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The “surname ceiling” holding back family companies

Empresa Familiar/Family-Owned BusinessJuly 1, 2026

Why do some professionals hesitate to join family businesses? This Financial Times article explores how family-owned firms compare with non-family companies as employers, drawing on key insights from the 2026 IESE-ECGI Corporate Governance Conference, held at IESE’s Madrid campus in May. The “surname ceiling” holding back family companies      

Álvaro San Martín

Holder of the Chair
Álvaro San Martín is a professor in the Managing People in Organizations Department and the academic director of the Executive MBA in Madrid. His research interests include cultural psychology, team dynamics and socioecological psychology.

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