Dr Alexander Koeberle-Schmid is an economist from a business-owning family. He wrote his PhD about boards of directors and family councils in family enterprises. Alexander is a family business advisor, who has worked for renowned consulting and family business advisory firms. He advises owner families of medium-sized to large multinational family enterprises in owner strategic issues such as governance structures, management succession, boards of directors, family councils, family offices, family philanthropy, and family constitutions. He has worked as a commercial mediator, was non-executive board member of a medium-sized family enterprise, and is in frequent demand as a speaker and lecturer. Denise Kenyon-Rouvinez, PhD, is the Wild Group Professor of Family Business and co-director of the Global Family Business Center at IMD, Switzerland. For nearly 20 years Denise has worked extensively with very large family businesses in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America and is used to deal with complex governance and wealth situations. Her key areas of expertise are governance, succession, liquidity events, ownership, wealth and philanthropy. Denise is also a certified coach working with the Solution Focused Coaching approach (based on brief therapies and positive psychology) and an accredited Lifo® Licensee. She has written several books and articles on family businesses and has received several awards for her research work. Ernesto J. Poza is an internationally recognized, top-rated speaker and consultant to family-owned businesses. He is Clinical Professor of Global Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is founder of E. J. Poza Associates, a consulting firm that has assisted family businesses in their continuity efforts for the past 25 years. He has written seven books and editions and over 50 articles in professional journals and been quoted in periodicals, including the Financial Times, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He has researched the unique competitive advantages of family-owned companies on a global basis, generational transfers, patterns of sustainability in centennial family companies and best practices in governing the family-enterprise relationship.
