through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory, which remains one of the most influential frameworks in the field.
In this first article of a quarterly series in 2026, Jay Hughes and Keith Whitaker turn their attention to a pivotal but often underexamined moment: the experience of engaging a trustee for the first time.
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.
Change initiatives in enterprising families rarely fail because of bad ideas or lack of commitment.
In this issue of FFI Practitioner, FFI Fellow Matthew Erskine examines the December 2024 Family Business Review article, “Why and How Do Family Firms Go Public? A Socioemotional Wealth Perspective of IPO.”
Thank you to Jamie Yuenger, founder of StoryKeep, for this article, which is a companion piece to the FFI Practitioner podcast episode, “The Power of Narrative in Family Businesses: A Conversation with Jamie Yuenger and Lisabeth Sugahara.”
FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with guests Jamie Yuenger from StoryKeep and Lisabeth Sugahara from Fairfield-Maxwell Ltd.
Thanks to Paul Edelman and Julia Chu from the Mediation Virtual Study Group for this article describing how mediation, in addition to being a tool for resolving conflict in family enterprise, can also be used as a proactive governance strategy, particularly in the context of long-term investment decision-making.
Thank you to Peter Jaskiewicz, James G. Combs, Klaus Uhlenbruck, Amlan Datta, and Katrina Barclay for this week’s FFI Practioner issue, a commentary on their research about the effect of family board involvement on family firms.
FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Sir Andrew Likierman, 2025 recipient of the 2086 Society’s FFI Scholar-in-Residence grant.
Thank you to Dennis Oteng, member of the 2025 Conference Program Committee, for this article about the 360 Legacy Wheel, a model that can help client families consider which resources to share outside of the family and which to protect within the family.
Thank you to co-authors William Kambas and Linda Meade for this week’s FFI Practitioner, which begins a periodic series of editions dedicated to topics related to private trust companies.
In this week’s FFI Practitioner, FFI Asian Circle Virtual Study Group member Aik-Ping Ng discusses how family enterprise advisors can use the Enneagram, a personality assessment tool, to help guide their clients through conflict and improve communication.
Thank you to Isabella Otero, PhD, for this article discussing the benefits available to clients who consider management of the family firm holistically, approaching it as a diversified portfolio rather than a single business.
Thank you to FFI Fellow Patricia Annino, member of the 2025 Conference Program Committee, for this article about the many complexities to consider when a client wants to leave a family enterprise.
In this week’s edition of FFI Practitioner, Phelps Wood and Bill Stranberg highlight strategies for family enterprise advisors to consider when client families first bring a non-family executive into the business as CEO.
Thank you to the authors of this week’s FFI Practitioner, Devin DeCiantis and Ivan Lansberg, for this article discussing the strategies that enterprising families in emerging and frontier economies deploy to navigate unpredictable environments.
This week we are pleased to continue our series of guest-curated FFI Practitioner articles with Sian O’Neill, founder of publisher Globe Law and Business.