Congratulations to the 2023 Achievement Award Recipients

business professional crowd dressed in grays and blues, clapping and smiling

Prepared Exclusively for FFI Members

June 30, 2023

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n 1992, to further enhance its multidisciplinary and global approach to family enterprise advising, consulting, and research, FFI began to establish awards for professional achievement. Today there are four: Richard Beckhard Practice Award, Barbara Hollander Award, Interdisciplinary Award, and International Award. These prestigious awards are the pinnacles of achievement in the field, and we are pleased to announce this year’s recipients. The awards will be formally presented as part of the FFI annual global conference in October.

Richard Beckhard Practice Award

Neus Feliu, FFI Fellow

A Partner at Lansberg Gersick Advisors, Neus Feliu, PhD, is an advisor, researcher, and educator in family enterprise. For over 20 years she has supported families strategically planning their legacy and developing the organizational and individual capabilities to achieve their long-term goals. Her training and experience integrate business and economics with psychology and family dynamics. She combines consulting and coaching, guiding enterprising families and their leaders through the process of change.

Neus earned her PhD at ESADE Business School focusing on the governance of philanthropy. She has authored articles and book chapters on governance, philanthropy, generational perspectives, family business citizenship, conglomerates, and the role of women in family enterprises. She has been recognized with The Family Enterprise USA Doctoral Award, the FOBI Award, and the IFERA Best Conceptual Paper Award. She is involved with academic organizations dedicated to Family Enterprises, such as FERC and IFERA, contributing to building bridges between academics and practitioners. She is an FFI Fellow and member of the GEN Certificates faculty.

From the nomination

Neus has a long and global experience in advising family enterprises. She has substantially contributed to FFI; she is a highly skilled advisor and teacher and has produced valuable frameworks and insights for both practitioners and researchers. Neus has won the respect and appreciation of her peers and the client families she serves. Two of her most relevant publications are Governing the Family Enterprise: Practices, Performance and Research with Kelin E. Gersick, and Philanthropy in Family Enterprises: A Review of Literature, with Isabel Botero, named one of the most-read articles in the Family Business Review for two years running.

Neus Feliu

The Richard Beckhard Practice Award was established in 1992 to honor a founding FFI member and distinguished practitioner in the family business field. It recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of family business practice.

View the complete list of recipients of the Richard Beckhard Practice Award

Barbara Hollander Award

Alfredo De Massis

Alfredo De Massis (Free University of Bolzano and IMD Business School’s Wild Group Chair in Family Business) is a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Family Business who serves as advisor to entrepreneurial families and policy makers. Alfredo was included in Family Capital’s list of Top 100 Family Business Influencers in February 2022, for the strong influence of his thought leadership on the global shaping of the family business field, and in September 2022 he was inducted into The Family Business Hall of Fame. His research has been published in leading academic and practitioner journals (e.g., AMJ, OrgSci, JoM, SMJ, JMS, JBV, ETP, MIT SMR) and has been cited more than 18,000 times. He serves as associate editor of FBR and editor of other academic journals, and on the boards of public and private organizations internationally. He has co-founded and serves as Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the first Observatory on Family Offices in Italy.

From the nomination

Alfredo, through his engaged scholarship and distinctive research—academically rigorous and practically relevant—has advanced several new concepts and tools in the family business field and started new research streams like innovation through tradition, or family-driven innovation….I value the insights he has gained from working with so many minds and cultures around the world over the years, and firmly believe in the value of Alfredo’s strong international reach and the important contributions that he made as a leader in supporting the recognition of the economic and social prominence of family firms around the world.

Alfredo De Massis

The Barbara Hollander Award was created in 1995 to honor the late founder and first president of FFI by perpetuating her profound interest in family business and her love for education and learning.

View the complete list of recipients of the Barbara Hollander Award

Interdisciplinary Award

Doug Baumoel, FFI Fellow

Doug Baumoel is the Founder of Continuity, LLC. He brings an extensive background in family business, family office operations, and governance to his work with clients. Doug started and ran businesses in the U.S. and Europe, establishing and managing the European operations of his own family’s business.

He is the co-author, with Blair Trippe, of Deconstructing Conflict: Understanding Family Business, Shared Wealth and Power. Doug has also written for Family Business Magazine; the Thomson West ADR Practice Guide; IFOJ, Private Company Director magazine; the Negotiation Journal of the Harvard PON; and the Wealth of Wisdom books.

Doug earned an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He is a Fellow of FFI and NACD, and a Practitioner Scholar with Cornell’s Smith Family Business Initiative. He holds certificates in Mediation from MCLE and Director Professionalism from NACD. Doug also served as President of the New England chapter of the FFI.

From the nomination

Doug has taken an interdisciplinary approach to family business consulting. He developed a clear methodology, including frameworks and tools, to understand and manage the complexity of family enterprise. Doug collaborates with other professionals that would be valuable to each client and introduces appropriate professionals for families to meet and consider.

For over two decades, Doug has been helping families manage conflict and make informed decisions to maintain their important continuing relationships and advance their enterprise. He always makes time to help newcomers to the field and is generous with his time for seasoned practitioners who are seeking another point of view on a challenging client situation.

Doug Baumoel

The Interdisciplinary Award was established in 1999 and recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding achievement in the advancement of interdisciplinary services to multi-generational family-owned enterprises.

View the complete list of recipients of the Interdisciplinary Award

International Award

Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC)

The Grossman School of Business (GSB) at the University of Vermont (UVM) hosts the annual Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC). During the four days of this competition, undergraduate and graduate student teams from top family business educational institutions around the world analyze cases focused on the unique dilemmas faced by family enterprises. Competitors have limited time to prepare their recommendations and present these to a panel of judges composed of business leaders, educators, and advisors. Over 800 student competitors from 66 universities have competed in SG-FECC since its founding year in 2013. Over 550 judges have come to Burlington, VT to participate in this event.

If readers are interested in becoming a part of the SG-FECC tradition by bringing a team or serving as a judge in the 11th edition, scheduled for Jan. 10-13, 2024, please contact SG-FECC at sgfecc@uvm.edu.

Learn more about the competition

From the nomination

[This is] an event which attracts university teams from over the world. An event that is solely focused on cases about family businesses. The judges are carefully selected and include family business owners, advisors, and scholars from around the world. Particularly, the FECC is a student-led event, which is really special.

Over the past 10 years, the FECC has become an event that is appreciated by all participants. Many return every year; friendships are made between students from all over the world, relationships between scholars are strengthened and new ideas about research are explored and contacts between scholars and practice are exchanged.

The International Award was established in 2000 and recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding achievement in furthering the understanding of international issues and global networks in multi-generational, family-owned enterprise.

View the complete list of recipients of the International Award

Thanks to the 2023 Achievement Awards Committee

Daniela Montemerlo, chair
Denise Federer
Lisa Morel
Preston Root

Previous Edition

The FFI Board of Directors provides strategic vision and oversight for the development of the organization. Over the past few months, the 2023 Nominating Committee has solicited suggestions for nominees and interviews with potential candidates have been held. The Committee is pleased to announce the following nominees for four-year terms on the FFI Board of Directors. Voting will be conducted by electronic ballot, which will be sent to FFI members in September. New board members will take office following the annual meeting, which will be held virtually on November 7 at 9:30 AM Eastern Time.