Moving your family legacy forward
With 65% of family offices expecting a generational wealth transfer within the 15 years, what better theme than succession to explore at the 2017 North American Family Office Conference?
Campden Wealth's North American regional manager David Braham said in the next two decades, ultra-high net worth families will hand over $2.1 trillion to their heirs, a process which means grappling with issues around education, leadership, values, and communication.
“Societal norms are changing rapidly today, and the expectation on the next generation is huge,” Braham said. “We're going to go from single leadership to multi-leadership families, where family and non-family advisors and experts will need to work together to move the family legacy forward.”
Chairing the 28 and 29 November event in Boston will be Patricia Saputo, chief financial officer at her family's office Placements Italcan, and Irma Wang, managing director of investments at family office Romar Services.
Saputo named the top three challenges facing family offices as communication, financial literacy, and cyber security.
And the opportunities? “Using a facilitator to help with governance, looking to other families to see what worked and what hasn't and why [and] co-investing with other families.”
Braham said this year's conference will be more interactive, with afternoon break-out sessions and a choice of workshops. Some of these would include more personal themes like “raising well-rounded children” to complement the content around investments and governance.
More than 100 delegates will attend the event, with 80% being family office owners, chief executives, and family business owners.
Speaker highlights include Ken Natori, who left a career in banking in 2007 to support his entrepreneur mother Josie Natori in running her successful sleepwear and lingerie brand Natori.
Meanwhile third generation “chief wagon officer” Robert Pasin will talk about Radio Flyer, the iconic manufacturer of toy red wagons which millions have been pulled in as children. He is credited with seeing the business his grandfather founded through some lean times, as technology and cheap supplier threatened the American institution.
The day before the official programme begins, 27 November, philanthropist, entrepreneur and photographer Bobby Sager hosts delegates at his home for a cocktail reception.
“His luxurious home offers a beautiful space to network with your peers in a relaxed environment. You will also get a sneak peek of the topics and ideas which will be discussed over the two-day conference,” Braham said.
Braham described the North American Family Office Conference as “the only conference to attend in 2017.
“The quality of delegates and networking is sensational, the content is new and stronger this year, and we have some amazing partners who will be showing off new 'never been seen' products.
For further details, and to apply to register interest, click here.
