
Family business: A voice for change in sustainability
Family firms hold a unique position in advancing the sustainability agenda. As businesses that have been forged with future generations in mind, they constantly balance performance against legacy and this crucial equilibrium is central to sustainability.
The need to move to sustainable business models is becoming clearer every day. In today’s world – one in which climate tipping points have been breached and societies around the world are calling for more equity – shareholders can no longer be the sole beneficiaries of value creation. Today, people and planet must also be considered in every strategic decision a leadership team makes.
For family businesses, such inclusivity was often embedded in the founding principles of the first generation. Their ecosystems have been organically built around people and environment, as well as profitability. Doing well by doing good is embedded in their DNA.
The family perspective naturally compels a long-term view to be brought into strategy. That long-term focus provides family firms with a crucial anchor point for key decision-making on strategic reinvention in order
to secure the organization for successive generations. Some are already investing in innovation, partnership and positive disruption to align with the changes that governments, policymakers and consumers are increasingly calling for. Answering that call can safeguard both continuity and succession.
A broader stakeholder view and a long-term strategic perspective are among the myriad strengths that family businesses can share with the wider business community as it begins to engage with the sustainability agenda in clear, measurable ways. We encourage and welcome the drive to place purpose at the heart of transformation.
IMD encourages its diverse and talented thought community to share their valuable insights and achievements. By using such real-world, real-impact successes to nourish new thinking and new directions, we can continue to strive towards the sustainable success of all the stakeholders our businesses serve.
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YCH Group, a pioneering family-owned logistics company in Asia evolved from a small transport business into a regional leader in supply chain solutions focused on e-commerce, the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics. This remarkable transformatio...

The recent Family Capital Viewpoint, entitled "Have We Hit Peak Wealth" has raised a question that feels both provocative and urgent. It explores how extreme spending—mega yachts, $400 melons, gold-plated mansions—is colliding with economic anxiet...
The A case in this two-part series outlines the challenges Isabella Phoenix faced in designing a global sustainability program for HP's vast network of channel partners in just 12 weeks with only one team member and limited resources. The initiati...
The B case outlines how, by early 2025, Isabella Phoenix's initial vision for HP's Amplify Impact sustainability program had grown into a global initiative involving 4,800 partners in 48 countries. The program surpassed its goals, enrolling 59 of ...
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Case reference: IMD-2681 ©2025
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Case reference: IMD-2695 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
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