09:00

Welcome addresses

• Alfonso Líbano, Chairman, European Family Businesses

09:10

Opening Keynotes

• Antonio Tajani, President, European Parliament

09:20

• Günther H. Oettinger, EU Budget Commissioner, European Commission

09:30

Panel: The New Europe: The Nextgen Perspective

Moderated by Albert Jan Thomassen, Managing Director, FBNed

Sustainable development, digitalisation, the circular economy, skills and training, the search for talent, immigration, innovation... These are some of the challenges that will face the new Europe. With the arrival of the next generation at the head of family businesses, what does the future look like?

Speakers:

• Gloria Fluxá, Vice-Chairman and Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar 
• Martina Dlabajová, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the SME Intergroup, ALDE
• Adriana Domínguez, CEO, Adolfo Domínguez

10:30

Coffee break

11:00

Panel: The Digital Revolution And Family Businesses

Moderated by Nicolas Hollanders

Many commentators have suggested that family businesses are lagging behind their non-family competitors when it comes to taking advantage of the digital transformation now taking hold of our economies. Is this the case? If so, what can family businesses do to redress the balance. Or is the family business model actually more suited to digital adaptation?

Speakers:

• Alberto Onetti, Chairman, Mind the Bridge
• Peter Villax, CEO, Mediceus
• Arantza Ezpeleta, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Acciona

12:15

Why Invest In Global Equity?

In the last 100 years, investors in the stock exchange have outperformed bonds. What strategies should be adopted to ensure that families are taking advantage this long-term trend?

Speaker:

• Jacques Berghmans, Co-founder of TreeTop Asset Management and TreeTop fund manager. Member of the 4th generation, Lhoist Group.

12:30

Standing lunch

14:00

Governances, key to the AB-InBev success.

Interviewed by Nicolas Hollanders

Anheuser-Busch InBev is the world's largest brewer. Its meteoric rise can be traced back to the 2004 merger between AmBev and Interbrew that has propelled it to become what it is today. But, what does the future hold? How does the company manage its complex ownership structure?

Speaker:

• Arnoud de Pret, Member of the Board (1978-2008), AB InBev

15:00

Coffee break

15:30

The Family Business Barometer

Presented by Patrick de Schutter, Partner and Head of Family Owned Businesses Belgium, KPMG 

The joint EFB-KPMG Family Business Barometer seeks to bring an insight into the confidence levels of family businesses, the challenges affecting their everyday operations and the solutions they seek to ensure their development and sustainable growth. Now in its 7th edition, we will present the results and notable trends since 2013.

15:45

The Family Business Trends And Challenges

Moderated by Olaf Leurs, Tax Partner, KPMG The Netherlands

How are family companies evolving? Are the challenges we most associate with them linear? In the context of external (regulatory) and internal (family) factors, the Family Business Barometer seeks to bring to light the nature and status of family business related issues. For example: what governance practices do family businesses adopt; are there differences between countries; what regulatory changes would boost the growth prospects of family firms in Europe; is the war for talent still the main challenge; what do family businesses want from the EU? With prominent family entrepreneurs, in the panel, we will take a close look at the challenges that have been highlighted by the respondents and discuss what policy measures can be introduced to assist family companies in Europe.

Speakers:

• Philippe Haspeslagh, Chairman, Ardo
• Philip Aminoff, Chairman, Finnish Family Firms Association

16:45

Closing Remarks