Former British prime minister John Major will be the keynote speaker at the first family business forum at University College Cork (UCC) on Friday. The one-day forum is being organized by the John C Kelleher Family Business Centre in UCC.
Centre director Dr Joan Buckley said the conference was aimed at all those working in family businesses, both family and non-family members, and advisers to family businesses. It will focus on how family-owned businesses can grow and develop.
The conference is a "major step" in the development of the family business centre, according to UCC president Gerry Wrixon.
"One of the main aims of the centre is to bridge the scholarly and analytical world of academia and the world of family business, where both worlds learn from and develop with each other. We see the conference as a major step in this," he said.
John Major, who left the British parliament in 2001, has a range of business interests and was previously chairman of the European operations of the Carlyle private equity group. He will discuss issues facing family businesses at the event, which has the theme: Sustaining the Family Business.
Other speakers include Gerry McCaughey, the chief executive of Century Homes, Patrick Campbell, the chairman of the Campbell Bewley Group and Peter Leach, partner of BDO Stoy Hayward.
Topics for discussion include the succession process, maintaining momentum, and family conflict.