Bill Stranberg

Family businesses operate in every sector - be it bakeries, restaurants, car dealerships, real estate, grain elevators, dental practices, law firms, farms, tech, or manufacturing, families own businesses everywhere. While each industry has distinct operational requirements, success isn't only tied to industry. It's also tied to your business's culture and to how well new executives understand what makes your family enterprise different.

When the long-serving HR leader at Bundy Baking Solutions passed away unexpectedly, the second-generation family business faced a critical challenge. The company had grown from a regional manufacturer into a global enterprise, and this loss left a gap when sophisticated people leadership across international operations was most needed.

In 2021, a family business advisor asked members of the Leef family to name the date when they would be “doing something different from...