Entrepreneurship, Stewardship, and the Next Generation

Reflections from the GPFO European Conference

One of the things I have always appreciated about the family office world is that many of the most meaningful conversations rarely begin with capital alone.

They begin with questions surrounding legacy, responsibility, entrepreneurship, succession, values and the long-term stewardship of both wealth and family identity.

Those themes were very much at the centre of the GPFO European Conference held in London on 5 November 2025, where family office principals, executives and advisors gathered from across Europe and beyond to exchange perspectives on the evolving role family offices continue to play within the global economy.

Operating since 2009, Global Partnership Family Offices (GPFO) has built an international membership community spanning more than twenty jurisdictions, bringing together principals, family members, executives and trusted advisors from both single family offices and multi-family offices around the world. Over the years, the organisation has become an important platform for thoughtful dialogue amongst families navigating increasingly complex investment, governance and societal landscapes.

I have the privilege of serving on GPFO's Advisory Board, and one of the things I continue to value most about the organisation is its emphasis on genuine peer exchange rather than transactional networking. The atmosphere consistently feels thoughtful, international and intellectually curious, creating space for conversations that extend far beyond markets alone.

This year's European Conference carried that same spirit.

Throughout the day, discussions explored how family offices are increasingly positioning themselves not simply as allocators of capital, but as long-term partners in entrepreneurship, innovation and generational leadership.

I was particularly pleased to join Dr. Michael J. Oliver on stage for a fireside conversation focused on entrepreneurship within family offices and the ways families are balancing stewardship with innovation in a rapidly changing world.

Michael brought a series of thoughtful and often provocative questions to the discussion, allowing us to move beyond conventional talking points and explore some of the more nuanced realities many families are currently navigating.

One of the themes we discussed extensively was the growing shift amongst family offices toward fostering entrepreneurial thinking within the family itself.

Historically, many family offices were designed primarily around preservation: preserving wealth, preserving assets and preserving family continuity across generations. Increasingly, however, many families are recognising that stewardship and entrepreneurship are not opposing ideas at all. In fact, some of the most dynamic family offices today are actively encouraging the next generation to build, innovate, invest directly and participate meaningfully in shaping the family's future direction.

What emerged repeatedly throughout the discussion was the importance of creating environments where younger family members can develop both confidence and responsibility over time.

That process rarely happens through financial exposure alone. It often requires mentorship, thoughtful governance structures, trusted external advisors and opportunities for younger generations to engage directly with entrepreneurs, operators and investment themes shaping the future economy.

We also spent time discussing the evolving role women continue to play within family offices, both at leadership levels today and increasingly amongst the next generation.

This was an area I felt particularly passionate discussing.

Across many of the family offices I have come to know over the years, I continue to see thoughtful efforts being made to encourage young women to step into leadership roles within the family office environment, supported not only by family members themselves, but also by mentors, advisors and broader peer communities helping to foster more balanced and inclusive decision-making structures for the future.

Importantly, these conversations are no longer occurring at the margins. They are becoming central to how many families think about continuity, governance and long-term resilience.

One of the privileges of participating in conferences such as GPFO's European gathering is the opportunity to hear how families from different countries and cultural backgrounds are approaching remarkably similar questions, each through their own lens of experience, history and values.

Some discussions focused heavily on direct investing and entrepreneurship. Others centred around governance, succession planning and preserving family cohesion across generations. Yet underneath many of the conversations was a shared recognition that family offices today occupy an increasingly influential position, not only financially, but socially and entrepreneurially as well.

What continues to distinguish the best family office gatherings, in my experience, is not the volume of presentations or the scale of the venue, but the quality of the conversations that continue in the corridors, over coffee and long after the formal sessions conclude.

GPFO's European Conference once again created precisely that kind of environment.

I left the day feeling grateful not only for the opportunity to participate alongside so many thoughtful individuals, but also for the continued willingness of the family office community to engage openly with complex questions surrounding leadership, innovation, succession and purpose.

Many of these same themes continue to surface across the broader Crest Family Office Forums calendar, particularly around entrepreneurship, next-generation engagement, direct investing and the evolving role family offices play in shaping the future economy.

My sincere thanks to Dr. Michael J. Oliver for such an engaging fireside discussion, to all of the presenters who generously shared their expertise and perspectives throughout the conference, and to everyone who contributed to making the gathering such a meaningful and memorable exchange of ideas.