Trust has been the crux of economic exchanges since the creation of the world’s first marketplaces millennia ago. While several research studies have focused on trust in bilateral relationships, less is known about its broader social and economic ramifications and the specific role of family businesses. In this Forbes article, IESE Prof. Jeroen Neckebrouck shares […]
5 strategies for a new model of family business
As Heraclitus said more than two millennia ago, “Nothing is permanent except change,” yet the very nature of change has shifted dramatically in today’s volatile, hyperconnected and fast-paced world. Family firms are generally better equipped to weather the storm thanks to their comparatively longer-term perspective and financial resilience. Yet other traits aren’t as positive, says […]
¡HOLA! A window on the world since 1944
Eduardo Sánchez Pérez (PADE ’20) is the editor-in-chief of ¡HOLA!, Spain’s first society magazine and a pioneer in premier photojournalism. In this article, he shares the history of this pathbreaking publication, founded by his grandparents in 1944. The origins of ¡HOLA! can be traced back to the love story between my grandparents, Antonio Sánchez Gómez […]
Family businesses have a talent-acquisition advantage
According to a recent PwC survey, next-generation leaders of family firms see talent acquisition, management, and retention as a key priority in the next two years in the wake of Covid-19 impacts and the subsequent labor market moves. In this Harvard Business Review article, the authors explore the pivotal role of talent acquisition in the […]
External stakeholders: 3 ways to boost engagement
Guest contributor: Sumeet Malik Assistant Professor · University of Amsterdam / Entrepreneurship & Innovation Section 2021-2022 Post-Doctoral Fellow · IESE Chair of Family-Owned Business From investors and regulators to customers, external stakeholders are critical to the long-term success of family firms. They buy their products, regulate their operations, and provide their means of operation by […]
Bill Marriott passes the baton
Marriott International’s Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Bill Marriott, has retired after an illustrious 66-year career. Read his parting words on his last LinkedIn post as Chairman, which also features a heartwarming video with his son and successor, David. From Generation to Generation
The family council, a means and not an end
Guest contributor: María Rodríguez García Predoctoral Researcher and Lecturer · Universitat de València Visiting Researcher · IESE Chair of Family-Owned Business The family council as a concept began gaining traction in the 1990s, when consultants and academics highlighted its relevance in terms of protecting the business family’s long-term interests and navigating potential family complexity. Under […]
“It’s time to challenge the status quo at family businesses”
How can future leaders of family firms act as responsible stewards of their family legacy while also serving as catalysts for necessary change? This ESG by PwC article explains the need for next-generation leaders to prioritize ESG factors in order to build their own legacy: It’s time to challenge the status quo at family businesses […]
Pedro Durán, the royal silversmith
Juan Miguel Albarracín Durán is the president and CEO of Grupo Durán, a jewelry company founded by his great-grandfather over 135 years ago. Our company was founded in 1886 by my great-grandfather Pedro Durán Morales, a silversmith by profession. In 1899, he was named an official supplier to Spain’s royal family, a significant milestone at […]
ElPozo: from a local shop to a worldwide reference
An entrepreneur by vocation, Tomás Fuertes has been working for the business holding company he presides for over 60 years. Today, Grupo Fuertes is a global reference in the agri-food sector with operations in 118 countries with 100% Spanish capital. When I talk about Grupo Fuertes, I always say we’re a hybrid project: the combined […]
