Episode 19: Navigating Complex Family Business Enterprise Systems with Peter Vogel

04/19/24 • 39 min

In the nineteenth episode of The Family Business Audiocast, host R. Adam Smith welcomes Peter Vogel, Director of the Global Family Business Center at IMD Business School and Debiopharm Chair for Family Philanthropy. Vogel discusses his approach as a "pracademic" who bridges rigorous academic research with practical frameworks for family enterprises. He explains how family businesses evolve over generations from single-entity operations into complex enterprise systems with multiple holdings, describing examples of European families with thousands of members and hundreds of business entities. Vogel shares insights from his work creating practical tools like the Family Office Navigator and Family Philanthropy Navigator, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational planning for holistic transformations. The conversation explores global family office hubs, technological challenges facing family enterprises, and the strategic role of philanthropy in wealth transition.

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Episode 18: Governance Structures in Global Family Enterprise with Elizabeth Bagger & Lena Chihab

In this episode of The Family Business Audiocast, host R. Adam Smith welcomes Elizabeth Bagger (founder of Avante) and Lena Chihab (manager of FBN Levant) to discuss family business governance across global contexts. The experts explore the primary challenges family businesses face when establishing effective governance structures, highlighting family dynamics, intergenerational communication, and conflict resolution mechanisms as universal concerns. Bagger emphasizes how family dynamics often undermine even well-designed governance frameworks, while Chihab provides regional insights from the Middle East. The conversation examines the delicate balance between preserving legacy and fostering innovation, the increasing role of women in family wealth office leadership, and how family constitutions can serve as educational tools for next-generation engagement rather than mere control documents.

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Episode 20: The $3B Family Enterprise Journey with Kyle Chapman

In this milestone episode, R. Adam Smith welcomes Kyle Chapman, President of Barry W. Miller Group, a $3 billion industrial manufacturing conglomerate. Chapman details how his family wealth office evolved from a $20 million company to a global enterprise while maintaining their people-centered leadership philosophy. The conversation explores the unique hybrid private equity model they've developed, their approach to family business enterprise governance, and how they've created a culture where caring for people drives performance. Chapman shares insights on talent attraction, innovation, and preserving legacy across generations in family enterprise.

Family Business Audiocast - Episode 19: Navigating Complex Family Business Enterprise Systems with Peter Vogel

Transcript

R. Adam Smith: [Intro] Welcome to the Family Business Audiocast on LinkedIn. I am R. Adam Smith, creator of this audiocast series. As an entrepreneur, investor, founder, investment banker, and board leader the last 25 years, I am fortunate for my many experiences within the family firm industry.

A warm thank you to our live audience on LinkedIn today – and for those listening in the future.

A brief comment on why I created this broadcast: private companies are a passion of mi