Events

The Family Business Forum is designed exclusively for family members with major family firms or family offices. At it, you will discover the solutions to your unresolved issues, by hearing from and working with business families from every continent.

What makes the Forum different is its emphasis on live family cases in table-sized groups. Firstly, you hear from a family about a real-life challenge they faced; next, in groups, you discuss what you might have done in their place; finally, you learn directly from the family about what they actually did.

World-class family business teachers, writers and consultants help facilitate discussions, draw broader lessons and contribute their own presentations.

The Family Business Forum
This intensive, dynamic and highly-enjoyable conference is led by top family business expert Peter Leach of Imperial College London. It is built around in-depth, live cases during which leading business families agree to share their hard earned experience in live family cases.

The final part of the Forum is devoted exclusively to a peer-to-peer advice workshop. This is the opportunity for you to seek advice on whatever questions are on your mind, by learning from the other families in a table-sized discussion group, together with practical advice from the facilitator.

Maintaining Family-to-Family connections
After the Forum, families are encouraged to stay in contact to share experiences and so make their different family business journeys all the easier.

Family Business Forum - Recent Example

The Family Business Forum is Loedstar's flagship event.  The most recent one was the 25th Anniversary event. The programme below shows the details of the speakers, live family cases and discussion workshops.  These are examples of a typical format for the event.  

Typical Day One Programme

Family Business Dynamics

Mr. Peter Leach

Adjunct Professor in Family Business, Imperial College London
Founder and Chairman, Peter Leach Associates Ltd.
Author “Family Enterprises, The Essentials”

One of the world’s leading teachers, writers and consultants on family business, Peter Leach has worked with hundreds of business families across the world. Each day, Peter will facilitate discussions, draw conclusions and contribute his own presentations. His session will explain several key concepts that will be addressed in more detail by the family speakers.

Live Case in Table-Sized Groups – The Roche Family Ireland

One Family’s Governance Journey – Roche Part I

Mr. Conor Roche

Executive Chairman, Woodford Capital; Director NTR plc and Doyle Hotel Group

Conor Roche and his third generation (G3) siblings are in the unusual situation that both parents come from separate family business backgrounds: NTR, a world-class renewable energy provider and The Doyle Collection, a group of luxury boutique hotels. He will explain how past tensions in both his parents’ respective business-owning families had made them determined to adopt a different approach, together with their children.

Co-Creating a Family Constitution and Partnership – Roche Part II

In the second part of the case, participants will work in table-sized groups to consider different aspects of what the Roche family could have done next. Peter Leach will then bring the whole room together and draw broader conclusions.

After the group work, Conor will explain what the family actually did, including developing a collective vision based on a Roche Family Partnership. It included creating a family constitution, communication training, early transition of ownership from G2 to G3 and developing a family office. In the Q&A session, Conor will be joined by one of his siblings to bring the perspective of a non-executive family owner.

Live Case - Zamil Group, Saudi Arabia - Part I

Family Training and Development

Dr. Basma Sulaiman Al Zamil

Consultant, Lansberg, Gersick & Associates, LLC
Former General Manager, Corporate Human Resources, Zamil Group

In the late 1990s at Zamil, an international industrial and services group, the second generation siblings recognized the need to prepare the third and fourth generations effectively. But how should they go about this?

Dr. Basma Al Zamil, a third generation family leader, will outline the family’s dilemma at that time. Next, Forum participants will be asked to suggest solutions to different aspects of family training and development, based on their own experiences

Developing Empowered Family Members - Zamil Part II

Next Generation Preparation for Roles in the Firm and Beyond It

In her former role as GM, Corporate Human Resources, Basma played a key role in Zamil family training and development. She will outline how the first phase of world-class training for family executives was expanded into a much broader mission: to help all next generation family members become responsible and self-empowered individuals.

She will be joined by a fourth generation Zamil family member to discuss their innovative Generation-to-Generation (G2G) programme (designed for family members between the ages of six years old and young adult).

Evening Reception

Participants are invited to a networking reception with refreshments, drinks and canapés arranged so that participants can circulate freely.

Typical Day Two Programme

Live Case – Pentland Group, United Kingdom – Part I

Family Influence and Leadership

Mr. Andy Rubin

Deputy Chair, Pentland Group Ltd

Founded in 1932 as a shoe business in Liverpool, the family later bought then sold Reebok, using the proceeds to help create a “family of brands”. Today, Pentland is a family-owned leader in sport and fashion with brands including Speedo, Ellesse, Canterbury, and a majority share in global retailer JD Sports.

Andy Rubin, member of the third generation and Deputy Chair of the Pentland Group, will outline this history before setting discussion tasks for the table-sized groups within the themes of family influence, leadership and culture.

Family Ownership as a Competitive Advantage – Pentland Part II

Culture and Values

In the next part of the case, Andy will outline the company’s unique culture, recognized by awards including “Best Corporate Workplace in the UK” and the “2017 IMD/FBN Global Family Business Award”. He will explain how family ownership, with its direct influence on a firm’s culture and values, can be used as a key competitive advantage. In a closing discussion with Peter Leach, Andy will be joined by his son Charlie Rubin, a fourth generation (G4) family member who has been with the Group for five years.

Role Play – Improving Your Family Conversations

Getting to the heart of the matter quickly, whilst still building quality relationships

Mr. Alan Palmer

Senior Partner, Interactifs UK
Author of “Talk Lean: Shorter meetings. Quicker results. Better relations.”

Who hasn’t put off broaching a difficult subject or announcing difficult news because of the discomfort in doing so, or because of the risk to the relationship? These concerns can be particularly acute in family businesses, where relationships are both professional and personal.

This session will introduce you to a simple set of verbal frameworks and principles which allow you to be consistently direct yet respectful, concise yet courteous, concrete yet empathetic - whatever the context, whatever the relationship.

Alan Palmer and his colleagues at Interactifs have taught their innovative Talk Lean approach to thousands of executives in multiple countries, including at leading family firms and top business schools. To illustrate some of the key principles, Alan will run a role play, using Talk Lean principles to prepare for and hold a difficult family business meeting effectively.

Peer-to-Peer Advice Workshop and Discussions

Exploring Your Own Challenges and Opportunities

Mr Peter Leach

The final session is devoted exclusively to peer-to-peer advice and discussion. In feedback, year-after-year, this workshop is rated by participants as the most valuable part of the Forum.

In advance of the event, you will be asked to suggest or select topics that are on your mind. At the workshop, you will be allocated to a table-sized discussion group, along with others who are interested in the same topic (members of the same family will be on different tables).

Firstly, you will seek advice on your chosen topic, by drawing on the hard-earned experience of the other families at your table. Peter Leach will then bring the room together to draw broader conclusions. Finally, Peter will answer any outstanding questions, so that you return home with next steps for whatever challenges you may be facing.

After The Forum

Participants are encouraged to stay in touch to continue to share challenges and learn from each other. If you wish, after the Forum, we can help you continue with peer-to-peer connections and discussion groups.