Services

Corporate governance consulting for family groups that intend to outlive their founder

A company that runs on rules rather than on one person. Agreed by the family, in the family's language, not drafted by us and signed.

Thirty minutes. No deck. A senior consultant replies.

Who calls us

Founders planning to step back. You want the company to continue and the family to stay together, without either depending on you being in the room.

Second-generation siblings and cousins. Decisions that used to take a phone call now take a family argument. You need a structure before the next one.

Companies preparing for an investor or a listing. A partner or regulator wants a working board, clear authority and reporting a stranger can trust.

What you get

A governance diagnosis: how ownership, management and family decisions are made today, and where they overlap.
A family constitution: values, rules for family members joining, being paid and leaving, ownership transfer, dividends, dispute resolution.
Family governance bodies: a family council with a clear remit and rhythm, separate from the board.
Board design and effectiveness: composition, the case for independent directors, committees, a charter, an evaluation method.
A succession plan, treating ownership and leadership as two separate questions.
Delegation of authority: a written matrix of who approves what, related-party rules, quarterly board reporting.
A regulatory fit review: which requirements apply, and which are worth adopting voluntarily.

Legal drafting of shareholder agreements and articles is done by your lawyers. We brief them.

How the work runs

Scoping. Confidential conversations with the founder and, separately, each branch of the family.
Diagnosis. Interviews with family members, directors and managers. A review of articles, agreements and board minutes.
Design. Facilitated family sessions to agree the constitution, the bodies and the succession principles.
Documentation and adoption. Charters and matrix finalised, briefed to your lawyers, adopted at a family assembly and a board meeting.

What goes wrong without it

The copied charter. Downloaded from a listed company and adopted unread. It answers questions the family does not have.
Succession by silence. The founder assumes the eldest will take over. So does the eldest. The siblings assume otherwise.
A board that is a family dinner. The same argument as around the table, with managers waiting outside.
Ownership split by inheritance alone. A company built by one person, now run by eight who never agreed to be partners.
The investor arrives first. Governance built under due-diligence pressure, on the investor's terms.

People and organization for management structure, family roles and pay.
Financial advisory for valuation and buy-outs between branches.
Strategy consulting when the next generation must first agree where the group is going.
Consulting in Saudi Arabia for family governance work in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Frequently asked questions

What does corporate governance consulting involve for a private family company?

A family constitution, a family council, a board with a charter and clear authority, a delegation matrix and a succession plan. The aim is not a listing rule but a company that runs on rules.

What is a family constitution and is it legally binding?

On its own it is a moral commitment. The provisions the family wants enforceable are carried into the shareholder agreement and articles by your lawyers, which is part of how we run the work.

Do the Saudi CMA corporate governance regulations apply to my company?

They apply to listed companies and to those preparing to list. Private groups are not bound but often adopt the parts that fit. Confirmation of your obligations comes from your legal counsel.

What is board effectiveness work?

Making an existing board work: the right mix, a charter separating board from management, an agenda covering strategy and risk, papers that arrive before the meeting, and an annual review.

How does succession planning work when several children are in the business?

Ownership and leadership are separated first. Ownership follows the family's agreed rules; leadership follows criteria applied to family and non-family alike. A family member can own without being CEO.

How much does governance and family business consulting cost?

Fixed fee per scope, quoted in writing. It depends on the number of branches and companies, and whether board design and succession are in scope.

Tell us about the family and the company

In confidence, with the founder or whoever has been asked to raise the subject.