When the Christmas announcement is not a succession plan
A founder’s holiday remark about retiring is a starting signal — not a timetable, and not a mandate.
Field notes
Field notes
Practical writing on succession, family councils, and ownership in New Zealand family enterprises.
Designing a family council that people will attend
Membership, rhythm, and decision rights matter more than a fancy charter no one opens.
Readiness is not loyalty
Appointing the most loyal child as managing director can cost the firm — and the family — more than an honest delay.
Buy-sell clauses before the crisis
Death, divorce, and desire to exit are predictable. Waiting until they arrive is optional.