Family Business Management

“Organizations are living beings—true intelligent organisms. Like all living things, they are conceived before they are born. They emerge from a sixth sense: Intuition. Before a business comes into existence, it has already been ‘dreamed.’ Someone has nurtured its birth within their heart, believing in it with unwavering faith—against all odds, against the judgment of others, and often against themselves, battling and dispelling their own doubts. From the Pyramids to space exploration, every human endeavor is the offspring of a dream. The vastness and brilliance of that dream are the genetic code of the enterprise itself.”

Elio D’Anna – ESE President and Founder

The European School of Economics, in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Family Enterprises “From Father to Son,” directed by Prof. Valter Zocchi , founder of Family Business Office, presents an exclusive Family Business Management Programme. This course is designed to equip future leaders of family-owned businesses with the strategic tools necessary for sustainable success.

Programme Overview

Managing a family business comes with unique challenges that require a deep understanding of business dynamics, governance, and interpersonal relationships. This course provides essential knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of ownership, strategy, and family governance, ensuring long-term business continuity and growth.

Key Topics

Part I: Family, Firm, and Assets – Organization and Strategy in Family Business

• The structural relationship between key elements of a family business
• Economy and efficiency in family companies: synergies and conflicts between family values and business principles
• Strategic orientation: balancing business priorities with family bonds

Part II: The Interconnection Between Strategy, Ownership, and Governance

• Family governance: competition, challenges, and synergies
• Diverging strategic visions: added value vs. limitations
• Value creation and the role of non-working family members
• Corporate governance and business structure

Part III: Family Assets – Strategic Planning, Protection, and Transfer

• Conflicting interests: family ties vs. financial evaluation
• Family planning: key rules and success factors
• Mapping family assets and interests
• Modern family agreements: financial and business considerations

Case Studies

• When and how to transfer leadership within a family business
• When family dynamics lead to business failure
• Managing dramatic family events: death, illness, legal issues, or substance abuse
• The evolving concept of family: single parents, LGBTQ+ families, separated and divorced couples, unmarried partners, second marriages with blended families, interracial and international couples – different challenges and expectations
• The generational transition process
• Power struggles over shares and governance
• Leadership and organizational structure: defining clear roles
• Asset valuation and transfer strategies

Key Learning Outcomes

• Develop a strategic approach to family business management
• Balance business growth with family values and relationships
• Understand corporate governance and ownership structures
• Manage intergenerational transitions effectively
• Learn best practices for protecting and transferring family assets
• Address conflicts, succession planning, and leadership challenges

Additional information

Course Structure 

This course is structured into three parts, delivered over six in-class sessions, each focusing on key aspects of family business organization, strategy, governance, and asset management. There are also testimonials from entrepreneurs from various sectors related to family business in the national and international context.

Who Should Attend?

This programme is ideal for: Successors and future leaders of family businesses, Entrepreneurs managing family-owned companies, Executives and managers involved in family-run enterprises, Professionals and consultants advising family businesses.

Final Project & Certification

Participants will work on a real-world case study, applying course concepts to develop a strategic plan for a family business. 

Upon successful completion, attendees will be awarded the European School of Economics Certificate in Family Business Management.

Dates: May – June 2025

Centre: Florence

Language: English / Italian

Fee: € 600 registration fee + € 4200 course fee

For more information and enrollment details, complete the request form below or contact us at admissions.florence@uniese.it