When meritocracy meets bloodlines: the family business succession trap

Our next CEO will be chosen based on capability. We’re professionalizing our leadership. In our company, board seats are earned. Statements like these are common in the realm of family-owned firms, signalling how strongly they value the language of merit. Yet the lived reality often tells a different story: appointments seem predetermined, performance standards become…

IESE EVENT: Forging next-generation leaders in family firms

You are cordially invited to the March 2 Alumni session, “Acompañando y formando a las generaciones jóvenes de la familia empresaria.” Led by IAE Prof. Pedro Vázquez, the Spanish-language session will explore the opportunities, risks and educational considerations involved in preparing next-generation members to responsibly steward both wealth and family values. Date: Monday, March 2…

The Case for Strategic Idleness in a Global Role

Having just returned from our annual family skiing trip, I find myself once again struck by a paradox: six hours a day on the slopes leaves your legs aching and your lungs burning, yet you come back to the office not depleted but genuinely recharged. The physical exhaustion is real, but the cognitive renewal is…

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) by 2026: Regulatory Evolution, Political Tensions, and the Future of Sustainable Finance

The European Union has emerged over the past decade as a global regulatory leader in sustainability governance, particularly through the development of mandatory corporate disclosure frameworks. At the centre of this architecture lies the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) — one of the most ambitious regulatory initiatives worldwide aimed at integrating environmental, social, and governance…
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