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Families embrace sustainable ESG investing as a business opportunity and a family value

September 26, 2021

Family principals engaged in sustainable investing welcome the rising interest among private wealth holders in investing to tackle the climate crisis, but some warn real world action must follow and insist families can take the lead in positive change.

Some families said they see environmentally sustainable investing as a way for private and public investors to collaborate. Others see the discipline as a core family business value, or as part of a broader trend in environmental, social and governance investing over centuries.

Chinese wealthy turn to family offices for next generation succession planning

September 17, 2021

More resilient first-generation wealth holders in China, lagging behind global peers in formalising their inheritance plans, are opening family offices to train and support their solitary “ill-equipped” next generation successors in wealth preservation, investments and philanthropy.

Families ramp up sustainable and impact investments in response to Covid-19 and climate change

September 15, 2021

Wealthy families, foundations and individuals with an estimated total net worth of $328 billion are accelerating their interests in sustainable and impact investing to an unprecedented level, propelled by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate crisis.

An overwhelming majority surveyed by Campden Wealth in 2021 said the transition to net-zero emission was the “greatest commercial opportunity of our age”. Investors were aligning their portfolios with their climate-conscious commitments and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

ESG engagement over exclusion: How you can do well by doing good

August 19, 2021

Floods in Europe, forest fires in North America and Australia—the impact and tragic results of climate change are starting to dominate the news.

Floods in Europe, forest fires in North America and Australia—the impact and tragic results of climate change are starting to dominate the news.

The actions taken by governments, companies and individuals in the next decade will be crucial if we are to limit the rise in global temperatures. The option of doing nothing has now passed, not just for the environment, but for companies and investors too.

How Flanders injects the life sciences and medical world with innovative tech

August 16, 2021

For an innovative investment to pay off, the pieces of the research and development puzzle need to fall into place perfectly—especially in life sciences and MedTech.

For an innovative investment to pay off, the pieces of the research and development puzzle need to fall into place perfectly—especially in life sciences and MedTech.

In Flanders, the northern region of Belgium, you’ll find all the required ingredients: companies that adapt quickly and work together, academic institutions and research centres that support the ambitions of entrepreneurs, government agencies that think with and support the world of business in a hands-on way. It’s all available in a compact and dense knowledge network.

The mental wellbeing of next generation entrepreneurs

August 11, 2021

There has been a growing focus on mental health and work—but this has been restricted to startups and mental health in the workplace. We have conversations about employee wellbeing, but not about the health of the leader of the enterprise, or the next generation entrepreneur.

This is an important question to explore because it affects not only individual wellbeing, but also could affect the way business is conducted and may cascade down to employees.

How to structure effective family business communication

July 29, 2021

The most basic and perhaps most ultimately effective strategy for leaders dealing with the challenges of family business is to plan, create and maintain effective communication practices.

The most basic and perhaps most ultimately effective strategy for leaders dealing with the challenges of family business is to plan, create and maintain effective communication practices.

As family business member and consultant Vernon Holleman puts it: “Communication is critical. Honest, regular communication about where the business is, how it’s doing, how it’s sort of being run and operated.

Unravelling the mechanisms of how ‘tech makes Flanders tick’

July 27, 2021

Say Flanders, think research and technology. Belgium’s northern region is a well-known beacon of innovation. Its companies, research centres and knowledge institutions are at the basis of ground-breaking solutions in niches like digital, health and climate tech.

Through its worldwide Science and Technology Offices, Flanders Investment and Trade helps Flanders build bridges of knowhow and innovative strength across the globe—and you can reap the rewards, too.

Do most family businesses really fail by the third generation?

July 22, 2021

Many articles or speeches about family businesses include a reference to the “three-generation rule,” which says that most don’t survive beyond three generations. But that perception could not be further from the truth.

If you’re a fan of the HBO show Succession, or if you’re aware of the conflicts playing out publicly and perennially among some of the most visible family businesses in the world—think the Murdochs or Sumner Redstone’s family—you might assume that family businesses are more fragile than other forms of enterprise.

Considerations for family businesses recruiting a non-executive director

July 21, 2021

Why should a family business recruit non-family talent, and in particular a non-executive director? The answer lies in three areas—fresh perspectives and breadth of experience, independent oversight and constructive challenge, and performance.

Why should a family business recruit non-family talent, and in particular a non-executive director (NED)? The answer lies in three areas—fresh perspectives and breadth of experience, independent oversight and constructive challenge, and performance.

Independent research commissioned by the Institute of Directors found that the NED contribution added value to the firm with most believing the NED role improved profitability.