ince the launch of the Global Education Network (GEN) certificate program in 2012, more than 1400 core and advanced certificates have been earned by enrollees from over 80 countries. Congratulations to everyone involved!

None of this would have been possible without the excellent work of the dedicated faculty over the years. Here’s who is leading the program in 2024. Please join us in thanking them for their outstanding contributions to FFI and the field.

Concepts include:

• Systems Thinking and why it is a vital tool in advising family enterprises.
• The key complexities in a family enterprise that benefit from Systems Thinking.
• How to adopt a Systems Thinking mindset.
• Genograms as a practical tool for understanding the client system and how this tool can positively influence the work of the professional.
• The role of Systems Thinking in the growth, development, and personal engagement of all family enterprise advisors.

Concepts include:

• Delivering the nine phases of the consulting process.
• Supporting systems thinking and the multi-disciplinary approach.
• Applying core theories with the skills and tools required to work effectively with family enterprise clients.
• Executing planned change through strategies, implementation, and communication.
• Recognizing your own lens, filters, and biases.

Concepts include:

• Understanding the nature and complexities of families of wealth.
• Identifying and exploring management structures used by families of wealth.
• Unique challenges and opportunities encountered by professionals working with families of wealth.
• Multidisciplinary tools needed to work with families of wealth.

Concepts include:

• Helping advisors become a critical user of research.
• Creating awareness of the heterogeneity within family firms.
• Clarifying the variances in family firms so professionals can avoid applying a “one size fits all” mentality.
• Understanding the need for family firm identities.
• Identifying what influences a family firm’s economic and non-economic performance.
• Helping advisors guide family enterprises in their quest for sustainability.

Concepts include:

• The nature of family enterprise governance, its core concepts, and its functions.
• Unique challenges and opportunities encountered by professionals developing family governance in family enterprises.
• Practical tools needed to build family governance through actual case studies.
• The skills needed to assist families in designing and implementing a family governance system throughout several life cycle stages.

Concepts include:

• An overview of family enterprise tools, frameworks, and techniques for analyzing family enterprise cases, achieving positive change and ultimately, dealing with the complex issues that consultants face when assisting family enterprises.
• The seminar will present a sample of tools that serve different purposes such as a) analyzing the needs and challenges facing the family enterprise system; b) the development of key governance elements, including a values and mission statement, family communication policy, family member employment policy, and c) helping to facilitate different interventions, including the eruption of conflict.
• Through the seminar, students will gain insight into the skills required for family enterprise professionals to adequately apply and eventually achieve positive change for their clients.
• A unique feature of this seminar is the “hands on” approach, devoting an important part of the course to group dynamics, shared analysis, and role-playing exercises in a safe learning environment.
• One of the main goals is learning how a careful application of appropriate tools assists in the development of valuable collaborative progress among family enterprise participants.

Concepts include:

• Understanding how today’s wealthy individuals, families, and their family offices express values and work towards social and environmental impacts through philanthropic giving, operating businesses, and investments (including impact investing).
• Identifying practical approaches, both relevant and rigorous, to position philanthropy at the heart of conversations on values, succession planning, and preparing the next generation.
• Presenting practical approaches to help your clients shape their philanthropy as a family and develop tools to engage the rising generation.
• Understanding how leading business families incorporate environmental, social and governance goals in their operating businesses.
• Understanding the spectrum of sustainable investment opportunities and how clients can get started—from impact and thematic investing to responsible investment in the public and private markets.