Francois Botha
I believe that the next generation of family leaders need new, simple tools and trusted advisors with a fresh outlook.
Francois is the founder and CEO of Simple, where he works with family offices on strategy, governance and the practical adoption of AI. He grew up in a family-owned luxury travel business in Cape Town, South Africa, and has spent the last decade writing, speaking and advising on how private wealth is run.
- Region
- United Kingdom, Switzerland
- Based in
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Interests
- Art, Digital, Impact Strategy
- Services
- Business transformation, Strategic foresight, Technology advisory
Francois founded Simple to give family offices better tools and clearer thinking than the industry tends to offer them. His academic background is in strategic business and brand management. His practical one began in a family-owned luxury travel business in Cape Town, South Africa.
He knows the dynamics of working alongside family members firsthand, and helps family-owned firms build on what they already do well rather than importing a corporate template that rarely fits.
His weekly Forbes column covered family office leadership and technology. He now leads Simple's research programme, including the annual Software and Technology Report and the Trusted AI work published in 2026.
Francois has lectured and spoken at IMD, Copenhagen Business School and the University of Zurich, including on AI for family offices. He speaks at industry gatherings including SuperReturn West, and hosts Simple's Closed Door Sessions, a series of invitation-only discussions for family office principals and advisors.
He is quoted in the Financial Times, Crain Currency, the Australian Financial Review and The Business Times, and has contributed to research from UBS, Morgan Stanley, KPMG and Julius Baer.
Insights Francois Botha has written
Closed Door Sessions: From Capacity to Consequence
The Closed Door Sessions 2026 brought together 40 participants and 10 moderators across five tables to examine how contemporary societies can convert capacity — awareness, capital and technological capability — into legitimate, accountable and socially useful action. This executive summary presents the central proposition, six principal findings and eight unresolved questions from the inquiry.
The Simple View on Trusted AI for Family Offices
AIA research agenda for the structural shift in how family offices operate, govern, and build.
Looking Ahead to 2026: Key Themes for Family Offices
ForesightThis year’s analysis reflects a deeper shift across the sector, moving away from short-term noise toward the capabilities that matter most: human judgment, long-termism, foresight, optionality, and identity-driven leadership. It outlines the eight themes shaping the year ahead and offers leaders a clearer way to understand what is changing, why it matters, and how to prepare.
Family Office Software & Technology Report 2025
TechnologySimple explores how family office software and technology are evolving in step with advances in AI and integration. Drawing on insights from more than 11,000 platform users, along with conversations, workshops, and detailed input from nearly 40 vendors.
Family Office Security & Risk Report 2025
Cyber SecurityIn 2025, the risk landscape facing family offices is more complex and interconnected than ever. From AI-driven cyber threats to geopolitical volatility and governance gaps, risks are evolving fast. This report draws on expert insight, proprietary polling, and meta-analysis of industry data to map key threats, and outlines how proactive planning and integrated resilience are now essential.
Looking Ahead to 2025: Signals and Themes Shaping the Family Office Industry
ForesightThis piece explores transformative themes shaping 2025, from AI and sustainable investing to generational wealth shifts and global talent dynamics. Built to guide family offices and stakeholders, it highlights opportunities amidst change, emphasising adaptability, innovation, and long-term impact as essential tools to thrive in an increasingly complex and volatile world.
Media appearances
Past
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How family offices should think about AI in their operations and businesses
IMD
Francois Botha speaks at IMD on technology and family offices, and how families should think about AI across their operations and businesses.
AI in the Family Office: How Family Offices Can Adopt AI Without Surrendering Their Data, Judgment, and Edge
Oxford's Family Business & Office Circle
Francois Botha is quoted throughout Hannah Arrighi's report for Oxford's Family Business & Office Circle, which asks how family offices can adopt AI without handing over their data, judgment, and proprietary edge. He sets out a three-stage adoption path, explore, design and build, and argues that families should design "an escalator versus an elevator": a system you can still walk out of when something goes wrong. The report also covers sovereign and on-premise setups, frontier LLM-enabled stacks, and the governance and supervision required to run AI agents safely.
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AI Adoption in the Family Office
The Mack Podcast
Francois Botha joins a panel of family office technology and operations leaders on The Mack Podcast, hosted by Brian C. Adams of Mack International. The discussion covers where AI adoption in family offices actually stands today, the practical use cases that are working, the governance questions families need to answer, and the risks worth watching as the technology develops. Running time is one hour and thirteen minutes.
