Family firms in the spotlight at February BusinessDesk.com seminar

The issues and challenges facing family firms will be on the agenda at a special Business.Desk.com event next month.

A Family Business Seminar is taking place on the morning of February 13, at Manchester Business School, in partnership with specialist law firm Hall Brown, and Manchester Business School.

This free-to-attend event will feature a panel of experts and business leaders who will be taking part in a discussion which will be part of a week of articles, commentary and features focusing on the main issues, challenges, and opportunities faced by family businesses.

Topics covered at the debate will include:

• Planning for the future and managing succession
• Managing growth
• Staff engagement and staff attraction
• Wealth protection and managing shareholder relationships

The panelists are:

Claire Smith, Head of business development at Moneypenny, who qualified as a solicitor before moving into the world of business development, specialising in the legal sector.

She headed up Connect2Law, the UKs largest referral and support network for law firms, before moving to join the national legal brand QualitySolicitors.

Moneypenny is the UK’s leading telephone answering specialist and was launched by brother and sister Rachel Clacher and Ed Reeves.

Doug Wilson, investment director at private equity specialists Connection Capital, is responsible for sourcing, executing and managing Connection Capital’s Private Debt transactions.

He is a qualified accountant and fellow of the ICEAW with seven years of corporate finance experience across a number of roles, including transaction services at PWC, acquisition finance at Bank of London and the Middle East and, most recently, early stage structured finance at Silicon Valley Bank.

Sue Howorth, founder of the Family Business Network, is a well-respected family business ambassador, businesswoman, Board Trustee for the Cumbria Community Foundation, sits on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Family Business management, and is part of the Cumbria IOD Committee.

Sue has a wealth of experience supporting a variety of businesses across a range of sectors and is recognised for her business acumen, signposting, mentoring and both event host and facilitator.

James Brown, co-founder and director of family law firm Hall Brown, has expertise in all aspects of family law, but specialises in divorce involving complex financial issues.

He has acted for, and advised, a wide range of clients from teachers, doctors, and lawyers through to celebrities.

He has particular expertise advising entrepreneurs and their ex-partners/spouses having acted in cases involving £100,000, up to £100m at every level from Magistrates’ Court to Supreme Court.

You can book to attend this event here.