From Blank Page to Global Field: The Origins of Family Business Review
The creation of Family Business Review (FBR) was not inevitable. It began with a conversation among scholars and practitioners who believed that family business deserved its own field of study.
When Succession Goes Public: How NextGens Build Legitimacy Beyond the Boardroom
Succession has traditionally been negotiated behind closed doors—within families, boards, and leadership teams.
Embedded Family Offices in Asia: Moving Beyond Enmeshment
As family enterprises across Asia grow in scale and complexity, many families find that historically embedded approaches to wealth management no longer serve their long-term needs.
Listening First: A Japanese Approach to Family Decisions
In this week’s edition of FFI Practitioner, Jay Hughes, Mary Duke, and Stacy Allred offer the first in their series of Reflections on Family Flourishing, a companion to their upcoming new book.
Family Office Investment in US Sports: Combining Financial Returns with Social Engagement
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 as a Cornerstone of Professionalization in Family Businesses
Performance evaluation in family enterprises is more than a human resources process—it is central to fairness, accountability, and leadership credibility.
Integrating Structural Family Therapy into Family Enterprise Advising
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.
Christopher Gibson on AI, Dispute Resolution, and the Future of Legal Practice
In this episode of the FFI Podcast, we speak with Christopher Gibson, FFI’s 2086 Scholar in Residence, about the evolving landscape of mediation and arbitration and what these changes mean for lawyers and advisors working with family enterprises worldwide.
The First Trustee
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.
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.
How to Manage Pace of Change So It Doesn’t Manage You
Change initiatives in enterprising families rarely fail because of bad ideas or lack of commitment.
FFI at 40: Honoring Our Origins and Shaping the Future
In the first issue of 2026, FFI Practitioner features insights from Debbie Bing, President of CFAR and Chair of the FFI Board of Directors.
FFI Practitioner: Most Popular Articles of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the year that that was for FFI Practitioner by counting down the ten most popular editions of the year!
Investment Committees for Private Trust Companies: Options, Obligations, and Opportunity
Thank you to William J. Kambas and Linda B. Meade for today’s edition, the fourth of a periodic series of issues dedicated to topics related to private trust companies.
From Only Child to Steward: Building Resilient Families in China
In this week’s FFI Practitioner, FFI Asian Circle Virtual Study Group member Nelson Lam addresses the challenges that can emerge in family enterprises when the successor is the family’s only child, as is the case for those born in China during the country’s one-child policy.
FFI Practitioner Articles We Love: GEN Faculty Member Fabian Bernhard
This issue is the fourth in our series of “Articles We Love,” curated by GEN faculty members.
On Accounting to the Beneficiary
In this week’s edition of FFI Practitioner, FFI Fellow James E. Hughes, Jr., and Keith Whitaker consider the responsibilities of a trustee to a beneficiary.
Going Public as a Succession Strategy: Lessons for Advisors to Family-Run Businesses
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.”
Navigating Individuality and Family Unity: Bowen Theory Today
Thank you to Pauline Lemaire, Daniel Trimarchi, and Wanja Michuki from the Systems Thinking Virtual Study Group for this week’s edition.