“How-To’s”: Planned and Unexpected Family Business Transitions

Speakers: Karin Gregory, Managing Partner, Blue Highway Growth Capital

Family Business Panelists: Jeffrey Messer, President, Messer Truck Equipment and TBD

Transitioning a family business to the next generation is hard. It’s even harder when the transition is necessitated by forces outside of your control. Participants in this session will hear stories from other family business leaders on what to do (or not do) to ensure your business is ready for the next generation of leadership. 50% of business owners leave involuntarily: death, disability, divorce, distress/departure, or disagreement. What is the impact of these involuntary departures and how does a family business recover?

Making the decision to retire from a family business and making the transition successful is a set of skills that most business owners do not have but have to learn. We’ll also learn ways to address the elements of a good family business transition that factors in employees and family members. Join us for a discussion with family business leaders who have faced such scenarios. We’ll learn from their experiences and glean what steps you can take to prepare for the unexpected.