Business is business – but family businesses are business AND family.

Succession planning
Leadership and management
Professionalization
Capital and finance
Change management

In family businesses, there are often a variety of areas of tension resulting from the complex relationships and interactions between family, ownership, and management. These areas of tension can affect the performance of the business and therefore need to be carefully managed.

Succession planning

The “make-it” or “break-it” moment of every company

The issue of succession in family businesses is of paramount importance. The selection of a suitable successor and the smooth handover of management can lead to conflicts, especially if there are different ideas about who should take on this role.

In my role as Family Business Advisor, I bring an objective perspective to this process. My goal is to help you thoroughly analyze the business and the family to identify their strengths and weaknesses and find the best possible solution for both the business and the family.

With my in-depth experience and special training, I can help optimize internal communication within the family and successfully manage any conflicts that arise. Furthermore, I support you and your family members in clarifying common goals and values. This makes succession planning a smooth process that ensures the long-term stability of the family business.

Leadership and management

Improving skills thanks to the sparring partner

When the sparring partner joins in the training, things go punch for punch in the boxing ring just like in a competition. This is the only way the trainee can improve his or her skills.

Sparring helps managers and entrepreneurs to get ahead. Here, ideas are tested and jointly developed so that managers can expand their own skills. This pays off and brings more than paying a lesson in real situations, damaging one’s own career, or jeopardizing the company’s success.

Thanks to my experience, it is clear to me how sensible it is to critically question new ideas and strategies – especially in the environment of executive committees and boards of directors. Often the involvement of an outsider opens one’s eyes to new perspectives and helps to see things in a different light. In this respect, too, I am happy to be challenged by you to question your ideas and strategies with knowledge and experience.

Professionalization

Change at the top level starts with exchange at eye level.

Some family businesses may lack professional management and clear business structures. Other family businesses are at the point where important management decisions can’t be made by family members only. This can lead to inefficiency and uncertainty, especially if family members in senior positions do not have the necessary qualifications.

The professionalization of management in a family business requires the involvement of external specialists in the right place. Complex ownership structures, different risk appetites, but above all conflicts of interest can paralyze and weaken a family business. 

The effective management of these areas of tension requires clear communication, well thought-out corporate governance, and the development of strategies for conflict resolution.

I would be happy to work with you and your family in setting up the structures and processes.

Capital and finance

When it comes to money, the fun stops.

Good governance requires the creation of appropriate boundaries between the family and the business, and a clear distinction between ownership and management. 

It is in the financing of the business and the distribution of profits that tensions and conflicts can arise within the family, especially when there is disagreement about how the financial resources of the business should be used.

Conflict is a natural aspect of the complexity of an entrepreneurial family system. Some conflicts can be resolved through governance solutions, others require learning new skills. Thanks to my knowledge and experience, I can support you in having the appropriate conversations and building the necessary structures.

Change Management

When many things change, everyone should be involved.

“Change management is the name given to the far-reaching process of change within a company. It concerns all strategies, structures, processes, or behaviors that flow into an organization and are implemented internally. How successful these changes are, however, depends heavily on whether they are accepted at every level and effectively implemented by all employees. If this is unclear, uncertainties and conflicts can arise. 

I accompany you and your company in initiating change processes, involving all those involved, resolving conflicts, or eliminating them in advance. I advise family members, managers as well as employees at every level.