Lectures with Eva Fischer
Be inspired and get inside stories about life in a family business
Travel back in time to a succession in one of the large family businesses of Scandinavia. Hear about the conflicts, the upheaval, and the successful sale.
Book me now – and hear my story.
Lectures that inspire
Expert with a family business background
Book Eva Fischer for lectures on:
- Succession in family-owned businesses
- Cooperation between family owners and externally recruited top management
- Turnaround management and business development
- Selling a family-owned business
- The potentials and challenges of family dynamics
Contact me
- +45 6014 2635
- mail@evafischer.dk
You can book Eva Fischer as a speaker or consultant to your family- or partner-owned business. Eva Fischer can also be contacted about her work as a professional board member.
Eva Fischer has worked with:
THE BLOG
the latest blog posts
Should internal wars kill your family business?
It is a fact. Many family businesses have had serious internal disputes within the owning family - and yet the business has survived. The British monarchy is an extreme example.
"Unqualified and incompetent!"
That is how I worried others would think of me when I became head of the Norwegian division of my family's business. After all, I was just a trained sail-maker.
Have you tested your family for talent?
Have you tested your family for talent? You may know the scenario. You and your family own, develop, and run a business. But the division of responsibilities does not reflect transparent HR considerations.
FAMILY OR BUSINESS? Should I choose?
FAMILY OR BUSINESS? - Should I choose? Many families discuss their family business over Sunday lunch and in doing so become a 'business family'.
"Don't tell your husband!"
That is not the kind of wording you would find in any contract. However, when confidentiality is at play, it includes our spouses. So how about family businesses, where family members work closely together?
Women are also allowed to take advantage of an opportunity
The winds of change are blowing. A quota law on gender balance on boards may soon become a reality. In
Norway, gender quotas have been a reality since 2006.
Will you defend "moderately competent with a strong network"?
Quotas for women on boards are problematic. But not as problematic as the consequences of not introducing them. This is how I - without any enthusiasm - have come to view it.
Has your company helped Ukraine - and told people about it?
Has your company helped Ukraine - and told people about it? Lego and Bestseller have done something remarkable. They have donated hundreds of millions to relief organizations that help Ukrainians affected by war.
Transparent pay rates create more harmonious owner families
There is no doubt. If family owners are to maintain healthy relations, it is important that all family members feel that they are being treated fairly when it comes to money.
"I'm still running this business!"
Maybe they don't say it. But for the heads of family businesses, handing over leadership to the next generation can be difficult.
A broken family and a family business on the brink of financial ruin
That may sound dramatic. But after a generational change, with the new generation taking over the reins, that could be the result. Fortunately, the owning family can prevent this situation from happening.
Owner families should respect formal decision-making processes
Owner-families should respect formal decision-making processes Many family businesses have a board and day-to-day management made up of
a mix of family owners and people with no family ties to the business.
Have you tested your family for talent?
Have you tested your family for talent? You may know the scenario. You and your family own, develop, and run a business. But the division of responsibilities does not reflect transparent HR considerations.
Does your company have a family business forum?
Does your company have a family business forum? Even before I got involved in running my family's business, I wanted to know what was happening in the organization, both at strategic and operational level.
"Why does SHE always get the attention?"
"Why does she always get the attention?" The question is probably as old as humanity. When humans began to hunt and kill primordial cows, we worked in cohesive groups. But when the clan gathered around the camp fire at night, only one person could boast about throwing that last spear that made the kill.
Is your family business acting out its core values?
Is your family business acting out its core values? Hopefully, the answer is yes. Indeed, family businesses have a unique
opportunity to execute long-term strategies that are completely
value-based.
Are you underpaid?
Are you underpaid? If so, you are not alone. And if you are employed by your family's business, that could be the reason for the slump.
DOES THE FAMILY GET PAID TOO MUCH?
Does the family get paid too much? This is a relevant issue in many family businesses. Imagine that the CEO, who is NOT a member of the owner family, is paid a market level salary.
"Unqualified and incompetent!"
That is how I worried others would think of me when I became head of the Norwegian division of my family's business. After all, I was just a trained sail-maker.
BUSINESS AND FAMILY GATHERING must not be mixed
Everyone running a family business should agree on this - and preferably before the confusion becomes a problem, as I have experienced it can be.
Can family ties replace a contractual agreement?
No. Contracts are at least as important in family businesses as in other firms. A family member who is not contractually obliged to fulfil a well-defined role in the business may
FAMILY OR BUSINESS? Should I choose?
FAMILY OR BUSINESS? - Should I choose? Many families discuss their family business over Sunday lunch and in doing so become a 'business family'.
Suddenly I was lying on the sofa and could hardly move
This is what today's Berlingske (a large Danish newspaper) says about my condition after the sale of Brunata, the company that my family and I sold for almost 600 million DKK.