Leading with Head 📈 & Heart ❤️
Kicking off the #DealmakersConferenceChicago.
Great panel to start the conference. Leading with Head & Heart: Achieving the Most Successful Outcomes in M&A
Some of my take-a-ways from the panel:
Bill George, CEO WHC Worldwide and zTrip – great ideas on how to harness data to target drivers for his business. A spend of $1800 to generate 10,000 applicants.
Richard J. Wolkowitz, Founder at Xylogenesis® | Family Office Advisory – Just as a business will have a strategic plan so too a family business should a plan to drive alignment and family culture. 3 core issues for family businesses that decisions should drive:
1. Durable family harmony
2. Prosperity
3. Operational excellence
Mary DiChristofano, Managing Director at Graystone Consulting from Morgan Stanley - Advocates for creating space for all family member in decision making. In her role she sees that her team needs technical expertise and empathy to help family owners deal with the feelings of loss of control during transitons and change.
Ethan Rigel, Managing Partner at Gore Range Capital – Remember to consider the issue of identity. While Ethan is not active in the business, his sister and brother are. Transitions affect everybody’s sense of identity.
Saber Ammori, founder and CEO at Wireless Vision – stressed the importance of culture. He also shared impacts that changing of ownership had on this father and his sons.
Matthew Gurwin from Graystone Consulting from Morgan Stanley - great job moderating and extracting strong points from the panelists.
Conclusion: You need left brain (logic and business skills) and right brain (empathy and emotional intelligence) to achieve the most successful outcomes in liquidity events. And family businesses with their leading generations, next generation, and future generations add complications to the business.
#FamilyBusinesses
Managing Partner - Saul D Humphrey LLP (Certified B Corporation™️)| Professor - Anglia Ruskin University | Chair - Institute of Directors (Norfolk) | Vice President - Chartered Institute of Building
5moThanks for sharing Jane Paterson-Todd. I hope the new role with Vistage UK is going well.