AvS Advisors convened a Virtual Roundtable together with the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at the Kellogg School of Management. Against a backdrop of regional conflict, disrupted supply chains and economic uncertainty, the discussion explored how enterprising families prepare for volatility before it arrives, and how ownership, management and family roles can be held apart when pressure builds.

The panel featured Mr Zayed R. Alzayani, Chairman of the Board at Alzayani Investments and former Minister of Industry, Commerce & Tourism in Bahrain, and Professor Matt Allen, John L. Ward Clinical Professor of Family Enterprises and Executive Director of the Ward Center. The discussion was moderated by Frederik Otto. Family owners, operating business leaders and close advisers joined from the GCC region, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

We summarised five key takeaways from the panel and the discussion, including why governance belongs in place before it is needed, how stated values become practical guidance for decisions on employees, customers and capital, and why formal documents cannot substitute for trust and leadership. The PDF is available for download below.