While each family is unique, our clients share a desire to remain united around joint economic interests and a shared family purpose.

The families we assist hail from all over the globe. Most own companies that range from growing first-generation businesses to multi-generational, multi-billion dollar, and multi-national enterprises with hundreds of family owners and perhaps also public shareholders. Their businesses are of any size, any generation, and from any industry. Often our client families have significant wealth, family offices, and philanthropic foundations. Some families that we assist have sold their operating business and manage financial assets, entrepreneurial ventures, and other activities.

A family could seek our advisory or educational assistance for any aspect of their family enterprise and at any stage in their journey, as they face complex challenges such as these:

  • Families that seek the perpetuation of their legacy for another generation, and are navigating or will soon navigate a generational transition of leadership, ownership, financial assets, and other parts of their enterprise
  • Families that seek to formalize and professionalize the business, board, family office, philanthropic foundation, ownership group, or family
  • Families that need assistance in identifying their shared family purpose and strengthening their family unity
  • Families that seek  assistance regarding their philanthropic or social impact mission and organization
  • Families that are preparing the next generation for future roles in the family enterprise, whether as managers, board members, owners, entrepreneurs, or for other roles
  • Families that are navigating how to raise responsible and motivated children in affluence
  • Families that seek a business strategy which is compatible with the family's and owners' goals and values
  • Families whose operating companies have plateaued, are underperforming or are in declining industries or markets
  • Families that wish to change the ownership structure of the family business, such as going public, going private or seeking external capital
  • Families that wish to meet the needs of the owners through liquidity, a dividend policy, a shareholder agreement, an ownership strategy, or training of new owners
  • Families that face challenges around the entry or underperformance of family employees, family board members, or family owners
  • Families that face internal conflict or tensions which need objective, third-party facilitation to resolve
  • Families that are unsure whether to remain together in business and are considering a buyout of relatives or sale of the family business
  • Families that have sold their operating company and are navigating a new identity, redefined goals, and a wealth management strategy
  • Families that seek to improve the effectiveness of any aspect of their family enterprise such as their asset growth, talent, unity, governance, leadership, management, ownership, philanthropic activities or family office
  • Families that seek to learn the ingredients of long-term family and family enterprise success, to measure how they are performing today, and learn how to position themselves for the future

 

Cambridge Institute for Family Enterprise also serves organizations by providing education, speakers, advising, publications, and research results to:

  • Financial institutions, professional organizations, supplier companies, and trade associations that seek customized education and specialized advising for their family enterprise and affluent clients, distributors, or members
  • Academic institutions and conference organizations that seek speakers at their events and thought leaders to advance the study of family enterprise