ArticlesEva Fischer: "It takes a toll on the family"
The stock exchange
Aug 24, 2018
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Free live webinar on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. on generational transition, values, and difficult conversations in family businesses.
Free live webinar on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. on generational transition, values, and difficult conversations in family businesses.
Justice can mean something completely different at home than it does at work. Learn to distinguish between the two so that the company’s values remain intact, even when there’s a change in leadership.
It was through task forces, Friday meetings, and a board of directors that included employee representatives that Brunata turned its deficit around. You’ll learn which strategies worked—and which ones to avoid.
Family roles aren’t a healthy chain of command. Hear what I learned the hard way, and how a professional board can handle what the family can’t.
Family-owned businesses are different. They think in terms of generations, not seven-year exit windows. They build up local communities, invest in their employees, and take on philanthropic responsibilities, whereas private equity firms focus solely on maximizing returns. These are the kinds of businesses that, as a society, we cannot afford to lose during a generational transition.
Yet many of them hit a wall when it’s time to pass the baton. The values have never been written down, so the new CEO sets their own course without understanding what’s already keeping the company afloat. Family members haven’t learned to collaborate as professional owners or colleagues—old roles take over as soon as the meeting room door closes. The board has forgotten to adapt to the company’s changing nature, and unresolved family dynamics creep into every single decision.
That’s exactly what this webinar is all about. You’ll learn the strategies I needed myself: shareholder meetings that actually work, a board of directors that takes on the responsibilities the family can’t, and values that belong to the company, not the family.
One of my fondest memories with my father is the tour of the factory—the production floor, the warehouse, the technical department, the elevator to the third floor, the sales department, and the finance department. It could take half an hour or three. He had three core values: equality, trust, and fairness —enshrined in Brunata’s mission statement. He had 110% confidence in his employees and didn’t need long-term contracts.
In 2011, we suddenly found ourselves without leadership, with a 25 million overdraft, 10 struggling sales subsidiaries abroad, and the bank breathing down our necks. Over the next seven years, we turned the company around—together with our employees—from a loss of 20 million to a profit of 36 million on the same revenue, culminating in the successful sale of Brunata in 2018.
It took its toll, too. I ended up suffering from stress along the way. That’s part of the reason why I now advise family businesses—because the difficult conversations that aren’t had in time are exactly the ones I help other families have now.
Selected articles, podcasts, radio shows, and videos on generational transition, family dynamics, and leadership in family businesses.
ArticlesThe stock exchange
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ArticlesMonday morning
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PodcastWomen in Family Business
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PodcastEnterprising Families
PodcastDisruptive Successor
VideoYouTube
“Eva is a courageous and inspiring leader who inspires loyalty at all levels and translates life experiences into concrete results for the teams she works with.”
This webinar is intended for business owners, board members, and second- and third-generation family members in family-owned businesses that are facing a transition—or are currently in the midst of one.
Practical strategies for shareholder meetings, professional boards of directors, collaboration within the owner family, and how to preserve values when management changes. Examples from my own experience at Brunata—not just theory.
The webinar will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. You will receive a confirmation and reminders by email once you register.
No, the webinar is free of charge.
Yes. Everyone who registers will receive a recording of the webinar, so you can watch it again or share the key points with your family or board of directors.
Sign up for our free live webinar on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., and learn practical strategies for addressing values, roles, and generational transition in family businesses.
