Shareholder strategy

Aligning family and business objectives for sustainable impact

Being a shareholder in a family business involves more than financial concerns. Ownership matters: the role of owners is central to sustaining the long-term and positive impact of family businesses. New generations are particularly attentive to ensuring that business models incorporate these objectives. At Teleos, we help you develop an ownership strategy that clearly defines the family’s long-term goals, while respecting corporate governance. This strategy aligns family members around a shared vision that integrates financial, entrepreneurial and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) objectives.

Why is an ownership strategy crucial for family businesses?

Decision-making power does not belong directly to shareholders but to the company’s strategic management, that acts as their representative. Shareholders can only react afterward, risking disengagement if their companies no longer make them proud. An ownership strategy strengthens shareholder representation at all levels of the company, thereby increasing their confidence and pride. It also provides greater clarity to the management body, enabling them to define a corporate strategy aligned with shareholders' intentions. This alignment between family and entrepreneurial goals fosters the sustainability of the family ecosystem.

We help you to:

Developing a clear and effective shareholder agreement.
Integrate ESG objectives to create a positive social and environmental impact
Develop guiding principles to steer long-term leadership decisions

Designing an ownership strategy to ensure family and entrepreneurial alignment

The ownership strategy is a key element that establishes the long-term framework - the “rules of the game” - for the family business. By incorporating family values, financial goals, and societal commitments, this strategy enables the business to implement strategic action plans aligned with shareholders’ expectations. It should be understood as providing boundaries within which the company can and must develop freely.

Need help structuring your family governance?

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How does Teleos support you in developing your ownership strategy?

The development of an ownership strategy should be understood as an interactive process between owners, strategic management and the executive team. The determining success factor is the inclusion and interaction among these different levels. Only with joint support for the process can the outcome be comprehensible and achievable. Through our group facilitation techniques, collective intelligence and participatory decision-making processes we guide you in achieving convergence and arriving at a shared conviction among all stakeholders

Testimonial

The transition from the third to the fourth generation of UCB family shareholders had been carefully planned for more than a decade by my aunts, uncle and father. My three cousins and I knew that we were likely to work together for at least twenty years to support the future innovations and growth of UCB. The competition of the succession process and numerous other unstated issues had somewhat come in the way of our deep friendship and mutual respect. In less than two days of work, Sophie helped us come to the core of those issues, feel them, express them clearly and move forward with a stronger than ever sense of unity and purpose. Those two days have nourished our interactions over the last years.
Charles-Antoine Janssen - Vice-Chairman - UCB
Testimonial

Sophie is an exceptional facilitator and coach who enables and empowers family business members to develop a business vision and growth strategies through effective communication. Her ability to create, maintain and teach psychological safety with underlying empathy to enable difficult and sensitive conversations within the family and the business is truly remarkable. Her unique understanding of multi cultural family dynamics enables her to be an effective catalyst for driving positive transformation both in the business and interpersonal dynamics of various stakeholders. It’s been a privilege to know and work with her.
Aasiya & Samana Tejani G3, Co-owners - Director of Finance & Director of Operations Gits Food Products Pvt. Ltd