Governance and Succession in Family Business

Learning Objectives and Benefits

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recognise the Critical Role of Governance & Succession: Appreciate the importance of strong governance and succession planning, which are essential for ensuring business longevity, family harmony, and continuity.
• Design Effective Governance Frameworks: Create structured governance mechanisms, including family councils, constitutions, and boards of directors, to align family and business interests.
• Develop Tailored Succession Plans: Create actionable succession roadmaps that address leadership transitions, ownership transfer, and the readiness of the next generation.
• Enhance Family Communication & Conflict Resolution: Foster shared values and utilize proven strategies to maintain unity and effectively manage disagreements.
• Overcome Key Implementation Challenges: Proactively address conflicts stemming from family expectations, business demands, and legal complexities.
• Ensure a Lasting Business & Family Legacy: Prepare the next generation for leadership, preserve wealth, and cultivate a culture of ethical stewardship for sustainable success.

Who should attend

• Family Business Owners & Founders
• Next-Generation Leaders & Successors
• Family Business Advisors & Consultants
• Board Members & Senior Executives
• Legal & Financial Professionals

Structure and Curriculum

A 3-Day Journey to a Stronger Future

Our curriculum is carefully designed to gradually develop your knowledge and skills, combining expert-led sessions, case study analysis, and interactive discussions.

Day 1: Foundations of Family Business Governance & Succession

Module 1: Principles & Importance of Governance & Succession

Day 2: Designing Governance & Succession Frameworks

Module 2: Structures for Family & Business Governance

Day 3: Implementation, Communication & Legacy

Module 3: Executing & Sustaining Governance & Succession

Admission process

Faculty

Dr Okey Nwuke
Non-Executive Director, Access Bank Plc & Director, LBS Family Business Initiative

Dr. Nwuke is a seasoned finance and corporate governance expert with over 33 years of experience across Nigeria’s top corporations and leading financial institutions. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Walden University, USA, where his research focused on leadership transition challenges in family businesses. His distinguished career includes 23 years in Nigeria’s banking sector, followed by 9 years as an Executive Board Member at Coscharis Group, where he spearheaded governance transformation. Currently, Dr. Nwuke serves as a Non-Executive Director for several blue-chip organisations, including Access Bank Plc, Access ARM Pensions Ltd, Coscharis Ghana Ltd, and ActivEdge Technologies Ltd, while also chairing the Shareholders Audit Committee of NASCON Plc. An accomplished academic, he is a Senior Fellow at the Lagos Business School, where he teaches courses in Family Business Management, Risk Management, and Entrepreneurship. His educational accolades include:

– BSc. (Accountancy) from the University of Nigeria (Best Graduating Student, Faculty of Business Administration).
– An MBA in International Banking & Finance (Distinction) from the University of Birmingham, UK, earned as a Chevening Scholar.
– Executive leadership training at Harvard, Wharton, INSEAD, IMD, Lagos Business School, Stanford, and IESE Barcelona.

Previously, Dr. Nwuke served as Group Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking at Access Bank Plc, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the bank’s strategic direction. Following his distinguished banking career, he turned his attention to a critical challenge in Nigeria’s business landscape: the high mortality rate of family-owned enterprises. This led him to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Walden University, where his research centred on leadership succession strategies in family businesses—a topic of immense relevance in emerging economies. Since 2018, he has been at the forefront of the Family Business Management Initiative at Lagos Business School, driving thought leadership on sustainability and facilitating seminars that equip family businesses with tools for cross-generational success. A Fellow of multiple professional institutes, Dr. Nwuke blends decades of corporate leadership with a deep commitment to advancing governance, both in large institutions and family-owned enterprises.

Prof Chris Ogbechie
Professor Strategic Management & former dean, Lagos Business School

Chris Ogbechie is a Professor of Strategic Management and former dean of Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University. He is also a visiting professor at Strathmore Business School, Nairobi, Kenya. Professor Ogbechie has a first-class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from Manchester University, an MBA from Manchester Business School, and a PhD in Business Administration from Brunel Business School in the UK. He served as the fourth dean of Lagos Business School from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024. He has vast experience in marketing, strategy, and corporate governance, which is derived from his work as Head of Marketing/Sales at Nestle Nigeria and his consulting work with Nigerian, Ghanaian, and Kenyan firms over the years. While at Nestle, he held international positions in Malaysia, Singapore, and Switzerland. Professor Ogbechie teaches strategy, sustainability, and corporate governance at the Lagos Business School and Strathmore Business in Nairobi, Kenya; he is also the founding Director of the School’s Sustainability Centre. His research interests are strategy in turbulent environments, strategic leadership, board effectiveness, and corporate sustainability. Professor Ogbechie has been involved with several start-ups. He was chairman of the board of directors of Diamond Bank Plc and is on the board of several private and public companies, including Red Star Express Plc (FedEx) and National Salt Company of Nigeria Plc. (NASCON), Health Partners and Palton Morgan Holdings.

He has several publications in financial services marketing, strategic planning, corporate social responsibility, and corporate governance. His first book, “Strategic Marketing of Financial Services in Nigeria” (2011), provides essential information for marketing practitioners, especially in the financial services sector, to improve the effectiveness of their marketing. His second book, “Re-engineering the Nigerian Society through Social Marketing” (2012), is his contribution towards positively changing societal values. Professor Ogbechie has penned several journal papers on corporate governance and sustainability, notably: ‘How Large is Too Large and How Small is Too Small? Exploring Kuznets Inverted-U Relationship and Optimal Board Size in Nigerian Company Boards.’ International Journal of Business and General Management, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in SMEs: A Shift from Philanthropy to Institutional Works?’ Journal of Business Ethics and ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Nigeria: Western Mimicry or Indigenous Practices?’ Journal of Corporate Citizenship.

He has also presented various papers on corporate governance at international conferences. His paper “Corporate Governance Practices of Publicly Quoted Companies in Nigeria” is published in the International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics. And his journal article “Board Characteristics and Involvement in Strategic Decision Making: The Nigerian Perspective” is included in Emerald’s peer-reviewed reading list of quality journal articles and book chapters. Besides teaching and researching, he is involved in community service and philanthropy.

Ms Abiola Adediran
Partner at Genea Family Office

Abiola Adediran is a distinguished Family Business Advisor and global corporate finance expert with nearly two decades of experience spanning investment banking, consulting, private equity, wealth management, and family office leadership. She is a globally renowned speaker, frequently featured as a keynote speaker, panellist, and moderator at high-profile events addressing family business, wealth preservation, succession, family office, and governance. She delivers keynote addresses at conferences and leads worldwide workshops for organisations and families. Her sessions provide the latest conceptual thinking with pragmatic tools and strategies for audiences to implement meaningful change within their businesses, family offices, families, and ownership groups and for their financial wealth, social impact agendas, individual careers, and lives. As the former Group CFO of Coronation Group, a leading, diversified African financial services holding company, she oversaw business strategy, financial management, investment due diligence, value creation, and governance. She also played a pivotal role in establishing Tengen Family Office, representing the interests of the enterprise families. Abiola’s expertise in crafting innovative solutions has made her a trusted advisor to ultra-high-net-worth families and businesses. I am a partner at Genea Family Office, an independent, Pan-African multi-family office. Abiola delivers tailored wealth management and family advisory services to preserve and grow generational wealth. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a certified management consultant, she holds an MBA in Finance from Edinburgh Business School, Scotland. Her global credentials and board roles in thriving startups underscore her commitment to fostering impactful leadership and governance. As a member of the Forbes Business Council, she collaborates with global leaders to shape the future of family businesses and contribute to economic development worldwide.

Testimonials

Upcoming Sessions and Contact

For more information contact Oreoluwa at oamorighoye@lbs.edu.ng or call +2347069739101