Family Business Continuity

course overview

Sustaining the Family Business Across Generations

As family firms evolve across generations, the needs of the family, the owners and the business will change. To address these evolving needs and to meet the family’s desire to become a multigenerational business, this programme provides family business leaders with the knowledge and skills to design appropriate governance structures for their business. The programme’s faculty are leading international family business experts who will share best-practice insights on the development of governance structures within the family, among the ownership group, and in the firm.

DCU Business School is home to the internationally acclaimed DCU National Centre for Family Business. Based upon eight years of rigorous research and engagement with over 1500 Irish family firms, this programme is a first-of-its-kind offering for family businesses in Ireland. The three-day interactive programme is designed specifically for current and next-generation members of family firms.

Programme structure

The programme comprises three one-day modules delivered over the course of three consecutive weeks.

Each module focuses on a different sphere of family business governance: family, business, and ownership.

The programme has been designed for online delivery and for maximum engagement among participants and faculty.

Each day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Programme dates: 26th September, 3rd & 17th October 2022.

Funding may be available from Skillnet please contact info@kerryskillnet.ie

DCU Business School has a long history of executive training both to individuals and client companies.  Our executive programmes are crafted to meet both the needs of business and of individuals developing their careers based on the industry connections that underpin our approach to education.  Globally accredited by AACSB and AMBA, we’re placed among the world’s top Business Schools.

Who is this programme for?

This programme is designed for family firms who are committed to adapting and evolving their governance structures to prepare for multigenerational growth and continuity.  The programme is tailored to family firms that have transitioned, or are about to transition, from the founder(s) stage to the sibling and/or cousin stage. The CEO is a vital participant and should be accompanied on the programme by two other members of the family firm (either family or non-family members).  In instances where two generations are actively involved in the business, we encourage the attendance of representatives from both generations.

PROGRAMME CONTENT:

Across the three days, this course provides participants with an overview of the unique context of family business and their contribution to national and international economies. It will explain the family business system and family dynamics within each of its three spheres (family, business, and ownership) and will explore the evolution of the family business life cycle.

This programme specifically addresses:

The development of a common vision to unite family members in a long-term commitment to continuity and family firm transition.

The role of effective communication forums in the creation, retention and repair of trust in family relationships.

The dynamics of ownership and its role in the changing needs of the family and the business. Understand how well-designed ownership policies can allow owners to determine their successors giving them power to influence the future of the family business.

Decision-making in the context of ownership. Learn how ownership policies inform shareholders’ engagement and behaviour(s) in relation to the business and how effective ownership governance can assist in resolving disputes and conflicts.

The pivotal role played by a Board of Directors in effectively guiding the family business. Learn how different types of boards assist in oversight and sustainability of the family firm.

Board members’ roles and responsibilities and the issues that affect current and emerging members, such as managing the board’s strategic, fiduciary and communication function.

What will you learn?

Having completed the Family Business Continuity programme, you will:

Understand the function of a family constitution, and its role in maintaining trust and cohesion within the family;

Recognise the importance of a family employment policy for current and future family members;

Develop an understanding of ownership governance policies, including share options, voting rights, transferability of shares, dividend policy and liquidity;

Understand the importance of a high-functioning family business board, including the roles and responsibilities of board members, the development of a board charter, the design of a decision-making matrix and the role of independent board members;

Develop a peer-learning network with other participants facing similar challenges in the development of appropriate governance structures for their family firm.

Tina Darrer, Dooley’s Hotel – 3rd Generation

“We took part in the Family Business Continuity Programme because we wanted to make a positive impact on the company during our stewardship.  In the past Family Businesses had to go abroad to gain this type of knowledge we have a massive resource in the DCU National Centre for Family Business which is on our doorstep and we can draw on them.”

Bobby Fleming, Fleming Medical Ltd – 2nd Generation

“All the materials we received during the Family Business Continuity Programme were hugely insightful and beneficial.  The frameworks that we were given during the course will be of great use to us.”

Simon Best – Highfield Healthcare – 6th Generation

“Having worked in business for 25 years, the challenges are different for family businesses and this course is very relevant for family businesses.”

Dr. Eric Clinton

Director DCU National Centre for Family Business

Eric works with family-controlled enterprises on strategies for the successful continuity of their enterprises, with a focus on succession transitions and preparation of the next generation. He advises and facilitates conversations for business families on the topics of leadership, succession planning, governance, next generation development, entrepreneurship and innovation, and organization restructuring.

As a faculty member at Dublin City University, Dr. Clinton is the director of the National Centre for Family Business, a leading international family business centre that offers expertise to family enterprises in Ireland and abroad. He leads the Centre’s education programs, conferences, and network of family businesses. He is also an associate professor of Entrepreneurship at DCU where he teaches undergraduate and executive students in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and family business. He is an award-winning teacher, having received international excellence awards for his teaching. He has delivered a keynote address at the Post-Davos Conference on ‘Preparing the Millennial Generation for Leadership’.

Dr. Clinton’s research focuses on strategic entrepreneurial practices in family companies, particularly how entrepreneurial and innovative mind-sets within family businesses pass to the next generation. His research has been funded by the European Union, Irish and British governments, European family enterprises, and international professional service firms. His findings are published in more than 25 international journals including Academy of Management Review, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Family Business Review, and Journal of Business Research.  He is a board member of Babson College’s Global STEP Project, the largest family business research project globally, which explores entrepreneurial practices in family companies by forming partnerships between family business practitioners and academic scholars.

Prior to his academic and advisory work focused on family-owned enterprises, Dr. Clinton was a consultant with a leading US consulting firm where he advised information technology companies on issues related to mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring.

Dr. Clinton earned a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship and family enterprise from the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin. He earned a Master of Business Studies (with Psychology) from University College Dublin, and holds a Bachelor of Business Studies with Finance from Dublin City University.

Dr Catherine Faherty

DCU Business School

Dr. Catherine Faherty is a founding member of the DCU National Centre for Family Business.  In her role as Assistant Professor at DCU Business School, she teaches and mentors next-generation members preparing to assume leadership positions in their family businesses.

Dr Faherty completed her PhD at DCU Business School in 2018. Prior to joining DCU as a faculty member she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kellogg Centre for Family Enterprises, Northwestern University, USA.  Dr Faherty’s research focuses on trust dynamics in family-owned enterprises, and this work has seen her engage with family businesses nationally and internationally. She has published in a variety of peer-reviewed scholarly outlets and her work has been featured in national media outlets. In 2019, Dr Faherty’s PhD research was awarded the Frederic M. Jablin Doctoral Dissertation Award for her contribution to leadership studies internationally. 

Candida G. Brush

Prof. Brush holds the Franklin W. Olin Chair in Entrepreneurship and is the Faculty Director for the Diana International Research Institute at Babson College.  Professor Brush is a visiting professor at Bodo Graduate School, Nord University in Bodo, Norway and at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland and a Research Fellow at IFM- Bonn, in Germany.  She has authored more than 180 publications in entrepreneurship, including 14 books and is a co-founder of the Diana International Project. She was recognized in 2007 by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers as a 21st Century Entrepreneurship Scholar, and in 2015 was awarded a lifetime membership for her contributions to the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Consortium.  She also received lifetime achievement awards from the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) and the International Conference on Small Business (ICSB). 

Prof. Brush is a co-author of a best-selling book for educators on teaching entrepreneurship, Teaching Entrepreneurship, a Practice Based Approach (volume 1) and the second edition was released in March 2021.  She is a Senior Editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and serves on the editorial review boards of Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Business Horizons and the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Her current research investigates how new ventures acquire resources, especially angel and venture capital; gender and women’s entrepreneurship; and entrepreneurship education.   

Prof. Brush is on the board of directors for Anchor Capital Advisors, LLC, Clarke’s Organics (Dominican Republic), is a member of the Boston Harbor Angels investment group, and participates in Portfolia, an investment fund supporting high growth women entrepreneurs. She holds a doctorate from Boston University, and an honorary PhD from Jonkoping University. 

Paul Hennessy

Paul is Non-Executive Director and advisor to a number of Family Businesses and Private companies.  

He was a Partner in PwC for almost thirty years where he held a number of management positions at National, European and Global levels.  He led PwC’s Family Business practice for over twenty years, leading much of the Firm’s research in the sector, and was responsible for many of the PwC’s key client relationships.

He provides advice on a range of matters including, growth and development strategies, family and corporate governance, risk management and controls, acquisitions and business combinations.  Paul served as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Centre for Family Business from 2014 to 2018 prior to becoming Chairman in 2021. 

Caroline Coleman Bailey

Premier Growth® Founder and Chief Emotional Officer

As a third-generation member of a global business owning family and following an eighteen-year career in the family business, Caroline pursued her own entrepreneurial spirit. She researched the world of family business and identified her value as a catalyst in her own family launching and chairing her family council.

Combining her professional and personal expertise with her passion for bridging the gap between business and family, Caroline founded Premier Growth, The Business of Family® in 2010. Premier Growth empowers families with modern day solutions to cultivate thriving family legacies by professionalizing the family while personalizing the business.

Caroline serves in various leadership roles and holds a BA in Communications from University of Southern California and an MBA from Sonoma State University. She is author of the book, Rooted In Family: Honoring The Past While Creating Our Future.

Mark T. Green Ph.D.

Mark T. Green is an internationally known family business consultant, speaker, author, educator, and  researcher. Mark leads his own family business consulting firm as well as the Co-founder of the Pacific  Family Business Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in economics and political science, and an M.A. in political economy from the Claremont Graduate School.

His expert counsel is sought by companies throughout the world on family business issues such as  succession, governance, strategy, conflict resolution, and leadership. He teaches executive education  programs, workshops, seminars, and academic courses for family businesses and professionals that serve  family enterprises. He has been quoted in a variety of well-known print and broadcast media, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Forbes. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles for academic journals, book chapters, and book reviews covering topics from family business, entrepreneurship, management, economics, and public policy.

Mark continues and has served on the board of directors for many family businesses and non-profit organizations. He is very active in the arts, music, and civic activities and is the Co-Founder of Make Music Day Salem. He enjoys life in Salem, Oregon, with his wife, Karen, and daughter, Danielle in their own family business RiverCity Rock Star Academy.

GUEST SPEAKERS

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Tom Roche

Roche Family Business, CEO

Tom is a founding Director of NTR plc and Chairman of the Board of Directors. He also holds a number of other directorships.  Tom graduated from Trinity College Dublin with an MA (Economics) degree and holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Kevin O’Connor

Chairman, General Paints Ltd

Kevin O’Connor is Chairman of General Paints, a third-generation family-run business located in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. General Paints is Ireland’s leading independent paint company with brands including Colourtrend and Curator. Kevin read chemistry at Trinity College Dublin and holds an MBA from Arizona State University USA. With over 30 years of experience, Kevin possesses a strong background in the development of family business structures including the establishment of family business boards, succession planning, and family governance structures. Kevin believes in collaboration with peer paint companies, sitting on the Boards of several international coatings industry associations.

Craig Crossley

Craig Crossley is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Central Florida, where he continues to look for ways to bridge research and practice, adding value to the bottom line while educating future generations. Prior to joining UCF, Craig was a senior manager at a Top 100 private company, where he worked directly with executives on company-wide initiatives. A researcher at heart, Craig forged deep partnerships with universities and developed research-based techniques that resulted in multi-million dollar marketing and sales strategies with clients including several Fortune 500 companies. While working in corporate strategy, he led a major culture change initiative around product innovation and implemented a company-wide strategic scorecard. In his role in organizational effectiveness, he helped determine the impact of human capital practices on firm financial performance, aiding pivotal financial decisions during a turbulent economy.

Craig’s focus on substance and real impact has resulted in nine highly competitive industry awards (in areas of Leadership Development, Business Analytics and Organizational Development & Effectiveness), and recognition for his work in Fortune magazine and Leadership Excellence. Prior to his service in corporate America, Craig taught at the University of Nebraska and worked at The Gallup Leadership Institute, where he helped design and evaluate leadership development programs for government and business organizations. He also has provided marketing and management research services for public and private companies. Craig’s research, which centers on leadership, trust and ethics, has been presented at international conferences and published in journals, such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior and Personnel Psychology.

Duration and dates

The programme comprises three one-day modules delivered over the course of three weeks. Each day runs from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm.

The programme has been designed for online delivery and for maximum engagement among participants and faculty.

The programme dates are as follows:
September 26th, October 3rd & 17th.

Fee:

• €4,950 for 2 people
• €7,425 for 3 people
• €9,900 for 4 people

For further information and to apply please contact executive.education@dcu.ie