Leading the Way: Europe’s First Executive MBA for Family Business

Leading the Way: Europe’s First Executive MBA for Family Business LeadersHave you heard about Europe’s first Executive MBA for family business leaders? Not only it is the first-of-its-kind degree program in Europe, but it is also the only Family Business MBA that has been accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the prestigious executive MBA accreditation group.

EDHEC Business School now offers the Family Business Global Executive MBA Program.

The students come from different cultural backgrounds, covering all continents, as diverse as Australia, Tanzania, Egypt, Finland, Venezuela, France, Oman, or Reunion Island. They are all family business members with active experience in their businesses and will become the future leaders.

Students join the program to deepen their knowledge and support their family business as future leaders on key challenges including management, family dynamics, leadership, and governance.

How does it work?

The program is held for 15 months with 10 weeks of physical contact hours spread across the EDHEC business school campus and partnering locations, including Paris, Lille, Nice, London, Singapore, Boston and Palo Alto. This allows a truly enriching experience with world-class professors and speakers balancing the local and international dimensions of the class locations.

Classes are held in diverse formats ranging from classical lectures to workshops, experiential learning, family business visits, expert testimonies and coaching sessions.

Whom does it serve?

The Family Business Global Executive MBA (EMBA) is intended for family business future leaders who want to embark on a transformational learning journey to build their legitimacy in the family business, contribute to maintaining family cohesion and responsible ownership practices and business sustainability.

Both members of the family controlling the business and outsiders working in key positions in the family business are eligible for the program.

How can I learn more?

For more information, you can click through to

David Bork Writes Forward for MAPS for Men Book, a Must-Have Resource for any Family Business

David Bork Writes Forward for MAPS for Men BookDavid Bork is proud to have contributed the forward for the book, MAPS for Men: A Guide for Fathers and Sons and Family Businesses.

New York Times best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio show host Dave Ramsey calls this important book “a must-have resource for any and every family business.”

In his forward for MAPS for Men, David Bork, founder and CEO of Family Business Matters, writes: “These concepts help fathers and sons reframe their relationship into something that is more meaningful and helpful in meeting their goals, rather than repeating generational patterns.“

David recommends this book to fathers and sons seeking to better understand their personal and professional relationship.

Full text of MAPS for Men Forward by David Bork

In the interest of full disclosure, Edgell Franklin Pyles has been a good friend for more than twenty-five years, and we share a large community of interests. In the early 90s, we explored together the works of Robert Moore, James Millman, Robert Bly, and others. I met both Robert Moore and Robert Bly at a retreat in Aspen, Colorado, organized and sponsored by Edgell.

This was called the men’s movement, and we were excited about it because it sought to further define what it meant to be a man at the end of the twentieth century. It was grounded in Jungian psychology, and while well researched and articulated, it could be theoretical and esoteric. Our explorations of this work produced a practical approach and we have been on parallel, but different, paths.

We were interested in understanding the dynamics that take place between fathers and sons at both the personal and professional level. Our first step was to comprehend and appreciate the relationship we had with our […]

What it Takes For a Family Business to Be Successful

business-successA successful family business must be poised to prosper for many generations to come. A quick list of necessary items needed to create a successful family business include: alignment on important matters, a shared vision for the company, a detailed action plan, a family constitution, a shareholder agreement, a responsible owner and an official employment policy.

The Importance of Trust in Family Business

trust_fallTrust in family business is a critical issue. Strong relationships which are based on trust and communication build equality and respect - not power and control. Trust can be built, measured, tested and repaired. It is a way of reducing uncertainty in interpersonal and organizational settings and is necessary for cohesive and productive professional relationships.

Dispute Resolution in Family Business

Dispute ResolutionDisputes can cause major disruptions within a family business and even spell an end to the business if not handled effectively. This is exactly why learning how to facilitate dispute resolution in family business is vital. The development of a shareholder agreement can prove to be invaluable in resolving differences and protecting a family business from making destructive decisions.

How to Build Positive Working Relationships

Postive Work RelationshipsLearning how to build positive working relationships is essential in a family business. Positive relationships are a factor in the success of the business and in the level of satisfaction at work. To build good working relationships in a family business, employees of the business must be proactive in making social investments in one another.

Social Support – Your Greatest Asset in Family Business

Social InvestmentThe strength of social relationships and strong ties to their manager can distinguish the happiest employees from everyone else. Family business support can be the greatest asset of a family business. Workers who believe their supervisor cares about them as people are oftentimes more productive and more likely to stay with a company long-term.

Family Bonding Improves Family Business Success

Family BondingPositive bonding within families is a critical factor in the long-term achievement of the family as well as the family business. Families that have a culture of love and support ultimately lead to more successful working relationships and family business success. Social investment and bonding in the family business is an invaluable factor.

Consensus Decision-Making in Family Business

Strategic business decision making is related to consensus decision making in family business. Families that use a strategic business decision making process are committed to discussing issues until there is full agreement to move forward and implement a decision. If a family is committed to working together for the long term, it is best to embrace this model.

Talking Business & Values at Family Firm Institute’s Annual Conference

I was privileged to be a featured speaker at Family Firm Institute’s 26th Annual Conference in Brussels, Belgium this month.  This was my twenty-third year presenting at the Global Conferences of the Family Firm Institute (FFI)!  Throughout my career, I’ve always enjoyed connecting with audiences through these speaking engagements.

I presented my session with Dennis Passis, owner of Gate Enterprises Inc., a mid-sized family business.  Passis and I met at last year’s conference and our conversations about professional orientation led to the joint presentation.  Our talk, “What Informs Your Work with Family Business?,” resulted in a lively, 60-minute interactive session with the audience.

Jesus Casado, FFI Board member, said, "This was the best session in the entire conference!"

During our session with the audience, we spoke about how the values and fundamental beliefs of family business counselors provide the foundation for their work with family business clients.  We discussed how those beliefs set the quality and tone for client-consultant engagement and become a determining factor in creating successful outcomes for the family business.

Thank you to Family Firm Institute for once again bringing together such an interesting group of experts, as well as owners and members of family businesses from around the world!

Does Your Family Business Need Help?

Family Business Matters has extensive experience assisting family businesses. With many decades of experience, we understand the wide variety of challenges that families face as they work together to build, grow and sustain a thriving family business generation after generation. Through conferences, continuing education programs, family business retreats, speaking engagements and private family business consulting services, Family Business Matters has assisted more than 450 family-owned businesses around the world chart their way through family business issues of all shapes and sizes.

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