FBUK Publishes Annual Report

Family Business UK have today published our Annual Report, covering the 18-month period July 2022 – December 2023.

Comments on the annual report from Neil Davy, CEO of Family Business UK.

As members will see from the report, the second half of 2022 focussed on developing a new strategy for the organisation (then known as the IFB) which built on the 20+ years of tremendous legacy and support for the IFB, but set-out a new ambition and direction of travel. This included a comprehensive review of every aspect of the organisation, it’s activities, and relationships with all stakeholders, and importantly our Members.

The priority for 2023, was to implement those plans, place the organisation on a firm footing to prepare for future growth, and indeed relaunch as Family Business UK, which we did in June of last year.

I am pleased to say we are now well placed to leverage that hard work, and the growing support and involvement from FBUK Members, Corporate Partners and others involved in our growing movement.

On behalf of the FBUK team, I’d like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who has worked so hard over this period.

We still have much work to do, but we are excited and energized by the challenge, and the opportunities that are ahead, to support family businesses in the UK, and champion the sector.

Download the Annual Report.

END.

FBUK delivers inaugural Ownership in Family Business Masterclass

A successful and insightful day of knowledge share, benchmarking, and exchange of best practice on the thorny topic of Ownership in a family business, was kindly hosted by our partners NatWest in Bishopsgate, London on the 15th April 2024.

Moderated and skillfully led by subject matter experts from our carefully selected Corporate Partners Deloitte Private, Farrer & Co and NatWest, proceedings were attended by a truly collaborative and interactive cohort of Family Business leaders and owners, openly sharing their experiences, in a reciprocal, safe-space Chatham House environment.

Family Business Ownership Panel 

Thanks must go to our esteemed family business member panellists: Alexander Bradford from Bradford and Sons and Geoffrey Bibby from Bibby Line Group Ltd.

Alexander and Geoffrey openly discussed their personal experiences of exploring the different models of ownership, highlighting benefits, challenges and their personal accounts of transitioning, and managing change.

Shares, Trusts, Tax, External Management, and Succession

The programme’s morning session covered topics such as Structuring Shares, Trusts and Tax, External Management and Ownership Succession, ably facilitated by subject matter experts: Stuart May from NatWest, David Simarro from Deloitte, Anthony Turner, Richard Lane and Sonal Shah from Farrer & Co.

Following an excellent lunch and a welcome opportunity to connect with fellow delegates in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere, the afternoon session reprised with a workshop on the subject of ‘Becoming an Owner’.

Delegates enjoyed splitting into groups, idea storming, and working collaboratively to tackle subjects such as:

  • Roles and Responsibilities: what does it mean to be an owner?
  • What does it take for a family member to become owner of the business?
  • Developing Next Generation development plans, responsible stewardship, and governance?
  • Differences between 1st/2nd and multi-generational business?
  • Choosing Trustees: Family and non-Family.
  • Interaction between trustees and the board.

Fireside Chat with Rupa Patel, Executive Director at Day Lewis Pharmacy

The programme ended with an extremely well received Fireside Chat with FBUK member Rupa Patel, 2nd generation Executive Director of Day Lewis Pharmacy, on the subject of – ‘When ownership is passed on: challenges and generational dynamics.’

Rupa captured the attention of the audience with a frank, insightful and emotional account of her personal experience of living and working in a multigenerational family business.

Delegates ended the day with another opportunity to meaningfully connect over drinks, exchanging views on the day’s programme, and what they shall takeaway & implement from today’s learnings, whilst getting to know one another.

Masterclass Programme & Member Resources

Find out more about the Family Business Masterclass programme  covering topics of material import to Family Businesses, including Ownership, Succession, Governance and Non-Executive Directors (neds).

FBUK members can  log into the FBUK Member Resources Centre to access an exclusive host of resources to help your family business, with Succession, Governance and understanding the unique life stages of the family business journey, including:

Further Ownership Resources:

  1. Challenges Of Running a Family Business
  2. What type of Owners do you want?
  3. Fostering Responsible Ownership
  4. Ownership Wealth and Transfer
  5. Employee Ownership Trusts

 

How Succession can Make or Break a Family Business – FBUK in the FT.com

Family Business UK, and a number of our Family Business members, were delighted to be quoted, and featured in an article in today’s (9th April 2024) Financial Times article:
How Succession can make or break a family business.

To read the article, please log into the Financial Times.com, using your FT.com account, at –  https://on.ft.com/3vz9VWl

Non-members of FBUK, and interested parties, can access our complimentary guide to Succession here, to help you with your succession planning.

FBUK members can  log into the FBUK Member Resources Centre to access a host of resources to help your family business, with Succession, Governance and understanding the unique life stages of the family business journey here.