Centre Family Business Governance

Het GUBERNA Centre Family Business Governance helpt familiebedrijven bij het afstemmen van corporate governance op family governance. We begeleiden bedrijfsfamilies op hun voortdurende reis naar goed bestuur.

Wij geloven dat sterke familiebedrijven zijn gebouwd op een solide familiefundament in combinatie met een professionele bestuursstructuur. Wij ondersteunen onze familiebedrijven met toegewijde diensten die hen helpen om waarde op lange termijn te creëren.

For whom ?

The Centre for Family Business Governance focuses on medium- and large-sized family businesses, where one or more generations of family shareholders work together to shape a sustainable future for their family business.

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Different ways to engage with us

The Centre for Family Business Governance has developed extensive expertise in family governance. We offer in-company training for now-gens and next-gens, board evaluations, remuneration benchmarks, reviews of board documents and advice on board composition. We also support corporate families in drafting or updating a family charter.

Activities

GUBERNA, alongside EY and FBN Belgium, is co-organiser and jury member of the annual 'Family Business Award of Excellence', in collaboration with BNP Paribas Fortis and De Tijd / l'Echo.

Regularly, together with GUBERNA knowledge partner Hudson Belgium, the Centre for Family Business organises the 'Family Business Platform'. This is a closed platform for peer exchange between family business representatives for insights and knowledge sharing on (family) governance-specific topics (e.g. remuneration committee, next generation involvement...).

We regularly organise in-company trainings for now-gens and next-gens, and conduct governance evaluations specifically for family businesses. (Reference list can be provided upon request).

Family Business Award of Excellence

Every year, together with EY and FBNet Belgium, and in collaboration with BNP Paribas Fortis and De Tijd / l'Echo, GUBERNA presents the Family Business Award of Excellence. Through this initiative, we want to encourage family businesses to share best practices and put the laureates in the spotlight each year.
Family Business Platform

This is a closed platform for peer exchange between family business representatives for insights and knowledge sharing on (family) governance-specific topics (e.g. remuneration committee, next-generation involvement...).
Research

GUBERNA works closely with the Research Centre for Entrepreneurship & Family Firms (RCEF, UHasselt) led by Prof Wim Voordekkers, and the Expertise Centre Family Businesses VKW-Limburg led by Koen Hendrix. Our research and expertise, combined with the insights and experience from family businesses themselves, form a unique combination. Where appropriate, we also use this to sensitise the political world to the specific challenges of family businesses.

Publicatons for the centre Family Business

The Centre for Family Business Governance frequently publishes notes and articles on the latest trends in corporate and family governance, translating academic insights into applicable knowledge and practical tools. On the topic of family governance, we work together in academic research projects with, among others, the Research Centre for Entrepreneurship & Family Firms (RCEF, UHasselt) with prof. dr. Wim Voordekkers and prof. dr. Anneleen Michiels, the Expertisecentrum Familiebedrijven VKW-Limburg led by director Koen Hendrix, and prof. dr. Eddy Laveren & prof. dr. Ine Paeleman (Dept. of Accountancy and Financing, UAntwerpen).

We particularly follow the topics of:

Involving the next gens in family governance and corporate governance
How family members can impact strategy
Being a responsible family shareholder
Long term sustainable value creation

Highlighted Publicaties

Governance in family businesses: Who is the Family?

Family businesses are justly considered the backbone of our economy and are praised by many for their long-term perspective and ‘good housekeeping’ in which the family is a key driver.
Overdracht binnen familiebedrijven: hoe het overzicht niet te verliezen?

Transmission is a crucial issue in entrepreneurship today. In the case of family businesses, it is even more complicated because it includes family and generational aspects in addition to the basic complexities.
GUBERNA en the content company lanceren “Family Business”, een podcastreeks over en voor familiebedrijven

A podcast that explores what it means to be a family business. or better: a podcast that inspires family businesses on their path to professionalisation. That is the objective of the Family Business series, launched by GUBERNA and the content company. "Family businesses have the spirit of the times: they are actually museums and laboratories of entrepreneurship at the same time."

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Corporate Governance in Belgium 1997 - 1998

GUBERNA onderzoekt met vaste intervallen de corporate governance praktijk in Belgische bedrijven. Zowel de grote, middelgrote als kleine beursgenoteerde en besloten ondernemingen worden daarbij bestudeerd, met ook bijzondere aandacht voor familiebedrijven en buitenlandse filialen. Dit onderzoek wordt in verschillende fasen uitgevoerd en gaat zeer breed. In de bevraging worden alle organen van het corporate governance drieluik betrokken: de raad van bestuur, het management en de aandeelhouders.