Insights

Imagine a seemingly healthy 35-year-old family member assumes the CEO position of a core global family enterprise. On the second day of his tenure, he sustains a cardiac arrest and dies immediately. Could the risk of his tragic death have been mitigated using currently available actionable DNA medical science of genomics? The answer is resoundingly yes.

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Family offices rarely think about their operating costs in basis points – surprising when such a measurement is a common component of determining expense vs value when comparing investments. Navigating your supplier universe can help you gain a much-needed system overview.

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Singapore might be the answer for many Western family offices looking to bridge family values and forthcoming disruptions.

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Over the past 5-10 years, there has been an increasing focus on the importance of women in leadership positions, including on boards. Aside from the obvious reason of legal equality, why is a policy of mixed-gender board representation important?

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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Every great institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man (or woman)." Within the private wealth space, this is especially true with no two family offices being the same. Service design makes an ideal bedfellow for family offices looking to move beyond 'palace politics' and re-engineer their family office structure to meet the changing needs of the market.

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Economic uncertainty and stock market volatility mean family offices are reviewing their investment strategies with a view to safeguarding their portfolios for the future. Covid-19 has thrown all the chips in the air and, while the arrival of a vaccine gives hope that the end of the pandemic is in sight, nobody knows where the pieces will eventually land, for the public markets, property and other mainstream investment classes.

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A changing set of realities, norms and values are underway in the face of an accelerating climate crisis. Within the family wealth space, the next-generation are particularly attuned to these changes and placing demands on family business leaders to act. A new family governance method which targets a family’s collective unconscious could be the key to successful intergenerational transition.

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The next generation today must influence a range of stakeholders if they are to be effective change agents. Family enterprises are facing a 21st-century volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world that has given rise to a new style of leadership. We explore how the next generation can embrace a persuasive leadership style in order to be effective change-makers and propel the family enterprise into the future.

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Bitcoin and family offices very logically compliment each other. Family offices aim for long-term wealth preservation throughout generations, while bitcoin is a form of money that can’t be inflated and can therefore retain its value over time. We explore how the history of fiat currencies and the recent adoption from UHNW investors presents a compelling case for this new financial revolution.

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Since it’s capabilities were first promoted to underpin and support Bitcoin over a decade ago Blockchain has experienced a great deal of hype. While the fintech industry remains the blockchain leader, organizations in other sectors including healthcare, technology, media and telecommunications are expanding their blockchain initiatives.

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Though the family office market in Australia continues to go from strength to strength, it is a challenge for software providers to see the value in expanding to a vast country with a highly idiosyncratic financial system. At the same time, there are also challenges to helping established Australian family offices to invest in a high-performing tech stack. We explore solutions to this technological stalemate.

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Intergenerational succession represents a significant challenge to family business. Though a common problem, misalignment between generations needs to be addressed for businesses to thrive into the future. Emotional intelligence could well be the key to bridging the gap. We take a look at how mentorship – and increasingly mindfulness – are helping family businesses to cross the chasm.

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Though family offices vary in size and shape, every organization shares a common origin: entrepreneurship. Without the first generation of pioneering entrepreneurs, they simply wouldn’t exist.

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For many family offices, succession is the most complex and significant challenge faced over the course of their life cycle. Next-generation engagement is fundamental in ensuring that their legacy continues well beyond their tenure. Here are five approaches to aid next-gen engagement.

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Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) have been credited by many as the backbone of business management. But how do these metrics fair in a rapidly evolving world? Research suggests that a focus on soft (as well as hard assets and predictive technology is the answer.

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As a growing number of asset owners question whether they can manage their assets for more than financial returns, impact investing receives mounting attention. In spite of this, many still believe that impact investments constitute higher risks. We explore how by reframing their relationship to risk, family offices can take bigger bets and win in the long run.

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Many businesses with humble beginnings have been able to weather change and grow into empires. Could professionalization hold the key to continued success?

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Although certain business challenges are universal to family offices across the globe, the way in which Asian family businesses experience, prioritise, and tackle them is unique. We deep dive into four key global family office challenges and how they are experienced within the Asian context, reflecting upon the unique set of underlying influences that shape the Asian response.

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In this day and age, content is king. Brands in the 21st century have more cultural and social capital than ever before. With the rise of influencer marketing and the proliferation of social media platforms, branding has become an ever more important aspect of business. 'Primal branding' offers family businesses with a guide on how to get started.

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The transition from a family business to a business family is not an easy one. Without a clear, strategically implemented plan to preserve both its wealth and legacy, the family faces a progressive dispersal of its assets. We outline the key factors that spark a transition from family business to business family – and offer advice on how to handle this.

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Impact investing has caught the attention of families, family offices, and private investors alike in recent years. In spite of this impact-led zeitgeist, there exists uncertainty on how to approach this field. How do you begin? Here are a few points to consider.

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HBO’s mega-series Succession follows the decaying empire of a dysfunctional media family - a template on precisely how not to run your family office. Here are five lessons that we can learn from Succession, before putting them into practice in the process of running family offices.

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Financial institutions, once regarded as the cornerstones of business, are now facing unprecedented changes and challenges that could not even have been conceived of a decade ago. We explore how banks can remain relevant within the private wealth space through a customer-centric approach.

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Only 3% of family-owned businesses survive until the fourth generation and beyond. There appears to be a cross-generational disconnect with family owned business succession. We explore past and present trends and cast a glance to the future regarding successful planning to help ensure legacies live on and thrive.

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It would appear that some Family Offices are now showing a predilection for direct investing to diversify portfolios and build new equity investment. Whether investors are motivated by high returns or other factors, it begs one important question: how best to enter the deal flow slipstream?

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Remaining relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace is no mean feat. Whilst innovation methodologies and speed-to-market are fundamental business tactics, how do we ensure we’re solving the right kind of problems? Foresight and trend analysis provide us with the necessary tools to do so.

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Statistics reveal that cybercrime is becoming one of the biggest commercial and reputational risks to family offices, a threat that is expected to grow well into the future. With businesses shifting more into the online and digital space, cyber criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods.

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Globalisation, digital transformation and climate change have transformed the way we live, work and conduct business today. Inheriting this radically transformed world are the millennials, a new generation with distinct priorities from their baby-boomer predecessors. Their north star? Purpose.

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Gone are the days of the 'Five Forces Framework', the Four P’s of 'the Marketing Mix' and the 'Seven C’s Compass'. It's time for brand frameworks which are reflective of, and adaptive to, an ever-changing business climate. We've selected the top new-age frameworks for developing a cohesive brand for your family business.

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Africa marches to her own rhythm. Besides her unrivalled natural beauty, the continent is blessed with numerous natural resources and knowledge power. Despite these riches, even the wealthiest African cities are home to the greatest numbers of people living in poverty worldwide. The emergence of a healthy Family Office ecosystem remains lacklustre.

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