Family Business Audiocast

 On Episode 46 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Laura Nanette Gambineri-Giese, LL.M. TEP, founder of Trusted Governance and expert in cross-border family estate planning, Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI), and family governance. Drawing on her experience with internationally active family enterprises, Laura shares insights on combining technical family wealth structuring with the interpersonal dynamics of decision-making, succession, and continuity in multi-generational family businesses. She covers values-based planning frameworks, key risks in cross-border family financial planning, and the need to revisit governance as laws and family needs change. The episode also highlights how rising-generation leaders are reshaping legacy with a focus on meaning and sustainability. Whether you're an advisor, family office leader, next-gen stakeholder, or interested in family business, this episode offers a look at preserving both family wealth and unity across generations. 

 On this episode of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes two of the world's foremost experts in family enterprise research: Luis Gomez-Mejia and Ignacio Requejo. Together, they explore the often-misunderstood dynamics of family business ownership, from the foundational role of socioemotional wealth to the ways family control affects decision-making, family office management, and long-term resilience. Drawing from decades of globally recognized research, including empirical studies on succession, legacy, and control trade-offs, Luis and Ignacio offer a deeply informed conversation on why family businesses behave differently and how those differences can be a source of strength. From olive oil cooperatives in Spain to publicly listed multi-generational family businesses, this conversation redefines what makes family enterprises sustainable in an increasingly complex world of family wealth preservation and family growth. 

R. Adam Smith hosts Shelley Forsythe, Director and Family Office Lead at BMO Private Wealth. With extensive experience in family governance, Shelley advises multi-generational families on building resilient structures that balance business priorities with family harmony. She discusses how BMO's platform integrates family office services with wealth management, serving over 700 families globally. Shelley shares insights on successful advisor collaboration, creating flexible roadmaps for legacy planning, and preparing families for business succession. She emphasizes that communication is the foundation of successful family wealth succession planning, requiring ongoing practice rather than one-time discussions.

This week on the The Family Business Audiocast, host R. Adam Smith welcomes back Richard Wolkowitz, founder of Xylogenesis and trusted family enterprise advisor. Wolkowitz breaks down nine critical differences between founder mentality and family mentality that impact family business succession. The conversation explores how governance structures can bridge these differences, the evolution of entrepreneurial thinking across generations, and strategies for empowering next-gen family members. Wolkowitz emphasizes that "healthy generational continuity" requires understanding each family member's unique strengths rather than expecting them to be carbon copies of the founder.

Adrienne Penta and Lane McDonald from SCS Financial Services join host R. Adam Smith to discuss the complex interplay between family wealth management, next-generation preparation, and legacy building. Adrienne shares insights on using philanthropy as a gateway for meaningful family conversations about wealth purpose, while Lane explores how emotional detachment in investing yields better outcomes. Both experts emphasize the critical importance of outsourcing alternative investments for family offices under $5 billion and building comprehensive values-based planning that connects wealth decisions to family purpose. The conversation highlights practical approaches to next-gen engagement and the essential balance between providing guidance and allowing independence.

R. Adam Smith welcomes Octavian Pilati, an investor, strategist, and founder of The Anti-Fragile Family consultancy. Born into an Austrian aristocratic family with a millennium of heritage, Octavian shares his unique journey into family enterprise leadership following a crisis. The conversation explores critical aspects of family financial planning in multigenerational contexts, including next-gen leadership preparation, the merit versus entitlement approach, and communication strategies that build trust. Octavian offers valuable insights on family wealth office dynamics, resilience building, and the importance of balancing internal family knowledge with external expertise when navigating transitions and succession planning.

In this fortieth episode of The Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Judith Pearson, founder of Precision Brokers and Nomadx. As a recognized leader in fiduciary risk management, Judith shares insights on evolving trust structures and insurance innovations that protect family wealth. The conversation explores private trust companies across different states, the shift in next-generation priorities, and how family financial planning intersects with risk management. Judith draws on her extensive background in D&O liability insurance to explain how trustees and family office services can navigate complex regulatory environments while ensuring proper protection during the upcoming $70 trillion wealth transfer.

R. Adam Smith welcomes Bill Stranberg, second-generation leader and managing partner at Stranberg, a firm specializing in executive search and talent strategy for family-owned businesses. Drawing from his own experience joining his parents' firm in 2013, Stranberg shares insights on the delicate balance between honoring family legacy while pursuing evolution and growth. The conversation explores the unique family enterprise challenges in hiring external leadership, including the critical importance of alignment across family members and the difficulties in transferring power from long-tenured executives. Stranberg emphasizes that successful family financial planning requires addressing both organizational culture and family dynamics when navigating leadership transitions in increasingly complex multi-generational businesses.

R. Adam Smith welcomes Robbie Heeger, founder and CEO of Endaoment, the first blockchain-powered community foundation revolutionizing philanthropy for digital asset holders. Heeger shares how his journey began with a simple quest for tax efficiency when donating cryptocurrency, revealing the gap in the market for donor-advised funds (DAFs) that could accept digital assets. The conversation explores how DAFs serve as accessible entry points for next-generation family members looking to establish their philanthropic identity within the family wealth office structure. Heeger also discusses Endaoment's dual structure as both a technology company and nonprofit, outlining his vision for democratizing philanthropy through blockchain's transparency and community governance capabilities.

R. Adam Smith welcomes economic anthropologist Bridget Kustin of Oxford Saïd Business School and Associate Professor Emanuela Rondi of the University of Bergamo for an insightful academic perspective on family enterprise dynamics. Kustin shares findings from the Ownership Project 2.0, examining how ultra-wealthy families approach impact investment and the disconnect between their self-perception and actual ESG performance. Rondi discusses her research on family business innovation, particularly how intergenerational relationships can drive digital transformation through "reverse mentorship." Together, they explore the complexities of family wealth office structures, succession planning challenges, and how evolving concepts of legacy affect multi-generational family financial planning.