As a family business consultant, Jennifer specializes in helping families, family offices, and their advisors to navigate the complexities of family dynamics and relationships which often occur in the context of family business and family wealth. An accomplished entrepreneur, she merges her business strategy experience with her formal training and private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist to facilitate decision-making. Jennifer understands and comfortably navigates the impact of wealth and business ownership on personal relationships, as well as the challenges, and most importantly, the potential opportunities that can accrue to a family existing in this space. Jennifer believes in introducing any governance or structure into a family enterprise through the lens of family relationships to protect family, business, and wealth.
Navigating Complex Relationships
Family relationships in the context of business and wealth can be complex. Jennifer is able to help clients navigate through stressors and transitions, with an understanding of the unique dynamics faced by family members who work or own companies together, as well as balance the specific issues managed by families with wealth in family enterprise and family offices. Jennifer guides clients through complex conversations, always viewing the work through the lens of how to protect both assets and relationships.
The Right Conversations
With her knowledge of family business and systems therapy, Jennifer is able to support conversations, ensuring that family relationships are protected and business interests are addressed. Family clients are able to utilize the tools from this work to move forward with better structure, more clarity, and less conflict. Through transitions such as succession planning, estate planning, and challenging topics such as prenuptial agreements and ownership transition, Jennifer supports clients with confidence and an understanding of key issues.
The Importance of Having a Family Business Consultant
● Resolve Family Conflicts: Inconsistent goals, values, and views amongst family members that run a business together can create strain and conflict. The disagreements can damage family relationships if they are not handled in a healthy and constructive way. Family business consultants are the outside party that mediate the situation and advocate for open communication. Family business consultants help to find the root of the disagreement and then develop mutually agreeable resolution strategies.
● Business Governance: Family business consultants can help define and update the process of making decisions in family business or family offices.
● Leadership Development: Does your family business have the next generation of leaders ready to take the reins? Do they have the skills and knowledge to be good leaders? Prepared for the challenges that will come their way when owning and operating a family business? A family business consultant will work with the current management to help identify areas necessary for continued growth and development.
● Unexpected Crisis: Unexpected things such as divorce, illness, death, and litigation amongst family members can cause a sense of emergency and panic while also endangering the family business. Family business consultants are prepared to walk you and your family through the next steps for a contingency and proactive continuity plan.