Governing Family Enterprises

• Family and non-family directors, CEOs, board chairs and trustees of family-controlled firms. The enterprise must be 3rd generation or beyond, with a significant number of family owners and minimum annual revenue of US$100m with a preference for $500m or above
• Family members involved in governing their family councils, family office or their family foundations
• Family shareholders

• Past Participant Profile

• Define the roles and responsibilities of owners, directors, board chairs, the executive team and the family council
• Improve your board’s effectiveness
• Learn about critical governance policies needed to sustain the relationship between the enterprise and the family
• Learn how a common vision can unite family owners in a long-term commitment to continuity
• Learn how governance can be used to gain trust among family owners, directors and top management
• Leverage governance as a key competitive advantage of family business

The program will focus on the roles of the board chair, independent directors, family council leadership, and non-family top management. Successful and innovative models of organizational design will be shared.

Governance Challenges Facing the Family Business

• Develop a theory of family business governance
• Explore how shareholder families evolve
• Design an appropriate, optimal governance structure for your enterprise
• Learn how governance structures and policies interact to elicit constructive shareholder engagement and organizational effectiveness
• Acquire skills needed to lead effectively the processes of governance
• Confront the contradictions and paradoxes of governance

Defining Roles and Responsibilities

• Understand the roles of owners and the responsibilities of family councils, boards and executive management
• Learn how best to make a team out of your Board, your family council and of other governance committees
• Differentiate ruling from governing
• Manage the extended family
• Enhance shareholder loyalty, voice and commitment

Board Development and Evaluation

• Improve board decision making
• Build high-functioning board and family council teams
• Maximize board and family leadership effectiveness
• Learn how boards can add distinct value

Jennifer Pendergast - Academic Director; John L. Ward Clinical Professor of Family Enterprise and Executive Director of the Center for Family Enterprises

Ivan Lansberg - Academic Director; Adjunct Professor, Center for Family Enterprises Executive Education Programs

Victoria Medvec - Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management & Organizations; Executive Director of the Center for Executive Women

Leigh Thompson - J. Jay Gerber Professor of Dispute Resolution & Organizations Professor of Management & Organizations

“The program is very well structured and organized. It offers many new ideas about family governance structures. The quality of the faculty is excellent. It is a great opportunity to share and exchange points of view with other family companies.”
Chairman, Agrolimen, Spain

“Your program was the most meaningful and beneficial experience I have ever had - and not just in the realm of family business, either. From the breadth and depth of the material covered, to the outstanding group of participants involved, to the structure of the program that maximized the efficiency of every second we were there, it was simply fantastic!”
Shareholder, Pella Corporation, U.S.A.

“I want to express my strong feelings of satisfaction for the high quality of the seminar on Family Business we just attended. Even our highest expectations were exceeded.”
Board Vice-President, Grupo Gerdau, Brazil