Family Firm Institute Podcast

In this episode, we explore the origins and evolution of Family Business Review—the leading academic journal in the family enterprise field. Join early editors Ivan Lansberg, Kelin Gersick, and Joe Astrachan as they reflect on how the journal grew from an idea into a globally respected publication. The conversation highlights the challenges of establishing legitimacy for a new field, building an interdisciplinary community, and bridging the gap between academic research and real-world practice. The panel also discusses how the field has evolved—from early experiential insights to today’s data-driven research—and what the future of scholarly publishing may look like in an era shaped by artificial intelligence.

In this episode of the FFI Practitioner Podcast, we speak with Christopher Gibson, FFI’s 2086 Scholar in Residence, about the evolving world of mediation, arbitration, and legal education. Christopher discusses the growing role of AI in dispute resolution, and how lawyers can help family enterprise clients in an increasingly uncertain world. We also explore how legal education is shifting from traditional Socratic teaching toward skills-based learning, including contract drafting, simulations, problem-solving, and using AI effectively. A timely conversation on managing risk, exercising control, and guiding families through complexity across generations.

Today’s FFI Practitioner features a podcast on “Technology, Family Offices, and Investing for the Future” with Aaron Vaccaro, president of Singularity. In his conversation with interviewer Jordan Rich, Aaron discusses exponential technologies and their importance to the success of multi-generational family enterprises. His colleague, Rob Nail, entrepreneur, coach, and former CEO of Singularity, will open the FFI conference on October 29 with a keynote presentation on “Exponential Thinking and the Multi-Generational Family Enterprise: Innovation, Technology, and the Future.” Since taking the role of president for Singularity in 2023, Aaron Vaccaro has led the management team in executing Singularity’s mission of educating, inspiring, and empowering leaders to create breakthroughs powered by exponential technology. Prior to joining Singularity, Aaron was Vice President at WestRiver Group, a global innovation investment platform and the lead investor in Singularity since 2016, where he remains an operating partner.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with guests Jamie Yuenger from StoryKeep and Lisabeth “Betsy” Sugahara from Fairfield-Maxwell Ltd. They discuss the power of story and how it can have positive impacts on family businesses, including improved family dynamics and wider support of business decisions. Jamie Yuenger is founder of Storykeep, which creates private films and podcasts with individuals and families to connect their current and future generations through the power of story. After training as a folklorist, worked in broadcast journalism, including as assistant producer at WNYC. Lisabeth Sugahara is an owner of Fairfield-Maxwell Ltd, a private investment firm focused primarily on family businesses with like values and priorities.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Mary Duke, Aik-Ping Ng, and Peter Vogel, about the future of family offices worldwide. They discuss the necessity of integrating financial, human, and social capital, and the importance of long-term relationships and generational bridging in family office advising. Mary Duke, FFI Fellow, is an internationally recognized advisor to families navigating the complexities of substantial wealth. She focuses on empowering rising generations and on helping families adopt the practices and behaviors that foster individual growth and make family collaboration more effective and rewarding. She can be reached at [email protected]. Aik-Ping Ng, ACFBA/CFWA, is managing director and head of Family Office Advisory Asia Pacific at HSBC Private Bank. With twenty-two years of experience in private equity, corporate finance, and wealth management, he advises UHNW families on legacy planning. He can be reached at [email protected]. Peter Vogel, PhD, is professor of family business and entrepreneurship at IMD Business School. An expert on family enterprises, he leads IMD’s work in this field as director of the IMD Global Family Business Center and Debiopharm Chair in Family Philanthropy. He can be reached at [email protected].

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Dr. Kris Verburgh, who presented the keynote at the 2019 Global Conference. In today’s interview, Dr. Verburgh discusses the advancements in longevity research since his 2019 keynote, highlighting significant investments to address aging-related diseases. He also explores the ways in which a shift towards an ageless society would affect family businesses, investment strategies, and societal organization. Dr. Verburgh’s colleague Robert Nail will present the opening keynote at the 2025 Global Conference, entitled “Exponential Thinking in the Multi- Generational Family Enterprise: Innovation, Technology, and the Future.” Kris Verburgh, MD, is an inventor, author, investor, researcher, and medical doctor specializing in aging, longevity, and the future of medicine and biotechnology. Dr. Verburgh is a partner and head of science at the BOLD Longevity Growth Fund and a researcher at the Free University of Brussels. He is an expert in the future of medicine and longevity at Singularity University, an FFI organizational member, and he is a member of the FFI IberoAmérica Virtual Study Group.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Sir Andrew Likierman, 2025 recipient of the 2086 Society’s FFI Scholar-in-Residence grant. In today’s podcast, Sir Andrew Likierman discusses the complexities of performance management in family enterprises. He emphasizes the importance of having a common framework for success that aligns with the family’s objectives, the significance of integrating individual performance with the enterprise’s overall strategy, and the necessity for family enterprise advisors and practitioners to adopt a consistent and coherent set of performance measures to ensure clarity and alignment within the organization.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Sasha Lund, Jessica McGawley, and Larisa Miller, discussing a recently published Special Report from Globe Law and Business publisher: “The Rising Role of Women in Family Offices and Family Businesses.” Sasha, the report’s consulting editor, and Jessica and Larisa, two contributors to the report, discuss the report’s findings and how they are illustrated through their own careers. Podcast listeners can receive a 20% discount on the report by ordering it on the Globe Law and Business website and using the code FFI20 at checkout: https://www.globelawandbusiness.com/special-reports/the-rising-role-of-women-in-family-offices-and-family-businesses

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with H.R.H Princess Nandi Zulu, a distinguished member of the Zulu Royal Family, who is part of the 2086 Society’s grant to the Nomadic School of Business. In this podcast, Princess Nandi discusses her rich cultural heritage that is deeply rooted in the Zulu traditions, her view of wealth and legacy, and her philanthropic work as head of the Princess Nandi Zulu Foundation. This podcast is presented by this year’s 2086 Society grant recipient, the Nomadic School of Business.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to share a conversation with science writer Dava Sobel, who is delivering the opening keynote at the 2024 FFI Global Conference, entitled “What Time Tells Us: A Lecture on the Theme of Time, from John Harrison’s Sea Clocks to the Half-Lives of Marie Curie’s Radioelements.” In conversation with podcast host Jordan Rich, Sobel discusses her new book,The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science, her prior books on Galileo and John Harrison, and the role of women in science.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to share a conversation with Sir Andrew Likierman, Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School, who is delivering the closing keynote at the 2024 FFI Global Conference, entitled “So What Do I Do Now? Better Judgments in the Family Firm.” In conversation with podcast host Jordan Rich, Likierman discusses the crucial role of developing good judgment for both family enterprises and their advisors.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Basma Al Zamil and Bob Kohli for a conversation on family enterprises and family enterprise consulting in Saudi Arabia. In this podcast, Bob and Basma discuss the evolution of family enterprises in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region since the 1960s, the current focus on the implementation of governance, and suggestions for advisors new to the region.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with “warrior monk” Krishna Thapa, continuing our quarterly series on the 2024 conference theme “Mean Time: Time, Timing, and Timelessness in Family Enterprise.” Krishna, born in Nepal, was one of the first members of the Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) to become a member of the British Special Air Service (SAS). A mountaineer and mental health advocate, Krishna has led summit teams up Mount Everest and K2. In this podcast, Krishna discusses his mission of “enlightenment through adversity” and his view of wealth and legacy. This podcast is presented by this year’s 2086 Society grant recipient, the Nomadic School of Business.

In this FFI Practitioner podcast Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof, and Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, licensed family therapist and founding principal of Drayson Mews, discuss current perspectives on addiction and mental health treatment. Their conversation addresses the concerns of enterprising and ultra-high-net-worth families seeking treatment and how their advisors can best guide their clients.

In this FFI Practitioner podcast, three marathon runners explore how time, discipline, generational pulls, and much more play out when running a race. Today’s conversation also observes on how these characteristics exhibit themselves in the timing of activities, decisions, and emotional dynamics in a multi-generational family enterprise. Thanks to FFI Fellows Henry Krasnow and Carlo Salvato, and to Allison Krasnow, a next gen who started her father’s running career, for participating in this podcast.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Emmanuel Mankura, Maasai tribe elder and cultural ambassador. This podcast is the first in a series of four interviews presented by this year’s 2086 Society grant recipient, the Nomadic School of Business. In this podcast, Emmanuel shares insights into the ancient wisdom of the Maasai people as it relates to some of the classic FFI topics such as succession, transition, cross-cultural understanding, transcending borders, and more.

Show notes: FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Christina Wing, founder of Wingspan Legacy Partners, a family business and family office advisory firm. In this podcast, Christina discusses governance for family philanthropy, social impact investing as a strategy for rising-generation leaders, and the importance of treating foundations as family businesses that require governance.

We conclude our January series on Time with a podcast conversation with Anthony Willoughby, founder of the Nomadic School of Business, and Doutzen Groothof, a Dutch sociologist and coach who lives in Rwanda. She is the founder of StandTall, a boutique coaching and consulting enterprise. We hope this podcast is, well, timely, and will inspire you to think a bit more about “timelessness” as it applies to family enterprise consulting and research. The Nomadic School of Business is the 2024 recipient of the 2086 Society’s annual grant, which will feature inspiring participants who have, and continue to have, nomadic characteristics and values, encompassing and embracing new environments and cultures, challenging themselves to continuously learn and grow.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast conversation with Jason Jay, 2023 FFI Scholar-in-Residence, Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan, and John Davis, chairman and founder of the Cambridge Family Enterprise Group, Senior Lecturer in Family Enterprise at MIT Sloan, and a founding member of the FFI 2086 Society. In this podcast, Jason and John discuss Jason’s year of researching and discussing systemic investing with the FFI community.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast discussion with Neus Feliu, the recipient of the 2023 Richard Beckhard Practice Award. The Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of multi-generational family enterprise practice.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast discussion with Doug Baumoel, the recipient of the 2023 FFI Interdisciplinary Award. In Doug’s conversation with Jordan Rich, he reflects on the history of his own family’s enterprise, conflict resolution, and thinking like an engineer.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature a podcast discussion with Claudia Astrachan, Anneleen Michiels, and Randy Waesche. In their conversation, they discuss the topic of their session at the upcoming FFI Global Conference, “Incentive, Punishment, Reward, Control: The Many Misunderstood and Underexplored Manifestations of Money in the Business Family.”    

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite Adam Ifshin, CEO of DLC Management, and Rocki-Lee DeWitt, Professor of Management in the Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont to the podcast. In their conversation, they discuss the topic of their session at the upcoming FFI Global Conference, “Evolving the Entrepreneurial Culture in a Changing Talent Landscape.”

FFI on Friday is pleased to feature Grace Lordan, Associate Professor of behavioral science and Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative at the London School of Economics, in this wide-ranging conversation about the future of work, including pay equity and the possibilities of AI. She is delivering the closing keynote at the FFI Global Conference in October, “Women and the Future of Work: Within and without the multi-generational family.”

FFI on Friday is pleased to feature Barnet Schecter, an independent historian whose books include “The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution.” He is delivering a keynote at the FFI Global Conference in October, entitled “It’s A Family Affair: Conquering New York, from Revolution to Rising Seas.”

The FFI Practitioner podcast is pleased to host Doug Gray, PhD, discussing the field of positive psychology and how its research findings can help family business advisors with their clients. Doug Gray, PhD, is a consultant with the Family Business Consulting Group, co-founder of Assess Next Gen, LLC, and CEO of Action Learning Associates, LLC, as well as an author, speaker, researcher, and FFI member. He has worked with over 10,000 leaders in multiple business sectors, schools and colleges, families and non-profits. He is the author of Objectives + Key Results (OKR) Leadership; How to Apply Silicon Valley’s Secret Sauce to Your Career, Team or Organization.

The FFI Practitioner podcast is pleased to host GEN Faculty member and FFI Fellow Francesco Barbera, discussing heterogeneity among family firms. This discussion uses as its launching point the FFI GEN course 501, “Evidence-Based Advising: Using Research to Empower Family Enterprises.” Francesco Barbera, PhD, FFI Fellow, is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at The Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. The recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Reviewer for Family Business Review and co-recipient of the 2019 FBR Best Article Award, he researches a wide range of economic issues applied to family business and entrepreneurship.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to host a conversation with GEN Faculty member and FFI Fellow Dennis Jaffe, Marta Widz, and Hakim Benbadra, to discuss models for managing conflict in enterprise families. This discussion uses as its launching point the FFI GEN course 502, “Evolving Family Enterprise Governance: Right-Fitting Governance Across Generations.” Dennis Jaffe, PhD, FFI Fellow, is a professor emeritus of organizational systems and psychology at Saybrook University and is currently Senior Research Fellow at BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors. A recipient of the FFI Richard Beckhard Practice Award and of the FFI International Award, Dennis has published and presented widely in the field of family enterprise. Marta Widz, PhD, is a member of FFI, IFERA, and AOM and was co-chair of the 2020 FFI global conference program committee. A specialist in governance, sustainability, and family offices, she has worked with large, global, and multigenerational family businesses. She is currently working with family offices at the Wealth Management Institute in Singapore. Hakim Benbadra, ACFBA, is the VIP and Family Business Director of the Africa CEO Forum. He has an in-depth knowledge of the issues at the heart of African family businesses. Hakim works closely with owners and CEOs of family businesses across Africa supporting them in their development. He organizes events and programs dedicated to family entrepreneurs such as the Family Business Summit. For a transcript, click here.

For this week’s FFI Practitioner podcast, we are pleased to feature Pilar Marques, Associate Professor of Strategy and Family Business at the University of Girona in Spain. She is the first author of the September 2022 Family Business Review article “A Family Imprinting Approach to Nurturing Willing Successors: Evidence from Centennial Family Firms.” Family Business Review was the first scholarly journal to be published in the field of family enterprise and is part of the Research branch of FFI.

This week’s FFI Practitioner podcast concludes our series of interviews with presenters from this year’s FFI Global Conference. In this conversation, Camille Korschun and Erik Wetter, both from the Stockholm School of Economics, discuss the unique attributes of family offices that make them well-suited to engage in impact investing. Camille and Erik also share lessons that advisors from around the world can learn from their research on Nordic family offices.

This week’s FFI Practitioner podcast, which continues our series of interviews from the FFI Global Conference speakers, is a conversation with Maria Sinanis of Cambridge Family Enterprise Group. At the 2022 FFI Global Conference, she presented the session “How Does an Aging Society Disrupt Enterprising Families?”

For this week’s edition, FFI Practitioner is pleased to feature Andrew Gersick, a Visiting Researcher and Lecturer in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University and a Researcher in Computer Science at San Diego State University. At the 2022 FFI Global Conference, he and his father, Kelin Gersick of Lansberg Gersick Advisors, co-presented the session “The Demographics of Evolutionary Behavior: Exploring the essential ‘humanness’ of family enterprise leadership and continuity.”

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite Jon Quinn, Deputy Director at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, to discuss the factors contributing to the rising generation’s philanthropic goals and decisions. In recent years, the Covid-19 pandemic, a worldwide reckoning with racial injustice, and increased political polarization have transformed the dynamics of “next-generation philanthropy.”

FFI Practitioner is pleased to host Jason Jay, Senior Lecturer and Director of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. Dr. Jay is presenting a keynote at the FFI Global Conference, entitled “Creating Climate Futures: Business in a changing world.”

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite Robert Randolph to discuss his upcoming Family Business Review article, “When Family Business Meets Social Enterprise: An Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda,” cowritten with Benjamin Alexander, Kristen Madison, and Francesco Barbera. Dr. Randolph, assistant professor of family business management at Kennesaw State University, discusses the connections and the research gaps that emerge when social enterprise research and family business research are reviewed together. Topics include • the different strategies that family enterprises employ to address social goals • how advisors and families can interpret social goals as being goals of economic resilience and renewal, rather than non-economic goals • considering the significance of the family/community relationship • the role of practitioners in considering where family-centered and community-centered value is being created in the enterprise

FFI Practitioner is pleased to host a conversation with family enterprise advisors Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer, both from BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors and co-authors of the article “Do Most Family Businesses Really Fail by the Third Generation?” published in Harvard Business Review last year.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to host a discussion with Anneleen Michiels, Isabel Botero, and Roland Kidwell, discussing their article, “Toward a Family Science Perspective on Executive Compensation in Family Firms: A Review and Research Agenda,” published in the March 2022 issue of Family Business Review.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to present an interview with Mark Stevenson and FFI Board chair Debbie Bing. Mark Stevenson is the 2021 recipient of the 2086 Society Applied Research grant as the 2022 FFI Futurenaut-in-Residence. In this week’s podcast, Mark and Debbie discuss Mark’s role as Futurenaut-in-Residence, the important roles in environmental sustainability that are available to family enterprises and practitioners, and how to truly change minds. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to introduce Christian Stewart, founder of Family Legacy Asia and the 2021 recipient of the Interdisciplinary Award. In this week’s podcast, Mr. Stewart, in conversation with Jordan Rich, discusses family governance, family learning and development, and the emerging role of a “Chief Learning Officer” in the family office field, among other topics. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

In this week’s podcast, FFI Practitioner is pleased to introduce Kathy Wiseman, the 2021 recipient of the Richard Beckhard Practice Award. Ms. Wiseman, in conversation with Jordan Rich, reflects on her memories of Richard Beckhard, the founding years of FFI, and her evolving practice as an observer of dynamic systems. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to host a discussion with Rania Labaki, Wendy Ulaszek, and Christopher Robichaud, introducing their upcoming FFI Global Conference seminar, “Managing Ethical Dilemmas in Family Business.” They address the effects of such ethical dilemmas, the difference between a family’s aspirational values and descriptive values, the benefits of educational initiatives within the business family, and other important topics. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite FFI Fellow Patricia Angus to discuss her most recent book, The Beneficiary Primer: A guide for beneficiaries of family trusts. The Beneficiary Primer is a crucial, succinct resource for beneficiaries, trustees, advisors, and other practitioners to navigate, administer, and benefit from trusts. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite Arnaud de Coninck, Trusted Family’s Global Head of Partnerships, to discuss how advisors can make the best use of technology in serving their family enterprise clients more effectively. His conversation with Jordan Rich covers cybersecurity, data management, and how more efficient communication methods translate into better governance and communication throughout the family unit, stakeholders, and advisors. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite FFI Fellow Patricia Annino to discuss her experience guiding business families and families of wealth through legacy and estate planning. Patricia Annino is an attorney with Rimôn, P.C. in Boston. She is a former member of the FFI board of directors, a founding member of the 2086 Society, and a frequent contributor to FFI Practitioner. Her most recent book is Power, Strength & Perseverance: What women know about other women, but search for in themselves. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to invite Julien Lescs to discuss his research. In this week’s podcast, Jordan Rich interviews Julien Lescs, family office advisor and co-founder of Kanopé Impact, about his research on psychodynamics and its impact on family offices and family governance. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

Sincere thanks to G. Tyge Payne for this podcast discussing the future of academic research in the family enterprise world. Tyge has been the editor of Family Business Review (FBR) since 2018 and will end his term on December 31, 2020.  To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

This week concludes our series of podcasts featuring interviews with the 2020 FFI Achievement Award recipients. Thank you to Jordan Rich and Kathryn McCarthy, the recipient of the Richard Beckhard Practice Award, for this podcast, in which Kathryn reflects on what it means to receive the award and on the evolving role of family offices. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

This week we continue our series of podcast interviews with the recipients of the 2020 FFI Achievement Awards by featuring this year’s International Award recipient, the Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices (STEP) Project. In this podcast, Jordan Rich interviews Andrea Calabrò, the STEP academic director about the STEP Project’s family enterprise research initiatives and their international focus and application. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

We are pleased to continue our series of podcasts featuring interviews with the 2020 FFI Achievement Award recipients. In this week’s podcast, Andrew Hier, the recipient of the Interdisciplinary Award, reflects on the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to family enterprise advising and how his own background as an attorney has contributed to his current advisory skills. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.

FFI Practitioner is pleased to introduce a series of podcasts featuring interviews with the 2020 FFI Achievement Award recipients. In this week’s podcast, Jordan Rich interviews Rania Labaki, the recipient of the Barbara Hollander Award, about her experience in the field and the current state of family enterprise advising. To learn more about the Family Firm Institute go to www.ffi.org.