A LEAN TEAM, POWERED BY FAMILIES On paper, FBN Asia is run by an executive team of just four people.That might seem surprisingly small for an organisation with such a wide geographic reach and an ambitious programme of activities. In practice, the “secret” is the network itself. FBN describes itself as an organisation created by families, for families. Many of the families who have benefited from its work over the years now give back as speakers, mentors, hosts and contributors, creating a flywheel effect. The executives’ role is less to stand at the front of the room and teach, and more to connect the dots: to link families with peers who can help them, to curate relevant advisers and institutions, and to orchestrate learning journeys that match the needs of different generations and geographies. Partnerships are an important part of this ecosystem. FBN Asia collaborates with wealth management firms, family business advisers, large professional services firms such as PwC and Korn Ferry, and academic institutions including INSEAD, IMD, and leading universities in Singapore. These partners bring technical expertise and facilitate workshops, while the families themselves supply the lived experience and case studies that bring topics to life. SUCCESSION, GOVERNANCE AND THE COMING WEALTH TRANSFER If there is one theme that dominates FBN Asia’s horizon for the next decade, it is the scale of wealth and leadership transition across the region. A large proportion of Asian family businesses are now moving from second to third generation. Culturally, there is a persistent saying in many Asian societies that “wealth does not pass the third generation”– a narrative that can weigh heavily on both founders and heirs. At the same time, research and media commentary point to an unprecedented wave of wealth transfer in Asia, measured in the trillions of dollars. In that context, the risks and opportunities are enormous. Families are being challenged not only to preserve capital and businesses, but also to decide what they want that capital to do – for their families, for their communities, and for the wider world. FBN Asia’s work in this area revolves around helping families think long-term and systemically. That includes encouraging them to develop family constitutions, clarify governance structures, define roles and decision-making processes, and understand that succession is not a one-off event but a process that takes years to prepare and execute. The organisation is also keenly aware of what happens when these issues are neglected. Public examples of high-profile family disputes, while 76 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 12
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