Lecco, May 6th (beraking latest news) – The 2024 edition of the Family Business Forum, the first and most important public event dedicated to family businesses, was presented today at the headquarters of Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio. Local institutions, partners and organizers of the initiative were present. The Forum, organized by Maria Silvia Sacchi in collaboration with Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio, will take place on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May at the Lecco Chamber of Commerce headquarters in via Tonale 30, with a program full of speeches, dialogues, workshops and interviews in which big names in entrepreneurship, research and institutions will meet to reflect on the dynamics that involve and impact family businesses.
“This year’s edition is particularly important because it comes at a time of change in some of the main business groups in the country – says Maria Silvia Sacchi, creator and director of the Forum -. Successions which, despite what we are led to think, took place for the most part in harmony and with a continuity of values. We are faced with a new family capitalism, more open, more international, with entrepreneurs determined to grow and play their part in society as demonstrated, for example, by the activity through family foundations. The Forum aims to be a place to share the best practices, and also what is not good, with the aim of contributing to improving us all”.
“For our territory, rich in entrepreneurial realities that maintain a family identity, the opportunity to host an event entirely focused on the issues that concern them closely, touching on many facets, is particularly interesting. The structured programme, the prestige of the guests, the lively format are the premise for days full of ideas where our production system will also be the protagonist, with some of its voices, and where we will all have the opportunity to deal with relevant issues in a busy time of changes and daily challenges” highlights Marco Campanari, Designated President of Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio.
Lecco and Sondrio are precisely among the Italian provinces with the highest rate of medium and large family businesses: almost 81% compared to the Italian average of 65%. This is the data that emerges from the research conducted by the AUB Observatory (Aidaf-Unicredit-Bocconi) on companies with over 20 million in turnover and whose director Fabio Quarato gave a preview during the conference, also outlining the companies themselves in terms of governance, openness and the sectors in which they operate.
The Forum will be an opportunity to discuss not only the relationships that exist within the family and those of the entrepreneurial family with the context in which it lives and operates, but also economic and technical aspects with an eye towards the international reality thanks to the presence of the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani.
And precisely in a constantly evolving geopolitical context, SIMEST, main sponsor of the Family Business Forum, supports Italian companies to grow on global markets, as President Pasquale Salzano states: “Family businesses represent 80% of the entire national production fabric . In order to successfully face the challenge of international competition, the active and concrete support of institutions with tools and resources dedicated to encouraging innovation and sustainability processes is essential. In this context, SIMEST – in synergy with the Farnesina – presents itself as a key partner of Made in Italy, capable of providing a vast range of tools – which includes subsidized finance products, equity activities, and export support – functional to development of our companies abroad”.
“We are happy again this year to support and participate in the Family Business Forum, where ideas for reflection always emerge from discussions with local entrepreneurs to help us plan the challenges of the sector together. We accompany entrepreneurs and their families to preserve their assets even in the delicate moments of generational transition” explains Alberica Brivio Sforza, Managing Director of Lombard Odier in Italy, main sponsor of the Family Business Forum. “Lombard Odier is a private bank owned by Partners who, as entrepreneurs, are on the front line with customers, in order to establish long-term relationships. In a rapidly evolving world, we have been offering strength, stability and innovation to our customers around the world for over 225 years.”
To analyze these themes, the Forum will be divided into different moments between workshops, training groups aimed at entrepreneurs and first-level managers (on the agenda for the morning of May 9th, from 9am to 1pm), plenary, the afternoon of May 9th (from 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm) and on the morning of May 10th (from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm) and visits to the company, videos made in some companies with the aim of learning about the local entrepreneurial realities and the work that goes on “behind the scenes” of a product. Participation in the Forum – in person or via streaming – is free, with mandatory registration on the website www.familybusinessforum.net.