Episode 56: Dr. Jan-Philipp Ahrens on AI, Big Data, and Family Enterprise Research

Dr. Jan-Philipp Ahrens, leading scholar at the University of Mannheim, discusses his groundbreaking research at the intersection of family enterprise, artificial intelligence, and sustainability. As a fifth-generation family business successor, Jan brings personal insight to his academic work leading an interdisciplinary research group that combines data science with traditional business research. The conversation explores how family businesses navigate succession, governance, and digital transformation while maintaining their unique values. Jan introduces his intelligent entity view theory, examining how family wealth office structures and organizational memory influence innovation and sustainability outcomes in an evolving global economy.

 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Jan-Philipp Ahrens
 02:00 The interdisciplinary research group
 03:30 Research focus on sustainability and AI
 05:00 Fifth-generation family business experience
 08:00 Personal journey through crisis management
 12:00 Academic research methodology approach
 15:30 Big data and AI in business research
 18:00 Sustainability challenges for firms
 21:00 Family office management and governance structures
 24:00 Innovation and digital transformation
 27:30 Female leadership and board diversity
 30:00 The intelligent entity view theory
 34:00 Organizational memory and routines
 36:00 Future of AI integration in firms