Center for Family Business Center for Family Business
The HEC Paris – Dieter Schwarz Center for Family Business is an academic center dedicated to advancing research, education, and dialogue around the distinctive characteristics of family businesses.
From small firms to global champions, family businesses are key drivers of long-term value, innovation, and resilient communities across Europe and beyond.
Its three pillars — Think, Teach, Act — shape the Center’s mission to advance understanding and strenghthen family businesses for a sustainable future.
About the Dieter Schwarz Center for Family Business
HEC Paris - Dieter Schwarz Center for Family Business is an academic center established with the generous support of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation to advance research, education and dialogue around the distinctive characteristics of family-owned businesses.
Family businesses are a cornerstone of Europe’s economy. They span all sectors—from agriculture to luxury—and include both SMEs and some of the world’s largest multinationals. These enterprises play an indispensable role in job creation, innovation, and the transmission of know-how across generations.
"The Family Business Center at HEC Paris is committed to better understanding, teaching, and promoting the contribution of family businesses to sustainable prosperity. It studies the conditions under which this human-centered, long-term governance model contributes to a resilient and responsible economy, mindful of regions and people."
— Dr. Cécile de Lisle, Executive Director of the Deiter Schwarz Center for Family Business
Team
Think
We conduct interdisciplinary research to deepen understanding of family businesses—their governance, intergenerational transmission, and their impact on communities. By drawing on HEC Paris’s world-class faculty and strong industry partnerships, we explore how this human-centered, long-term governance model contributes to resilient and responsible economies. Our research is designed as a public good, accessible far beyond academic circles, to enrich public understanding and inform policy discussions on the role of family businesses in society.
Teach
We develop innovative teaching methods and practical tools—including behavioral simulations and case studies—to train current and future family business stakeholders: students, successors, entrepreneurs, and executives. These resources are designed to address the specificities of the family business model and are shared widely with other universities and institutions, amplifying their reach and fostering global knowledge exchange.
Act
Through publications, policy papers, testimonials, and events, we foster dialogue and strengthen ties among family businesses in Europe—particularly France and Germany— while building connections with global partners to share insights and learn from diverse approaches to governance and longevity. We aspire to be Europe’s leading hub for family business knowledge, training, and dialogue: a place where researchers, students, business leaders, and policymakers come together to strengthen the economic and societal impact of this vital business model.
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