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Internal succession

Succession within the family secures the continuity of the company, its values and its culture across generations. For the transition to succeed it takes early planning, clear decisions and deliberate preparation of the next generation.

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For many companies, an internal family handover is the preferred path.

Family succession is demanding. It succeeds when the distinct systems of "business" and "family" are aligned with one another.

Regulating succession within the family means reconciling the integrative rules of the family with the selective concept of the business. The individual situation of the entrepreneurial family and the family business determines the complexity of the process. We do not view succession as a single event, but as an ongoing process. During this process, many aspects of the family and its members evolve. Every individual family member should know what is important to them and what they stand for. Likewise, the family needs its own values—both for themselves as a family and for their businesses.

How is a common foundation for family succession established?How is a common foundation for family succession established?

These foundations are essential for making decisions regarding family-internal succession—for the outgoing entrepreneur as well as for the family member taking over. The process reduces the risk of expectations, ideas, and wishes remaining unspoken. Addressing these issues early on, even when they are controversial, promotes a successful transition to the next generation.

How can responsibility be successfully passed on to the next generation?How can responsibility be successfully passed on to the next generation?

The greatest challenges rarely lie in legal or tax structuring. Instead, they are found in the transfer of responsibility to the successor or successors. The goal is to keep the interests of the company and the shareholders aligned with their families. At the same time, a framework must be created that allows the next generation to implement change. This creates a viable path for the future of both the family business and the entrepreneurial family.

We guide succession processes to identify and, where possible, eliminate potential friction points in family-internal succession. Simultaneously, we clarify changing roles to strengthen mutual trust and define the succession process.

Succession means letting go.

We live and breathe succession – let's talk!

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Shaping succession successfully

Internal succession

The handover process

A successful business handover follows a clear process: 1. analysis of the current situation, 2. definition of goals, 3. clarity about the succession strategy to be pursued, 4. legal and tax preparation, 5. practical delivery

Four different levels

Business succession is complex because four levels have to be considered at once: the personal, the family, the shareholder and the business level. A lasting solution only emerges when the interests and requirements of all four are brought into line with one another.

Psychological aspects

A successful succession is decided not only in contracts and structures but also within the family. Open communication, transparent decisions and a constructive way of handling conflict create the acceptance the generational change needs. Instruments such as a family constitution help to clarify expectations and hold the company together over the long term.

Separating family and business

Family and business follow different rules. In the family, cohesion and equal treatment come first; in the business what counts is responsibility, performance and the best solution for the future of the company. A succession succeeds when both perspectives are deliberately kept apart and yet brought into harmony.

Zu Governance & Compliance
An opportunity to develop the business

Handing over the company is an opportunity for the new generation to shape its future actively and to change things fundamentally. In family businesses in particular, an objective view from outside helps to assess potential and suitability realistically. What matters are leadership skills, commercial understanding and entrepreneurial thinking, so that the company can be led successfully into the next generation.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

Internal Succession

Business succession is unique to every company. We analyze your initial situation, discuss your objectives, and derive potential courses of action. Based on this, we develop a succession strategy that aligns with your goals, your company, and your shareholders. This strategy serves as the foundation for a clear roadmap for successful implementation.

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Generational change with a future

Generational change with a future: Preparing and implementing family-internal business succession

Industry: Construction company

Our role: Consultant, implementation support

Project objectives

  • Development of a viable succession strategy for the handover from the second to the third generation
  • Securing the company's ability to act and compete over the long term
  • Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision-making rights between the owning family, shareholders, and management
  • Preparing the next generation for their future leadership and shareholder responsibilities
  • Preserving the company's values, culture, and customer relationships throughout the generational change
  • Creating a binding roadmap for the step-by-step transfer of responsibility and decision-making authority

Key results

  • Developing a succession strategy that is agreed upon and supported by all stakeholders
  • Clearly defining future roles as shareholders, advisory board members, and operational managers
  • Creating a structured development plan for the next generation with defined milestones
  • Establishing governance and decision-making structures for the interaction between family and company
  • Successfully transferring knowledge regarding customers, projects, and key processes
  • Ensuring high acceptance of the generational change among managers and employees
  • Significantly reducing succession and leadership risks through an orderly handover process
  • Securing long-term continuity and the future viability of the company beyond the generational change

Approach

  • Analyzing the starting position at the company, shareholder, family, and personal levels
  • Conducting interviews with owners, the next generation, and key personnel within the company
  • Assessing the suitability, skills, and development needs of potential successors
  • Developing a shared vision for the future leadership and ownership structure
  • Establishing a family and corporate governance structure with clear roles and decision-making paths
  • Defining a multi-year handover and development plan for the next generation
  • Designing a structured knowledge transfer between generations
  • Support for the step by step transfer of leadership duties, customer relationships and responsibility for staff
  • Facilitation of family and shareholder workshops to clarify expectations and potential areas of conflict
  • Management of the delivery and regular review of the milestones reached

Discover more categories

Succession & Emergency Strategy
External Succession
Transition and change processes
Decision-making and responsibility structures
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