The Wendel/Insead chair was transformed two years ago into the International Center for Family-Owned Enterprises. Today it has become one of the global centers of excellence for the study and research of family-owned enterprises. Its activities and reputation have considerably increased outside France. One of the principal developments of the Center these last two years has been the consolidation and the extension of activities in Asia.
The organization in February 2006 in Singapore of a round table intended for large family enterprises was a key event, with the participation of members of the Wendel family. The “Family Enterprise Challenge” (a four-day program for family-owned enterprises) takes place every year in Singapore and attracts a large number of participants from Asia, Australia and the Middle East, and a few participants from Europe and North and South America. An optional MBA course now takes place in Singapore and receives high caliber participants. The Center is also playing an active role in the launch of South-East Asian section of the Family Business Network, takes part in events, conferences and training modules for executives in Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Another signifi cant development: the design of tailor-made programs for family-owned enterprises. After the success of a one-week training program developed for shareholders of a leading European family-owned enterprise at Fontainebleau in June 2006, the Center participated in the design of a major program for young managers of a large European familyowned enterprise, including several of its family shareholders. This program will run for several years and will comprise several modules.
During the summer of 2007, the Center designed and implemented an adaptation of the Family Enterprise Challenge for a family from a French-speaking country, in which members of three other signifi cant family-owned enterprises, including Wendel, also participated.
The Center continues its mission to share its knowledge throughout Europe, as a result of conferences and seminars in countries such as Finland, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Kingdom and, of course, France. Its presence in the Middle East is also growing. The “Family Enterprise Challenge Europe” program recently welcomed participants from North and South America, the Middle East and Africa.
Outlook
The Center will pursue its geographical expansion to the Middle East. At the beginning of 2008 several events took place in coordination with Insead’s Center in Abu Dhabi. The Center will explore the organization of events in North and South America, as part of a policy of an increased presence for Insead on these continents.
Tailor-made programs for family-owned enterprises will continue to be developed. The Center aims to become an authority for those who work in and around family-owned enterprises (academics, service providers, etc.), based on the special relationship it has created between family-owned enterprises and Insead. This is particularly important as family-owned enterprises represent the large majority of enterprises in the world.
The activities of Insead in the family-owned enterprise fi eld, introduced with the backing of the Wendel Group, are expanding today with the additional support from other key people and familyowned enterprises. These include the Tetra Laval research fund for the large family-owned enterprise, the Berghmans/Lhoist chair in “Entrepreneurial Leadership” and the André and Rosalie Hoffmann research fund for family-owned enterprises.
Wendel International Center for family-owned enterprises
Tel: +33 (0)1 60 72 92 50
family-firms.fb@insead.edu
www.insead.edu/wicfe
