• Tom McGinness, Global Leader of Family Business for KPMG Private Enterprise.

Presentation on the results of the STEP/KPMG European Family Business Report : Covid-19 edition. The overall theme of this work shows how the unique characteristics of family businesses prepared them to make a comeback from Covid-19 and begin leading the economic recovery.

• Salvatore Tomaselli, Ph.D., Professor of Business Administration, Università di Palermo
• Rania Labaki, Director of the EDHEC Family Business Centre, Associate Professor of Management at EDHEC Business School
• Peter Jenner, Managing Director, William Battle Limited
• Moderated by Panikkos Poutziouris, Professor in Entrepreneurship & Family Business and Rector of UCLan Cyprus.

Leaders and owners of family business face the greatest challenge in a generation, to secure the legacy of business in a post pandemic world. The next generation is currently facing a defining moment in history, at the verge of multiple transitions, whether economic, environmental or social. As future leaders of family businesses, they will have to bear the weight of past decisions made by their families as well as by governments in the countries in which they operate. These governments have actually mainly fought the pandemic as a health and economic war with borrowed money. As these different “loans” will be passed down the generations, preparing the next generation for recovery and sustainable regeneration and growth becomes of utmost importance. A panel of family business experts and coordinators of the SPRING – European Program will share their experience and knowledge to chart a course supporting family businesses in this endeavour, therefore securing the future of our families, the workforce, and the local communities.

• Franz Haniel, family shareholder and former Supervisory Board Chairman of Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Heraeus Group.
• John Learmonth, Managing Director of Deanbridge International, Publisher of The European Family Investment Company Report.
• Heinrich Liechtenstein, Professor of Financial Management at IESE Business School.

Through original research and an interview with an 8th generation family shareholder of Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, a multi-generational family business, we will examine the practice behind the theory. Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH is a German family-owned company headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, managing a portfolio of independent businesses. Haniel, founded in 1756, has more than 700 family shareholders.

• Philippe Lamberts MEP, Co-President of Greens/European Free Alliance.
• Udo J. Vetter, EFB President and Chairman of the Board of Vetter Pharma.
• Kerstin Jorna*, Director General of DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

With the publication of the Green Deal, Europe has set itself an extraordinary challenge: become climate neutral by 2050. Coupled with the economic fallout of COVID-19, European businesses are going to facing extreme challenges in the coming years to meet their societal responsibilities. In this session, we will discuss what policy responses are planned in the coming years, what business support measures are needed, and what companies are already doing to become climate neutral.

• Dr Steen Thomsen, Professor in Corporate Governance at Copenhagen Business School
• Alessandra Stabilini, Board Member of ecoDa and Vice-Chair of Nedcommunity
• Philippe Haspeslagh, Chairman of Ardo, Professor and Honorary Dean of the Vlerick Business School
• Moderated by Olivier Hamoir, advisor to family-owned companies

With the publication of the EU’s new Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative, the importance of sustainability and long-term thinking has been brought into sharp focus. Policymakers in Brussels argue that short-termism is endemic within companies and that regulatory measures are urgently needed to combat this occurrence. Many argue that legislation is needed to force companies to focus on long-term sustainable value creation rather than short-term benefits. In this session, we will hear from three leading experts in the field, who will reveal how Corporate Governance is formulated in a company and whether it is the silver bullet to encourage long-termism.

• Paul Scheffer, Professor of European Studies, Tilburg University

On the surface, Europe seems to move from crisis to crisis without moving towards a stronger continent. Paul Scheffer will give us an insight below this surface. He takes us through some of the underlying phenomena that over decades and even centuries have created a European continent that is strong and vital. He is convinced that we do not cherish these phenomena enough in these times of short-termism, populism and surviving crises. The role of enterprising families in today’s European economy is well known, but Paul Scheffer will also reflect on how they can benefit and contribute to the hidden vitality of Europe.