Family Innovations Summit Schedule

2019 Family Innovations Summit Schedule

8:00 a.m. Registration, Networking, and Breakfast Tata Innovation Center, Bowtie
8:45 a.m. Welcome Remarks and Opening Keynote Tata Innovation Center, 327

Welcome comments: Daniel Van Der Vliet, Smith Family Business Initiative

Opening keynote: Dharmendra “D.J.” Rama MMH ‘96 – Auro Hospitality Group

Growing up in a hospitality family, D.J. Rama knows every aspect of the business. While holding on to the legacy that his family built through four decades of hard work and integrity, he adds his knowledge of current trends and best practices to lead JHM Hotels into the 21st century of the lodging industry. He leads a team that oversees all existing operations in the full-service and select-service portfolios as well as developing future strategies for growth and profitability.

10:00 a.m. Case study: Market Forces – The Bancroft Family and the Sale of Dow Jones / Wall Street Journal Tata Innovation Center, 327
Mike Hill is a fifth-generation member of the Bancroft family, former controlling shareholders of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Sharing the story of the landmark sale of Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal, Mike will offer a cautionary tale for families not prepared when disruption arrives.

  • Mike Hill, Minot’s Light

Facilitator: Alon Kapen ’87, Farrell Fritz

11:15 a.m. Innovation, Interrupted: Embracing Change in the Family Business Tata Innovation Center, 327
Interruptions come in all shapes and sizes, from those considered a normal part of the business cycle such as changing market conditions or an acquisition proposal, to the deeply personal and subjective, such as the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one or a new idea and the choices it brings. They can be frightening and destabilizing, but they can also be used as catalysts for growth and improvement. It all depends on how you respond to them. Entrepreneurs have to be ready to accept and even embrace these changes as they come.

  • Ramez Baassiri – Board Member, AHB Group

Facilitator: Rania Labaki, Cornell Family Business Scholar, Associate Professor of Management, EDHEC Business School

12:30 p.m. Lunch & Networking Tata Innovation Center, Bowtie
1:15 p.m. When Disruption Comes from the Inside Tata Innovation Center, 327
Family forces often prove to be more disruptive than most market forces. They can be sudden and unforeseen, or persistent and silent. Panelists will share experiences from their own families and steps needed to bring the family together and move forward.

Moderator: James Wood, ‘MBA 16, Executive Director, EY Family Enterprise Business Services  

 2:15 p.m. The Family Office and Frontline Governance Strategies Tata Innovation Center, 327
Good governance has many facets. Families that have a structured approach to education, investments and a future vision for the family often find themselves better prepared for disruptions and generational shifts. A family office may also take on many forms, and can be an effective approach to managing values and business strategy from generation to generation.

Moderator: Margarita Tsoutsoura, Smith Family Business Initiative

3:30 p.m.

 

Evergreen Principals that Empower Innovation

Closing Comments – Summit partners

Tata Innovation Center, 327
Family and privately-owned businesses have a distinct advantage when family and ownership are closely aligned. Evergreen businesses are led by purpose-driven leaders with the grit and resourcefulness to build and scale private, profitable, enduring and market-leading businesses that make a long-term difference. Understanding certain “evergreen” principals, which may already be in place in your family or business, can be an effective lever to empower innovation in this generation and others to come.

 4:30 p.m. Closing Reception Cornell Tech Courtyard