An overwhelming majority of enterprises within every national economy are family-owned and managed. These businesses are among the most important building blocks of every nation’s economy and a critical pillar of the society. In a 2017 publication by Credit Suisse Research Institute titled the CS Family 1000, it is reported that the majority of almost 1,000 family-owned companies globally included in their database are located in Asia: China (#1), India (#3), Hong Kong (#5), Korea (#6), Malaysia (#7), Thailand (#8), Indonesia (#9), Philippines (#11), Taiwan (#14), Singapore (#17), and Japan (#19). 

The spectrum of family businesses ranges from multinational giants to the corner grocery stores, from artisan to high-tech businesses, from start-ups to those that have passed onto succeeding generations. The variety is enormous, but they share one core defining characteristic: they are connected to a family. This connection results in the intertwining of three dynamic systems, ownership, family and business. The success or failure of a family business affects not just the business and its stakeholders, but also the welfare of the family involved. 

This 4-day program is designed to equip those involved in family businesses, whether as owners, family members, or employees, to think more clearly about themselves and the business, and to better manage its complex dynamics and relationships for resilience and long-term sustainability of the business. 

The program will share insights into generational vicissitudes, particularly from Asian perspectives, arising from cultural, ideological, and historical realities in the families. The program also seeks to address the process of continuity and succession, and the relevant considerations for owners in their choice of structures and jurisdictions available to facilitate ownership succession. Professionals and service providers serving within the landscape of family business will similarly benefit from understanding these unique dynamics of family business.