THE FAMILY ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

The Family Enterprise Institute (IEF) is a non-profit making association which operates in Spain and is formed by a group of family businesses. Its members are all presidents, Chief executives or board members of the companies they own.

Since its foundation in 1992, the Family Enterprise Institute has consolidated its position, anda is now considered to be a competent and conscientious intermediary in everything that affects family businesses and their development, and has undergone constant evolution before reaching the 100 companies that it encompasses today, all of which are leaders in the industry and service sectors, the equivalent of 1000 millions Euros.

IEF (Family Enterprise Institute) is the principal support of a national network of territorial associations of family businesses made up of 900 leading, principle important companies in their own regions. Associations and IEF represent the equivalent of 20% spanish PIB.

The Family Enterprise Institute has managed to make society aware of the importance of family businesses as a source of wealth and employment, since they are entities committed to their environment, a factor which reflects their social relevance.

Constant liaising with institutions and the media, the Institute uses technical lines of argument together with a very direct knowledge of business realities as a means of maintaining constant improvements to business activities within a legal framework.

Objectives:

- To help the family business owner face the internal and external challenges posed in the management of his enterprise.
- To contribute to improving the legal and fiscal environment of the family enterprise.
- To make the general public aware of the economic and social importance of family businesses.
- To foster knowledge of family businesses at university and promote educational programmes relating to them.


Internal activities:

- Organisation of seminars and conferences led by professionals with expertise in the specific issues that family businesses have to deal with.
- A forum for exchanging experiences between business owners and providing information on professional services.
- The Family Forum, an event to develop activities aimed at equipping the members of the next generation to fully assume their tasks as the future owners and/or directors of the family business.


External activities:

- Acting as a skilled intermediary with the Administration on business and economic policies.
- Proposing legal and fiscal reforms to improve the environment of family enterprises.
- Spreading clear and precise information concerning Family Business as wide as possible.
- Bringing family businesses closer to the University.