Episode 19: Navigating Complex Family Business Enterprise Systems with Peter Vogel

In the nineteenth episode of The Family Business Audiocast, host R. Adam Smith welcomes Peter Vogel, Director of the Global Family Business Center at IMD Business School and Debiopharm Chair for Family Philanthropy. Vogel discusses his approach as a "pracademic" who bridges rigorous academic research with practical frameworks for family enterprises. He explains how family businesses evolve over generations from single-entity operations into complex enterprise systems with multiple holdings, describing examples of European families with thousands of members and hundreds of business entities. Vogel shares insights from his work creating practical tools like the Family Office Navigator and Family Philanthropy Navigator, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational planning for holistic transformations. The conversation explores global family office hubs, technological challenges facing family enterprises, and the strategic role of philanthropy in wealth transition.