Family businesses represent a unique and dynamic intersection of personal legacy, values, and enterprise. At Stranberg, we view these organizations through three primary models: family-operated companies, family-governed companies, and family offices. These models reflect the evolution of family enterprises as they grow in value, complexity, and scale. By aligning talent strategy with the specific context in which the family operates, we ensure the right leadership is in place to meet their unique challenges and aspirations.
Family-Operated Companies
Family-operated businesses are those where family members serve as both principals and key employees, often including founders. In these enterprises, the operations of the business are deeply personal to the family. The decisions made here are not purely financial or strategic—they carry emotional weight, reflecting the family’s identity and purpose.
Talent considerations for family-operated companies must balance the industry’s demands with the unique dynamics of family involvement. Each family member’s role, aspirations, and perspective on the business must be taken into account, but always with a clear prioritization of the business’s strategic needs. At Stranberg, we focus the conversation on qualifications, ensuring that the leadership serves the company’s mission and long-term viability. Family aspirations, while important, come second to sustaining the business’s success.
Family-Governed Companies
In family-governed companies, the family no longer operates the business directly but remains actively involved in governance. Here, the business is often seen as more than a financial asset—it is an extension of the family’s identity and values. The story of the business is inseparable from the family’s legacy, and this deeply personal connection shapes decision-making at every level.
Leadership in family-governed companies requires more than technical expertise; it demands a nuanced understanding of the family’s values and the personal nature of the enterprise. At Stranberg, we seek leaders who not only excel operationally but also respect and embody the family’s vision, ensuring that governance aligns with both the strategic needs of the company and the principles that define the family.
Family Offices
Unlike many consultants who view family offices primarily through the lens of wealth, Stranberg sees them as organs of family enterprise, serving the aspirations and broader needs of the family. Family offices address a wide range of functions, from investment management to estate planning, trust administration, tax strategy, philanthropy, and more. They often serve as the connective tissue that supports the family’s long-term vision, as well as financial and personal objectives.
Family offices may exist as standalone entities, multifamily offices, or as embedded operations within an operating company. Regardless of their structure, their purpose remains the same: to serve the family’s needs while reflecting its values and strategic focus. Talent considerations in family offices must align with the family’s goals, requiring leaders who excel in managing complexity while maintaining confidentiality, discretion, and a commitment to service.
The Nesting Doll Model
These three models—family-operated companies, family-governed companies, and family offices—function like nesting dolls, evolving as the family business grows in size, value, and complexity. Early in a family business’s lifecycle, operations and governance are often intertwined. Over time, as the family grows and diversifies, governance structures evolve, and the family’s needs expand to include estate planning, philanthropy, and long-term asset management. This evolution necessitates increasingly sophisticated systems to support the family and its business.
At Stranberg, we recognize that no two family enterprises are the same. By understanding the specific context in which the family operates—whether as operators, governors, or stewards of wealth—we tailor talent strategies that respect the family’s legacy, align with their values, and ensure the organization’s success. Our approach prioritizes not just the technical needs of the business but also the personal and emotional dimensions that make family enterprises unique.
Family businesses are as much about people as they are about profits. At Stranberg, we honor this reality by helping families align their talent strategy with their evolving needs, ensuring their legacy endures across generations.
For more information about our CEO succession planning and executive search services, contact us.
תגובות