IMD has been recognized for its important contribution to the annual Global Family Enterprise Case Competition – one of the most well-known events of its kind in the family business sphere – at the University of Vermont.
Two of the four cases used during the competition were written by IMD, and the event attracted over 200 participants and judges from 29 countries on six continents.
The two cases were ‘The Pentland Group: A Family of Brands’ and ‘De Agostini: Repurposing The Business & The Family’, both written by Professor Benoit Leleux and Research Fellow Marta Widz.
Widz, who also served as a judge in the competition, called it “the world cup of family business education”.
De Agostini Group is headquartered in Novara and Milan, Italy, employs over 14,000 people worldwide and generated a turnover of about €4.8 billion in 2017. It was established in 1901 by cartographer Giovanni De Agostini.
For over 80 years, De Agostini was focused on cartography, publishing, graphics and printing industries. In the late 1980s, third generation chairman and head of the founding family Marco Drago launched a period of diversification, turning it into an international powerhouse in publishing, media and communication, gaming and services, and finance.
The Pentland case followed the British company from its origins in 1932 to present day.
The Pentland Group, a second- and third-generation family enterprise, started as a shoe distributor and manufacturer. It later diversified into other businesses, only to ultimately re-focus and become a “family of brands” in the sports and fashion sector. Pentland is the owner of brands such as Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury, Boxfresh, Ellesse, KangaROOS and Mitre. The global brand management company is headquartered in London, UK. Owned by just six family members, it employs over 20,500 people worldwide and generates about £2.9 billion in sales.
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