The Sika takeover battle

Leaders of family firms are struggling with multiple role identities, and poor board management is putting the future of family enterprises at risk.

Tolaram’s Mohan Vaswani and Sajen Aswani on how the family enterprise has achieved success across four generations, three continents, and 75 years.

Jess Chua was a leading scholar in the field of family business and a major contributor to Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice both as an author and editor. His significant contributions to the field were acknowledged by the Web of Science, which...

Taking tangible next steps from the success of a 70-year-old craft firm and applying transferable advice to family businesses across every sector.

BARCELONA, JANUARY 2023. What started in 2016 as a humble entrepreneurial attempt to contribute to a more sustainable future had turned into a solid eyewear brand present in major Western markets. François van den Abeele was even more excited by the rapid development of the Sea2see Foundation, which he set up in Ghana. But success brought its own new questions and issues. From the start, he had relied on the superb craftmanship and dedication of an Italian frame manufacturer. Over time that relationship had turned into a mutual dependency: He was now one of its major clients but, reciprocally, had developed a key supplier risk. What if something happened to that relationship? Should he develop a broader set of suppliers and, if so, how could that be done without antagonizing a great working relationship? Recycling very much set the stage for the brand’s sustainability claims, but it also took massive amounts of time to manage. As other companies started to develop their own fishing net recycling supply chains, did it still make sense to invest so much time in the upstream phase or should he pour his energy into his beloved brand? Finally, maybe it was also time to revisit the growth/profitability dilemma and open up the capital to increase the speed of growth, all for the benefit of the environment as impact fed on scale.

Founded by Lim Hock Chee in 1985, Sheng Siong has evolved from a humble grocery store into a leading supermarket chain in Singapore, renowned for its cost-effective pricing and commitment to customer satisfaction. Mr Lim’s unique philosophy, which...

Bruce Grossman shares his family’s journey from mining to building Arca Continental, Latin America's second-largest Coca-Cola bottler, and their commitment to legacy and impact.

Family businesses hold a unique place in the economic and social landscape. They represent not just entrepreneurship but also heritage, values and a legacy passed down through generations.

Family businesses have long been the backbone of the global economy, contributing significantly to employment, innovation, and economic resilience. As we approach 2025 and beyond, family businesses must adapt to a range of emerging trends to stay ...