Over the years, the Chair of Family-Owned Business has written extensively about one central idea: strong families don’t automatically evolve into strong owners. Solid values, commitment and a long-term perspective are real advantages of family ownership, but they only translate into sustainable performance when supported by robust governance. In many family firms, governance issues might […]
Strategic alliances in family firms: 7 financial recommendations
The Family Business Reflection Forum co-organized by IESE’s Chair of Family-Owned Business and the Instituto de Empresa Familiar continues to give us plenty to talk about. In the first of this three-part series, Prof. Marta Elvira highlighted the core benefits of strategic alliances as engines for growth, which Prof. África Ariño brought to life in […]
How changes in the family can benefit the family firm
Family-owned firms must navigate continuous change in both the external business environment and their own family sphere, shaped by births, deaths, married-ins and the evolving values and objectives of each new generation. As this Forbes article explores, changes in the family–while challenging–can also be a wellspring of new energy, capabilities and ideas. How Changes in […]
Frit Ravich, a business built on trust
Judith Viader is the general manager of Frit Ravich, a second-generation company specialized in the manufacture of chips, snacks and nuts, and snack-food distributor with over 1,000 employees, exports to 27 countries and €302 million in net sales in 2023. Frit Ravich is a family business founded in 1963 by my father, Josep Maria Viader, […]
10 insights to reinforce the corporate governance of your family business
Truth be told, implementing and managing a board of directors in a family firm isn’t an easy task for a variety of reasons, including the unique nature of each family and company and its specific context and growth stage. Through my years of experience working with family firms, I have gathered several practical insights to […]
ADEFAM recognizes IESE for its entrepreneurial ecosystem
The Family Business Association of Madrid (ADEFAM) was created to support and defend the interests of family businesses in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. On April 8, IESE had the great honor of receiving an ADEFAM Award in recognition of its “complete entrepreneurial ecosystem in which they provide the advice, contacts, financing and research necessary […]
Design, management and dynamics of successful strategic alliances
Guest contributor: África Ariño Professor of Strategic Management · Holder of the Joaquim Molins Figueras Chair of Strategic Alliances · IESE As explored in the first article in this series on the conclusions drawn at the Family Business Reflection Forum, strategic alliances enable two or more companies to share resources and capabilities to either undertake […]
An analysis of family firms and their impact on diverse stakeholders
Family businesses are economic motors and drivers of social cohesion around the world, which is why it’s important to better understand their impact on diverse stakeholder groups. To learn more, I encourage you to read the new white paper “Vínculos profundos: un análisis riguroso sobre las relaciones entre las empresas familiares y sus stakeholders” (Deep […]
Growth strategies: how alliances can boost the performance of family-owned firms
In today’s fast-paced global environment, growth isn’t an option for family businesses: it’s an imperative to ensure their long-term success and continuity. This reflection and the role of strategic alliances were in the spotlight at the first Family Business Forum for Reflection, organized recently by IESE and the Instituto de Empresa Familiar. This article, written […]
Women in family business
Around the world, women are increasingly taking charge of their family businesses and reaching breakthrough levels of success. In many cases, they are the first generation of women to take the reins from older male relatives. With International Women’s Day around the corner, this New York Times article about daughters of family vineyards is especially […]
Five ways to get the most out of family assemblies
Shareholders often span different generations in long-consolidated family firms, and not all play an active role in the business. In these cases, family assemblies are a vital conduit to bringing people together and up to date on the company’s activity and strategy. Family assemblies aim to bridge the divide between family members on the front […]
