Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I was born into a business family in Poland and grew up in Germany. Wanting to understand why succession failed in my family’s business, I researched family businesses during both my doctoral studies at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel, and while visiting INSEAD, Fontainebleau, and IESE Business School, Barcelona. Today, I am a full professor of family business at the Telfer School of Management in Ottawa, where I am the Founder and Academic Director of the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI). In my research, I look for the answers to the pressing questions that enterprising families ask: How can we prepare the next generation for the transition of ownership and wealth? How can we remain entrepreneurial across generations? How do we build a legacy that will last for centuries? Which governance will balance our family and business goals? My research findings have received numerous awards and were considered among the most globally influential scholarship on family business in 2013, 2015, and 2017. I have presented my research insights to members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and employees of the United Nations. In addition, I have also worked with the federal government in Canada. My research has been published in the leading academic (e.g., Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Review) and practitioner journals (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, The Conversation). In addition to my work at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, I have been a visiting professor at Zhejiang University (China), Sorbonne Business School and University de Nanterre (both France), and King’s College (United Kingdom), and am a frequent keynote speaker at both academic and practitioner conferences. Beyond my academic work, I train family business professionals on succession planning and provide support to the development of responsible Next Gen owners and effective Next Gen teams. I live with my family in Ottawa, Canada.
Lausanne Metropolitan Area
Greater Paris Metropolitan Region
Greater Paris Metropolitan Region