conference sessions
Our sessions at the 2025 Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific have been thoughtfully crafted to provide you with real-world tools and takeaways for navigating change in family businesses. Featuring a range of expert keynote presentations, family business stories, interactive workshops, and parallel sessions, this year’s conference program will guide you through vital topics—economic outlooks, the technology landscape, intergenerational dynamics, resilience, family transitions, the value of partnerships, adaptability, and more. Every session is designed to equip you with strategies to navigate current challenges, embrace future opportunities, and achieve sustained success for your family business.
keynote sessions
Our keynote sessions at the 2025 Family Business Conference will cover important topics, including global and local economic updates and trends, future technologies, and "gentelligence"—an exploration of generational understanding. Join these thought leaders for powerful insights on staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving world. In addition, hear from successful family businesses on preparing the next generation to become owners, the value of partnerships for success, and stepping into a leadership role within a family business.
ECONOMIC UPDATE
Thursday 22 May 2025, 9:15am - 9:50am
David Koch, otherwise affectionately known by the public as Kochie, is one of Australia’s most recognised and respected faces. Before Sunrise, Kochie was a (self-proclaimed) finance nerd who started as a cadet on the business pages of The Australian newspaper before joining BRW magazine soon after its launch in the …
SUCCEEDING IN A CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING WORLD
SUCCEEDING IN A CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING WORLD
Thursday 22 May 2025, 10:40am - 11:30am
Over the past quarter-century, family businesses have faced significant changes and challenges that have transformed their operations. Technological advancements, along with social and environmental influences, have disrupted traditional business practices and led to emerging trends that will continue to shape the global business landscape. In this keynote, international expert Göran …
STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP IN STYLE
Thursday 22 May 2025, 11:30am - 12:15pm
For over 50 years, APG & Co has curated some of Australia’s most iconic fashion brands, including Sportscraft, SABA, and JAG. Owned by the Marshall and Michael families, the company has evolved from a white label business of design and manufacturing into a house of brands. Elisha Hopkinson, a second-generation …
TURNING THE ORDINARY INTO EXTRAORDINARY: THE RISE OF THE BIG GROUP
Thursday 22 May 2025, 3:20pm - 4:10pm
In 1990, a very young Bruce Keebaugh, post a degree in Hotel Management, was given an office and a phone from his Dad. He then spent 500 dollars at Pink Panther Printing on some very fancy letterhead titled “BIG & Small Catering and Event Management”. Starting at “A” for advertising …
GENTELLIGENCE FOR THE FAMILY BUSINESS
Friday 23 May 2025,
9:00am - 9:50am
Featured as one of Harvard Business Review’s Top 10 Must Reads for 2024, Megan developed the Gentelligence® concept to help organizations change the way they approach generational differences. Gentelligence assists family businesses in transforming generational differences into strategic advantages. This approach emphasises that …
WEAVING A LEGACY THROUGH SUCCESSION
Friday 23 May 2025,
9:50am - 10:40am
It’s often said that succession planning in family businesses is a process, not a one-time event. The key question is: when is it too early to start this process? In reality, it’s never too early. Effective succession planning should start long before the actual transition is required, providing ample …
AI FOR THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS: NAVIGATING THE NEW FRONTIER
Friday 23 May 2025,
2:30pm - 3:15pm
Join Stephen Scheeler, renowned for his direct involvement in pioneering AI ventures, as he presents a thought-provoking keynote on the future of business in an AI-driven era. Drawing from his experiences leading Facebook Australia & New Zealand and Omniscient, Stephen offers a unique perspective on how AI is reshaping industries …
FRIDAY CLOSING SESSION
Friday 23 May 2025,
3:45pm - 4:30pm
We’ve saved something special for Friday’s closing session—details to be announced soon!
plenary sessions
MESSAGE FROM THE HON. ALLEGRA SPENDER MP
Thursday 22 May 2025, 8:55am – 9:15am
Allegra Spender is the Independent Member for Wentworth. She was elected in May 2022 on a platform climate action, political integrity, future-focused economic reform, gender equity and decency. Before parliament, Allegra worked as a business analyst at McKinsey, a policy analyst with UK Treasury and was later the Managing Director …
GLOBAL ECONOMIC TRENDS
Thursday 22 May 2025, 9:50am - 10:10am
Geopolitical volatility is creating some of the biggest challenges that family businesses face today, while also opening new opportunities. To not only survive but thrive in the years ahead, business leaders need to understand how geopolitical disruptions will shape the challenges and opportunities for their industry. Dr. Merriden Varrall heads …
IF DISRUPTION IS THE PROBLEM, THEN INNOVATION IS THE SOLUTION
Friday 23 May 2025,
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Richard Turner is a renowned Australian entrepreneur, leader, and innovator who has founded four successful companies across diverse industry sectors. With expertise in reinvention and industry disruption, Richard is passionate about sustainability and dedicated to assisting companies that drive positive …
workshops and parallel sessions
Our Parallel Sessions let you ‘choose your own adventure,’ with two sets of concurrent sessions on Thursday and Friday. Select from 1.5-hour interactive workshops or 45-minute expert-led talks to match your interests. With multiple topics available, you’ll create a personalised conference experience to suit you and your family business.
LEVERAGING FAMILY BUSINESS AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Thursday 22 May 2025, 1:00pm - 2:45pm
Many family businesses possess unique elements in their proposition and identity yet fall short in effectively communicating and capitalising on their brand’s inherent value. This session will delve into the significance of leveraging "family business and the founder’s spirit" as a strategic asset, transforming it into a distinct competitive advantage …
TURNING CRISIS INTO CURRENCY - THE COST AND REWARD FROM CRISIS WORK
Thursday 22 May 2025, 1:00pm - 2:45pm
What sets successful family enterprises apart isn't the absence of challenges but their preparedness and response when faced with the unexpected. Join crisis management expert Sally Branson of SBCG for an intensive workshop that will equip you with the strategic frameworks and practical tools needed to not just weather storms …
PARALLEL SESSION
Thursday 22 May 2025, 1:00pm - 1:45pm
LEADING AND INFLUENCING CHANGE IN A FAMILY BUSINESS
Thursday 22 May 2025, 1:00pm - 1:45pm
Family enterprises form the backbone of economies around the world, built on traditions, shared values, and a strong foundation of trust among family members and employees. While these qualities are often strengths, they can also foster a culture that resists change. Resistance to change is normal and expected, but what …
NAVIGATING CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVES, BELIEFS, AND BEHAVIOURS
Thursday 22 May 2025, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Do wealth and wealth transfer conversations often lead to tension or conflict among your family clients? Do they sometimes feel as though the seams holding their family together are beginning to fray? Many families even dread the prospect of having the "money talk" …
FORGING STRONGER FUTURES: HOW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS DRIVE FAMILY BUSINESS SUCCESS
Thursday 22 May 2025, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
In the highly competitive and dynamic business landscape, family businesses face unique challenges and opportunities that often call for strategic alliances with other organisations. Such partnerships can drive growth and open new avenues, but establishing and managing these alliances is complex, involving intricate relationships among the partners, their families …
IT’S TIME FOR A SALES REVOLUTIONᵀᴹ
Friday 23 May 2025,
11:15am - 1:00pm
Revolution is a powerful word, isn’t it? We use it intentionally because it signifies a complete shift from the status quo—a transformation our customers, employees, and results are all demanding. That’s precisely what The Sales Doctor, Ingrid Maynard is proposing. In a world shaped by complex economic, social …
FAMILY TRANSITIONS: WHY THEY STALL AND STRATEGIES FOR RESTORING THE FLOW TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE
Friday 23 May 2025,
11:15am - 12:00pm
All families and the individuals they contain are born, grow and eventually end. As we move through the lifecycle, individuals and families encounter developmental challenges that require rearranging relationships to meet the needs of those who comprise them. As these are negotiated within the family, those who are …
PARALLEL SESSION
Friday 23 May 2025,
11:15am - 12:00pm
Details for this exciting parallel session are just around the corner—stay tuned!
PARALLEL SESSION
Friday 23 May 2025,
11:15am - 12:00pm
Prepare to be inspired— we will reveal this plenary session soon!
RESILIENCE AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Friday 23 May 2025,
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Have you ever thought, 'What am I doing here? I don’t belong. I don’t know nearly as much as the people around me. I’m a total fraud, and soon I’ll be found out!'? In many family businesses, the next generation, or even current members, often struggle with imposter syndrome …
ALIGNING FAMILY INTERESTS AND BUSINESS STRUCTURE FOR GENERATIONAL SUCCESS
Friday 23 May 2025,
12:15pm - 1:00pm
What begins as a simple business can quickly become more complex as second-generation family members join, each bringing their own aspirations and needs. With the next generation often seeking to elevate the business—or even pursue their own side ventures—additional layers of complexity emerge …
PARALLEL SESSION
Friday 23 May 2025,
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Watch this space—details for our final parallel session are just around the corner!