Our new 30-year benchmark study of the American family business gave us a rare chance to compare how these families operate today against the same survey from 1995. One finding stood out above the rest: families are completing more plans than ever — estate plans, strategic plans, buy-sell agreements — but the understanding those plans are supposed to create hasn’t kept up. The paperwork is outpacing the conversations.
This session looks at what that means for your clients today. We’ll go beyond succession planning to talk about ownership, governance, and family engagement, and share what we’re seeing work in practice, including:
- Opening succession discussions earlier, before they feel urgent
- Turning signed documents into conversations the whole family actually understands
- Addressing what’s really on families’ minds today: next-gen education and entitlement
Our goal is to leave you with a few ideas you can use in your next client meeting — not just a summary of the data, but a better sense of where families are stuck, and how to help them move forward.
All registrants will receive a PDF copy of The American Family Business Survey 1995–2025: A 30-Year Benchmark Study, an initiative led by Plante Moran and The Family Business Consulting Group.
Kristi Daeda is President and CEO of The Family Business Consulting Group (FBCG), where she leads the firm’s mission to help multi-generational family enterprises build strong enterprises and strong families through clarity of vision, aligned energies, and effective family engagement. In addition to her work at FBCG, Kristi serves as Dean of Family Business at the Purposeful Planning Institute, where multidisciplinary advisors collaborate on frameworks and knowledge to inspire flourishing lives and enduring legacies. Her articles have appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Family Business Magazine.
