Every year, up to 1.2 million children fall victim to trafficking, and many remain undetected, hidden from national authorities and anti-trafficking organisations. Of global trafficking victims, 66% are girls. Often, these victims are young migrants seeking refuge, only to become vulnerable to trafficking and its inherent exploitation. The horrifying "business" of human trafficking is thriving, generating billions in profit at the expense of the lives it destroys. Paul Hutchinson was managing the multi-billion-dollar investment fund he co-founded, as well as working with several charitable org ..read more

Ana Maria Guerrero Carvajal, president of the Board of Directors of her family’s Fundación Carvajal, recognises the considerable challenges the charitable foundation currently confronts. In response, Fundación Carvajal, an organisation dedicated to helping Colombia’s most vulnerable overcome poverty, has remodelled its strategy, promoting a holistic approach aimed at addressing the elements of poverty on many fronts. The organisation primarily focuses on its home city of Cali, which has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.   We spoke to Ana Maria about her family’s u ..read more

Cristina Carvajal remembers exactly what it was like to visit her family’s printing business with her father when she was a little girl. The sights, sounds, and smells of the printing presses left a life-long memory that later, she confesses, shaped her involvement in the family’s enterprise. Now serving as the council’s president, Cristina continues to work on the unity among the more than 300 family members and to embrace the transformative change she believes will benefit the family’s future generations.  We spoke to Cristina about the importance of the Carvajal family council, how int ..read more

Despite the formidable challenges of a global pandemic, Pedro Carvajal and the entire Carvajal organisation united around the company’s longstanding culture of putting people first and “doing things right”. Obstacles presented by the crisis became opportunities for Pedro and his team, who implemented changes to improve the organisation and its resilience to future disruptions.   We spoke to Pedro about how his family’s core beliefs and social agenda are critical factors in maintaining the company’s performance and longevity, why he doesn’t think about the future too often, and how he ..read more

Philip Mackeown is an author, career coach, and fifth-generation business director. After spending 25 years working in his family’s leading food retail group in Ireland, the Musgrave Group, Philip set out to write the book he wished he’d read upon entering the family business. His book, “The Successor’s Voice”, is a practical guide aimed at empowered family enterprise successors looking to develop, grow, and make a difference in their roles. Join Philip as he discusses the succession process from the perspective of the successor and why he feels preparation brings key advantages to the opportu ..read more

Traditionally, family enterprises focused their philanthropic efforts in the communities close to their operations, where they could generate the greatest impact. Today, there’s an abundance of worthy global causes all competing for their attention. To maximise their impact, families need to align on the issues important to them while also addressing the challenges of harmonising and orchestrating philanthropic strategies in a fast-changing world. On this episode, Dr Malgorzata Smulowitz, Research Fellow, and Dr Peter Vogel, Professor of Family Business and Entrepreneurship at the IMD Glo ..read more

On this episode of The Family Business Voice, François de Visscher talks about the important shift in mindset that can help families grow, manage, and safeguard their long-term wealth. Francois and Ramia also discuss the core values and other intangibles that families should consider when defining their wealth, how family members can support the transition from business owners to wealth owners, and the psychological impediments that get in the way. François de Visscher is the founder of de Visscher Advisors, one of the world’s leading independent financial consulting firms for family businesse ..read more

On this episode of the Family Business Voice, Nike Anani discusses her new book, Lifetime to Legacy, and how it can help business families navigate succession. Nike and Ramia explore the importance of relational values to family business continuity and discuss techniques that founders and next-gens can use to facilitate the transfer process. - Founders typically focus on the technical and legal side of transition, but building bridges and relationships within their organisation is just as important in preparing the next generation. - Different cultures perceive the family structure within thei ..read more

On this episode of the Family Business Voice, John Giovannini speaks with Ramia about having to plan 15 years into the future because of long production cycles, the importance of holding on to biodiversity in the caviar industry and how his father's dream developed over time. Read the full interactive article here. - As it takes 10-15 years for a sturgeon fingerling to grow large enough to produce caviar, the Giovannini family have to plan far into the future. An operational reality that John says would be impossible without entrepreneurial self-belief and a positive outlook. - Downturn and op ..read more

On this episode of The Family Business Voice, Dr Jamie Weiner and Russ Haworth speak with Ramia about their new book, The Quest for Legitimacy, which explores the unique struggle of those growing up in the family business. Dr Jamie Weiner’s experience as a clinical psychologist gives him insight into the complex dynamics that exist between family members. Since 2018, he’s devoted himself to qualitative research on the rising generation of prominent family businesses, culminating in The Quest for Legitimacy model.  Russ Haworth is a UK based family business consultant who first entered the ..read more