The final session of the threepart “Family Affairs: The Joy and Challenges of Entering, Leading, Changing, and Exiting Your Familyʼs Business” alumni lecture series, taking place on April 26, focused on “Phase x – growing and exiting a family business”, and also featured a special guest presentation by MBS alumnus Daniel Herter, who shared his expert insights on the topic of private equity.
The event, organized once again by MBS alumni Dr. Natalie Djodat and Robin Knopf in cooperation with MBS Alumni Relations Manager Martina Dengler, started with a summary of the first two sessions, which had focused on “Phase 0 – before entering a family business”, “Phase 1 – getting started in a family business”, and “Phase 2 – standing your ground and developing your own leadership style”. The topic then shifted to “Phase x – growing and exiting a family business”.
Dr. Natalie Djodat (left picture, w/ guest speaker Daniel Herter) and Robin Knopf (right picture), MBS alumni and the organizers of the “Family Affairs” lecture series.
Hubertus von Fircks, another co-organizer of the event series, who just exited his family’s business, shared his very personal, first-hand experiences via a video message. Afterwards, Robin Knopf, CEO of a former family business, provided the student attendance with insights into the motivations of exiting a family business, i.e. taking pressure off the next generation, growing the business with a strong partner, and some more aspects.
The second part of the event featured a presentation by Daniel Herter, Investment Professional at DPE Deutsche Private Equity, a Munich-based private equity firm focusing on SMEs – which, in Germany, are oftentimes family businesses. He provided a lot of insights into his daily business, adding another interesting aspect to the session.
The event was eventually concluded with a Q&A session, marking the end of a well-received lecture series. We would like to thank our alumni, Dr. Natalie Djodat and Robin Knopf, as well as co-organizer Hubertus von Fircks for organizing three great, inspiring ” Family Affairs” events, and for sharing their first-hand family business insights.
