The FBN-IESE Africa Workshop is a first of its kind meeting of leading global families from Africa and other parts of the world.
IntroductionThe FBN–IESE Africa Workshop returns for its second edition. The first gathering, held in Barcelona in April 2025, brought together leading African and global families for the first time to share experiences, discuss common challenges, and explore what a lasting network of African family businesses could look like. This second edition picks up from where that conversation left off.Both returning families and new participants are welcome at this gathering. Those who attended in 2025 bring continuity and the relationships formed over the past year. New families bring additional perspectives and extend the reach of the network. The mix of both is intentional: trust between families develops over time and across multiple interactions.
Our Overarching ObjectiveOur aim for this second edition is to offer concrete value to everyone in the room — through honest peer exchange, updated research, and the formal establishment of FBN chapters on the continent, with the goal of developing strong local communities in Africa, building on four decades of FBN’s experience in fostering local networks.The participants will leave with a clearer sense of what this community can offer them, and a genuine interest in remaining involved beyond the event.The programme this year covers three connected themes: how families build partnerships across borders, how they develop the next generation of leadership, and how they contribute to the communities around them. We also continue the research work begun in 2025, presenting expanded findings from new interviews and surveys conducted with African family businesses across the continent, and building on the report “From Foundations to Future” introduced at the first workshop.
FormatThe three-day format follows the same structure as the first edition: afternoon visits to family-owned businesses on the day of arrival; a full day of plenary sessions, panels, and peer-learning breakout groups on governance and succession[MEM1.1]; and a second full day that includes dedicated space for the FBN Africa network and individual reflection on next steps.In the breakout sessions, participants will be guided by a curated question to help structure peer exchange and ensure every group arrives at concrete, useful insights. These sessions are conducted under a shared code of conduct. What is said in the room stays in the room.
ParticipantsParticipants include returning families from the 2025 edition alongside new families joining for the first time. The group is drawn from Africa and from global families with close ties to the continent, with the aim of maintaining a balance between African and international participants.
