Family businesses are rarely at a loss for tools. They can set up a board of directors, redesign incentives, bring in an outside CEO, draft a family protocol, convene a family council or call in a mediator. The real challenge lies elsewhere: how do you know which tool to use, where to use it and…

Picture the assignment we would all call a success. Eighteen months in, she has the language. She knows which meetings matter and which are theatre. Her local colleagues have stopped explaining things to her. When she pushes back in a meeting, nobody hears an outsider pushing back — they hear a colleague. Ask anyone in…

Over the past academic year, the Chair of Family-Owned Business continued to advance its mission through high-impact research and teaching initiatives while deepening its ties with the global family-business community. We invite you to explore our Annual Report 2025-26, which highlights our key achievements in supporting family business owners, leaders and professionals worldwide. Annual Report…

Author: Uzay Sezer Holder of a PhD in Business Administration and Management from Università Bocconi, his research explores family firms, corporate governance and incentive designs. When a family sells or steps back from an operating business, the ensuing celebrations often follow a familiar script. After years of hard work, they have succeeded in building something…