Family Business Director

September 15, 2025 Current Events Special Topics

A Valuable New Resource: The UHNW Institute’s “Wealthesaurus”

Clear communication is essential in family business governance, yet shared definitions are often overlooked. That’s why the UHNW Institute’s new Wealthesaurus caught our attention. This online glossary brings clarity to the complex vocabulary of family wealth and enterprise conversations—This resource provides standardized definitions of common and specialized family wealth advising industry terms. For directors, it’s a valuable reference that supports informed decision-making and effective dialogue across generations.

September 10, 2025 Special Topics Valuation

Navigating Buy-Sell Agreements Part II

Three Examples Where Independent Appraisers Make the Difference

In Part II of our buy-sell agreement series, we dive into three real-world scenarios where independent appraisers play a critical role in resolving disputes, facilitating fair buyouts, and mitigating litigation risks for family-owned businesses. From valuation deadlocks to triggering events and shareholder conflicts, see how independent valuations can protect both your company’s legacy and shareholder relationships.

September 3, 2025 Planning & Strategy

Navigating Private Company Valuations

When and Why to Use an Independent Appraiser

Third-party business valuations provide an unbiased, data-driven assessment of a company’s worth, helping owners and directors make informed financial and strategic decisions. By combining structured methodologies with expert judgment, independent appraisals deliver the objectivity needed for transactions, tax planning, disputes, and other critical business events. In this post, we explore why third-party valuations matter and what to expect from the appraisal process.

August 26, 2025 Special Topics Valuation

Navigating Buy-Sell Agreements: Part 1

As directors of private family businesses, you’re no strangers to the delicate balance of maintaining harmony among shareholders while safeguarding the company’s long-term stability. In this week’s post, we dive into a related but often overlooked tool: buy-sell agreements. These agreements act as a safety net, ensuring smooth transitions when life throws curveballs, such as a shareholder’s departure, death, or divorce.

August 19, 2025 Dividend Policy

Video: Dividend Policy in 5 Minutes

A few weeks ago we released our newest booklet, “Dividend Policy in 30 Minutes.” Whether you read the digital copy, requested a physical booklet, or haven’t gotten a chance to look at it yet, in this short video Travis Harms explains how to go about the decision-making process regarding distribution and why considering various shareholder characteristics and business attributes matters. Travis highlights how the balance between shareholder certainty and board discretion can foster a better understanding of maintaining the sustainability of the business and help promote positive shareholder engagement.

August 12, 2025 Current Events Shareholder Liquidity

Stock Buybacks at Record Highs

What’s the Lesson for Family Businesses?

U.S. companies are on pace to buy back over $1.1 trillion of their own stock in 2025 — an all-time high. For public companies, the logic is straightforward: reducing the number of shares outstanding can boost earnings per share and, presumably, the company’s stock price. Family businesses are much less likely to use share repurchases in the same way. In this week’s post, we cover how family businesses are more likely to use share redemptions as motivated by shareholder concerns: liquidity needs, diversification preferences, or a desire to no longer be in business with the rest of the family.

August 5, 2025 Dividend Policy

Dividend Policy in 30 Minutes

A Guide for Family Business Directors and Shareholders

We are excited to offer our readers a physical version of our piece, “Dividend Policy in 30 Minutes: A Guide for Family Business Directors and Shareholders.” The purpose of this booklet is to help family business directors formulate and communicate a dividend policy that contributes to family shareholder wealth and satisfaction. We hope this provides a helpful resource for you and your fellow directors and shareholders.

July 29, 2025 Special Topics

The 2025 Family Business Benchmarking Study

Family business directors generally have little perspective on how other companies handle certain items like capital allocation, capital structure, and dividend policy. With the release of our 2025 Family Business Benchmarking Study, we aim to fill that gap.

This week’s post focuses on the study which provides an overview of U.S. macroeconomics and examines key financial areas relevant to family businesses. Each section includes both data analysis and insights to help family business directors interpret the findings and apply them to strategic decisions.

July 22, 2025 Capital Budgeting Capital Structure Dividend Policy

3 Strategic Financial Questions for Family Businesses

Our family business advisory practice is focused on three strategic financial questions that weigh on family business directors. In this week’s post, we review these three questions and how they create a solid, sustainable base for family businesses.

July 15, 2025 M&A Special Topics

Kellogg Shareholders Complete the Cash-In

2025 Case Study Update

Almost a year ago, we published a case study looking at the corporate break-up of the venerable Kellogg Company into two separate businesses: Kellanova (snack foods) and WK Kellogg (breakfast cereals). From the announcement through the present, Kellogg shareholders have earned an annualized total return of 11.2%, far outpacing the returns of peer publicly traded packaged foods companies. Last year’s post included five takeaways for family business directors. In this week’s post, we reiterate those original takeaways and add a sixth.