Family businesses focus on governance and employee ownership

Family-owned businesses in the Benelux region are utilizing diverse strategies to ensure long-term continuity and employee engagement. In Belgium, leaders from Stadsbader Group and Decospan emphasize the importance of robust governance to protect company DNA across generations. Stadsbader Group, for instance, employs an advisory board and a continuity board to maintain strategic vision and stability during leadership transitions.

In the Netherlands, research conducted by Nyenrode Business University, RSM, and Van Lanschot Kempen reveals that approximately one in six large family businesses allows employees to participate in company ownership. While this practice breaks the myth that family businesses must maintain exclusive family ownership, it is primarily targeted at top management and key personnel, with only 11% of participating companies offering schemes to all employees. On average, participating employees hold 13.4% of ownership, though the founding families consistently retain at least 50% control.