Since the inaugural report highlighting the importance of apprentices to the family business community was published by Family Business United in 2022, we continue to undertake an annual report into the topic. Each year the report demonstrates the contribution that businesses are making to employing apprentices and their investment in the next generation of employees. The 2024 report highlights the commitment from leading family businesses across the UK who continue to invest in the ongoing development of the next generation of their staff through a variety of apprenticeship programmes. The 2024 Family Business Apprentice Employers Report is now available and can be downloaded using the link below:

Mars unveils the world’s largest pet parent study to better understand and serve the over one billion pets - and growing - across the globe. More than half (56%) of people are pet parents1, with 47% of these as first-time owners. More than one-third (37%) of pet parents consider their furry friend the most important thing in their lives. Cat ownership is more common than dog ownership globally, with more men (52% male vs 48% female) being cat owners. Mars is launching its first-ever Global Adoption Weekend- an event supporting the company’s ambition to find every pet a healthy and happy home. Mars Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, confectionery, snacking and food and the maker of some of the world’s most-loved brands, has revealed the results of the world’s largest pet parent study today. With insights from over 20,000 pet parents (dog and cat owners) across 20 countries, the Mars Global Pet Parent Study shows the significant influence of pets on our lives, delving into the evolving needs of pet parents, including generational differences in ownership, the most common breeds and new insight into the pain points pet parents around the world experience today. With pet ownership known to be on the rise and people considering pets one of the most important things in their lives, the results signal a new era of pet parent centricity, where the emotional connection between a pet parent and their pet is stronger than ever. Ikdeep Singh, Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition, comments: “Almost half (47%) of those surveyed are first-time owners, signalling a new era of pet parents. We know that pet parents are evolving, and we need to evolve with them, which means embedding pet parent centricity into our DNA to transform the experience and build lifelong relationships with the 455 million pets and pet parents we reach.” To ensure every pet has a happy and healthy home, and as part of the company’s ongoing purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS, the study launches in tandem with the first ever global Mars Pet Adoption Weekend. Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will take place in twelve countries across Europe, Asia, South America and North America, to celebrate new pet parents and encourage more adoptions across the world. With over one billion pets globally, we’re becoming a pet obsessed world Pet parents are clearly devoted to their pets, with more than one-third (37%) of dog and cat owners considering their pets the most important thing in their lives. The percentage is even higher amongst Generation Z (Gen Z) (45%) and Millennials (40%). There’s a preference towards kittens and puppies too: 84% of dogs and cats are acquired before the age of 12 months. The most commonly owned global dog breeds are Labrador (6%), Chihuahua (6%), and Golden Retriever (5%), and the most commonly owned global cat breeds are Persian (16%), British Shorthair (11%), and Siamese (9%). Cat ownership is more common than dog ownership globally, with more men (52% male vs 48% female) being cat owners. The decision to get a pet is greatly influenced by those around us with family (26%) as the primary influence, followed by friends (21%), social media (13%), online search (13%), and veterinarians (11%). Dogs and cats play pivotal roles in our lives. Of those satisfied with their pets2, dog owners appreciate unconditional love (50%) and family completeness (49%), while cat owners appreciate the entertainment (48%) and stress relief (44%) their four-legged friends bring. However, being a pet parent also brings challenges: 32% feel guilty about leaving their dogs and cats alone, and only 42% find their neighborhoods very pet-friendly, with a further 26% of pet parents claiming they find the idea of traveling with their pets demanding / challenging. Since launching the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program in 2017, Mars has created a range of programs around the world to help cities become certified as pet-friendly, so more people can enjoy the benefits of a life with pets. Similarly, earlier this year, the Mars brand CESAR® partnered with Tripadvisor to launch a new pet travel hub in the U.S. to connect pet parents with the resources and guidance to travel with their pets. Singh continues: “As the world’s leading pet care company, we’re always working on the next big thing in pet parenting, using the insights from this study to continuously innovate and adapt to solve pet parent pain points. Pet parents aren’t born – they become, which is why we must ensure they have the advice, guidance and support they need along every step of their journey.” The first-ever Global Mars Pet Adoption Weekend For 16 years, Mars and its family of pet care and veterinary health brands including PEDIGREE®, IAMS™, ROYAL CANIN®, with additional support from PEDIGREE Foundation, along with its snacking and food brands, have come together for Mars Pet Adoption Weekend. This year, Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will be hosted globally for the first time, with twelve countries participating during one of the two weekends in October. These include Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, The Philippines, the UK, and the U.S. With pet ownership known to be on the rise, there is more opportunity than ever to ensure pets living in shelters or on the street find loving homes. Considering the undeniable joy pets can provide and the fact that only 11% of dog owners across those countries surveyed adopt from shelters, Mars is spotlighting the importance of the company’s ambition to end pet homelessness, by celebrating new pet parents and encouraging adoption across the globe. Mars Pet Adoption Weekend will support pet adoption worldwide through various activities including financial contributions to shelters, adoption events, volunteer activities and other awareness-raising events. Ikdeep Singh, Global President of Mars Pet Nutrition, concludes: “With an estimated 362 million homeless cats and dogs globally3, it’s our job to find innovative ways to remove barriers to pet adoption, connecting with pet parents at the start of pet parenthood so they can find a perfect four-legged companion that will bring love and joy to their daily lives. As we launch our first-ever global Pet Adoption Weekend, we reaffirm our commitment to our purpose: A Better World for Pets - a mission that has been at the heart of Mars for nearly 90 years.” *One billion pets statistic in headline - source: Euromonitor data 2024 1. Pet parents refer to dog and cat owners surveyed in 20 markets 2. Those who gave a satisfaction score of at least 7 out of 10 (95% for dogs and 94% for cats) 3. 1 in 3 pets are homeless according to new global report, August 2024

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has appointed Amy Oliver as business development executive. Amy joins the sales team as part of expansion plans for the company and following the recent deal with Tyson Foods’ UK division to increase Tyson’s distribution of mainly chicken products to independent frozen food wholesalers in the UK. Local to Central Foods’ headquarters at Collingtree near Northampton, Amy said: “I am excited to join Central Foods as a business development executive and start my journey within this wonderful local business in the exciting world of foodservice." “I’ve always had an interest in food and food trends and there is no better place to indulge my passion than in the market itself. I am looking forward to learning from the years of knowledge that my fellow colleagues have within the business.” Amy has experience of working in food retail and also in hospitality, but this is her first full-time position since completing her A-levels. Central Foods MD Gordon Lauder said: “We are delighted to have expanded our sales team and look forward to introducing Amy to our clients and customers. It’s an exciting time to be joining Central Foods, as we begin working with Tyson Foods alongside all the other fantastic brands and businesses that have been working with for many years – supporting them with distribution in the foodservice sector and providing the catering industry with a superb range of quality products.” Central Foods is one of the UK’s leading frozen food distributors to the food service sector and currently sells to over 200 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. The company is proud to be a catering partner across the whole food service sector, supplying to hotels, restaurants, bars, universities, schools, pubs, care homes, garden centres, leisure outlets and more.

The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has extended its logistics terminal in Tbilisi, Georgia, by some 13,000 square meters in a move that will further expand its capacities in the Caucasus region. “This expansion is our response to the rising demand for transport and logistics services in the region, which are growing largely due to the increase in trade between the European Union, Georgia, and its neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan,” explains Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO at Gebrüder Weiss. “This is the third time we have expanded the logistics center since it opened twelve years ago. With this move, the first expansion in 2019, and the location’s connection to the railway network the following year, we now have a total of 142,000 square meters of warehousing, handling space, railway, parking and open area at Tbilisi, with over 177 staff providing a full range of logistics services to our customers in the region,” explains Alexander Kharlamov, Country Manager for Georgia at Gebrüder Weiss. “We are also using this expansion as an opportunity to further build out our transport services in the Caucasus region and to ramp up our collaboration with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. This will benefit our international key account customers, too,” adds Thomas Moser, Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss. The most recent investment of 11.5 million euros in the Tbilisi terminal brings the company’s total investment in the location to more than 25 million euros since its inception. More than a decade ago, Gebrüder Weiss recognized the untapped economic potential held by Georgia and the geostrategic importance of the Central Asian countries when it first invested in the region in 2012. As a result, the company chose to establish an own location in Georgia. The logistics center at Tbilisi International Airport has since become a central hub for the growing exchange of goods between Europe and Central Asia, and within the Caucasus region. Free trade agreements with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union have further boosted trade levels and made Georgia an important transit country. Manufacturers in the textiles, household goods, high-tech, and automotive industries all make use of Gebrüder Weiss’s services – from truck and rail transport to air and sea freight, customs clearance and warehouse logistics. Over the past five years, Gebrüder Weiss’s Georgian operation has processed around 130,000 shipments weighing some 470,000 tons.

Leading independent timber and construction supplier, the Donaldson Group, has developed a unique 3D house visualisation software tool to help housebuilders market new homes. The fully walkable virtual home selection software, Spec3D, provides everything needed to digitalise entire show homes and manage and sell upgrades in full 3D. Using cutting-edge technology, the platform gives housebuilders the power to let customers select key elements - such as kitchen units, bathroom tiles and bedroom enhancements – put them together and explore a realistic 3D version of their new home, from any device, at any time. The tool prices items as they’re added, and it has a customer management system that helps sales staff sell their homes easier. The tool has seen immediate success, and within just nine months, the Spec3D team has signed deals with a number of housebuilders, including construction company, Easy Living Developments for a site in Fife, as well as securing two clients to supply website visualisers for their brands. The software creation is the result of an intern initiative with Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Scholars programme. Managing Director of Spec 3D, Euan Gibson Smith, was initially brought on board at the Donaldson Group as an intern, tasked with a project investigating the potential of virtual reality (VR) across the 17 businesses the Group. After developing a visual selector tool for the Group’s kitchen retailer business, Kitchens International, Euan recognised that the technology could be effective for all parts of a house. On completion of his internship, Euan was given a full-time permanent position and began work on extending the technology to include full house visualisation, which led to the creation of Spec3D. Euan explains: “While show homes, samples, plans, and photos of existing developments have their place, some people struggle to see the full picture. This software lets homebuyers really see what their new home will looks like, and all from the comfort of their own home." “The reaction so far has been fantastic. Customers are finding that it dramatically decreases sales consultation times; reduces errors with a more streamlined management system; increases average upgrade order values and provides a more enjoyable house buying experience for all. Crucially, it allows housebuilders and developers to showcase all their new homes – and sell them – before they’ve even been built.” Jacqueline Hutchison, Sales Liaison at Easy Living Developments said: “I couldn't believe Euan hadn't been in one of our houses when he sent the initial models over—it looked exactly like our House Types. The attention to detail was incredible, and it really feels like you are in the home when using the software." “This software is going to completely transform how we sell homes and allow customers to easily customise their selections. We can’t wait to fully integrate it with our clients and see the impact and I can already tell it’s going to dramatically enhance the customer experience.” Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 164-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 17 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 47 locations employing over 1,500 people.

According to new research by Marsh McLennan, economic and financial challenges (43%), cyber threats (39%) and people-related risks (38%) are the top three concerns facing UK businesses over the next 12 months. The findings come from Marsh’s UK Business Risk Report 2024 , which surveyed over 2,000 business leaders and sole traders across the UK about the key risks facing their business. Now in its fourth year, the report provides insights and solutions into the emerging trends impacting companies and their operations. Despite recent positive economic indicators, the proportion of business leaders concerned about economic and financial risks reached its highest level in two years, rising from 37% in 2023 to 43% in 2024. Issues such as the impact of inflation, the risk of recession, cash flow, currency volatility and credit risk were cited as specific worries, while interest rates continue to restrict companies’ access to affordable debt. Businesses’ concerns around cyber risk also increased sharply year on year, with 39% of respondents highlighting cybercrime and IT disruption as key risks facing their business, compared with 20% in 2023. The leaders surveyed said challenges around hiring top talent and retaining employees had also risen year on year. Concerns around the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce also persisted, particularly for businesses in the health and care, education, not-for-profit, non-finance professional services, and retail industries. Over the next 12 months, business leaders said they planned to prioritise investment in improving their cyber security controls, reviewing the risks associated with their supplier and customer base, and enhancing the health and benefits package, training and mental health support they offer to their employees. Commenting on the findings, Alistair Fraser, CEO, Commercial and Corporate, Marsh UK, said: “So far this year, in the face of a myriad of shifts and disruptions, UK businesses have navigated a landscape fraught with interconnected risks which has tested their resilience. From fluctuating markets and trade uncertainties to the ever-looming fear of cyber attacks, businesses have had to stay vigilant and proactive in safeguarding their operations and protecting their stakeholders." “This report highlights that by taking a proactive approach to risk management, businesses of all sizes and in all industries across the nation are able to fortify their defences in order to maintain stability and sustain growth.” Nick McMenemy, Digital, Strategy and Markets Leader, Mercer Marsh Benefits said: “This year’s risk report reveals the scale of the challenges facing businesses and the need for urgent action – as talent attraction and retention, and workplace culture persist as major issues. The war for talent is intensifying due to a variety of linked economic and cultural reasons, with nearly a third of respondents saying that recruiting and retaining staff is a key concern." "Businesses must adopt an enterprise-wide approach that addresses the interconnected nature of risks, rather than focusing on a single dominant issue, in order to build resilience and navigate through these challenges.”

As Asia’s demand for rich, flavorful and innovative indulgent food and beverages continues to grow, Cargill announced the launch of a new cocoa production line at its cocoa processing plant in Gresik, Indonesia. Francesca Kleemans, Managing Director of Cargill’s Food Solutions Southeast Asia, revealed: “When it comes to bakery, chocolate confectionery and ice cream, as well as the indulgent café-style beverages in foodservice, cocoa and chocolate have always been one of the most popular ingredients. Cargill expects high growth in these indulgence categories in coming years, driven by consumer demand for multi-sensorial experiences, healthy indulgence, and conscious consumption.” According to Cargill’s 2024 proprietary TrendTracker® study, APAC consumers have a strong and growing appetite for novelty and experimentation, seeking foods with unique tastes, flavors, and textures. At the same time, consumers are also increasingly putting more focus on holistic health, and seeking products that reflect their personal values. Complementing an existing cocoa production line in the Gresik facility, the new line enables the production of specialty cocoa solutions with a higher degree of customization, allowing the plant to produce cocoa powders and cocoa liquors with unique flavor and sensory profiles for different consumers’ needs in Asia. “I am delighted to unveil this investment by Cargill that resets the industry standards for cocoa & chocolate competitiveness and innovation, aiming to meet the needs of Asia’s most demanding customers and consumers. Through our new capabilities in Gresik, we are looking forward to co-creating with our customers in Asia. Leveraging the latest manufacturing technology and advanced R&D, the new line enables breakthrough innovation and unparalleled speed to market. At a time where global supply chains are experiencing tremendous challenges, near-shoring strategies are critical for our customers to maintain availability and competitiveness. This is where we are able to add value and support customers through our “Asia for Asia” solutions,” added Francesca. To celebrate the commissioning of the new line and demonstrate its capabilities, Cargill has also launched two dark Gerkens® cocoa powders range with deep dark color hues and premium flavor profiles, and a new range of Cargill® Craft cocoa liquors that deliver a variety of flavors from fruity and fresh to roasted. Gerkens® Max80 cocoa powder delivers dark brown color with a chocolatey flavor profile. Gerkens® Max78 cocoa powder delivers a deep brown color, strong cocoa notes with subtle roasted tones. Cargill® AFB10 cocoa liquor with tropical fruity flavor. Cargill® ASA00 cocoa liquor with bittersweet chocolate flavor. Cargill® ASM00 cocoa liquor, providing roasted flavor with a hint of fruit. In recent years, Cargill has been doubling down on its efforts to become a go-to partner for growth and innovation to food manufacturing, foodservice and retail customers. Harnessing its end-to-end supply chain expertise, Cargill is strengthening its capabilities to bring complete value-added solutions for bakery, ice cream and chocolate confectionery categories through investments in its Gresik facility which is an important hub for Cargill’s cocoa innovation and production in Asia. The company is now able to leverage the combined capabilities of the new production line and the Cargill Cocoa Development Centre which was also opened in Gresik last November. As one of the industry’s most comprehensive food solutions providers, Cargill’s portfolio extends beyond cocoa & chocolate to also include specialty fats, sweeteners, and many others. Boosted by its state-of-the-art 16 production sites across the region and innovation facilities in Singapore, Malaysia, China, India and Indonesia, Cargill is solidifying its ability to offer comprehensive “Asia for Asia” solutions – from sourcing, market insights, production and innovation – to serve customers in Asia and beyond.

A Dalton-in-Furness nursery school has opened a new sensory room for its children, thanks in part to a £5,000 donation from a Lake District hotel group. Chapel Street Infants and Nursery School has converted an existing space for the sensory room to provide children with a calm and stimulating learning environment. The infant and nursery school was able to go ahead with the project following the financial contribution from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, as well as a host of fundraising activities to cover the overall cost. The hotel group’s mascot Sam the Dog was guest of honour on a special visit to see the children and the opening of the new facility. The new sensory room provides an environment for the children where they can experience an array of educational activities focusing on feel, sight, sound and smell. It will also help build on some of the more abstract senses, such as space, time, togetherness and wellbeing. The room was installed by Creative Activity and contains a range of stimulating pieces of equipment including bubble tubes, vibrating pads, a multi-surface wall area, multi-coloured mirrors, an infinity mirror, sensory floor tiles, a sound reactive rainbow wall and a sensory tent. Head teacher at the school Scott Macmillan says: “We recognised the need to provide a sensory room to assist and nurture our infant and nursery school pupils’ learning and development." “Mental health and wellbeing are at the core of our new curriculum and this facility will be used by every child in school." “Sensory learning is a crucial aspect of their development through early pre-school and toddler years, so it’s great to see the sensory room up and running thanks to the help of local initiatives like Sam’s Club.” The donation from English Lakes Hotels was made via its Sam’s Club Charity which supports local charities and good causes. The school also received donations from local charities and businesses, including Furness Building Society, Anchor Court Residents, Furness Rotary Club and South Lakeland Masonic Boxing Club. Teresa Lawrence from English Lakes Hotels adds: “We are proud to be part of bringing this sensory room to life, providing a wonderful space for the children's development. It is incredibly rewarding to see our Sam's Club Charity making a positive impact in the local community.” Several events were also held by the school to fund the project including movie nights, non-uniform days and a family bingo evening at the Wellington pub in Dalton in Furness which raised nearly £3,000. One brave parent took the plunge with a donated sky dive at Flookburgh to raise a further £1,300. The total raised was a staggering £11,500 which paid for the sensory room and additional equipment and furniture in the adjoining Burrow, a nurture room where children can do a variety of activities such as baking, music and creative lessons all linked to emotional wellbeing. As a token of appreciation, the school has put up a commemorative plaque on the door of the sensory room to acknowledge all of those who made the project possible by donating their funds and time. Electrical and joinery work was completed by AC Electric and Graham Barnes respectively. Mr Macmillan himself spent a weekend painting the new facility to enhance the colours in the room, whilst his father-in-law Edward Young also helped to remove some worktops to make more floor space. Sensory rooms underpin personal, social and emotional development and can be particularly valuable in allowing children with different levels of ability to have a more positive influence on their surrounding environment.

Welch the florist, a fifth-generation family business from Nottingham, has been awarded 'Highly Commended' in the customer excellence category at the 2024 Midlands Family Business Awards, held at Athena in Leicester. The Family Business Awards are celebrating 12 years of recognising exceptional family businesses across the UK and put on a stunning events ceremony on the 3rd October with all proceeds being donated to the Brain Tumour Charity. Welch the Florist is one of the oldest businesses in Nottingham and has remained true to their family values since 1920 when they first opened in Long Eaton. In 1973 when Tony Shaw became a director in the business, his passion for flowers and horticulture gave the business a unique offering, combining skills and knowledge to create beautifully designed flower bouquets. Today, Tony’s son Gareth leads the business, having successfully merged six former florists into Welch. Under his leadership, Welch has become the leading flower delivery service in the Nottinghamshire region, serving customers both through Welch and Interflora. Gareth expressed his delight with the outcome, saying, “This is the first time in our 104-year history that we’ve entered an award. Being shortlisted as a finalist came as a complete surprise, and to be highly commended among so many fantastic businesses is truly flattering.” Charlotte Perkins, Group Managing Director of award organisers, Wilsons, said: “The judging panels have had a tough job in picking winners across the board. With so many stand-out entries, there were several heated debates to decide on the Winners and Highly Commended for each category. Every business that is a finalist should be incredibly proud of their achievements and celebrate their successes.” Gareth continues “Being highly commended recognises the whole team’s dedication to excellence and is a testament to the hard work, passion and expertise offered by the Welch the Florist team”. For more information about Welch the Florist and their journey through five generations of floral artistry, please visit www.welchtheflorist.co.uk

Family firms are over 3% less likely to license their patents than non-family firms, according to new research by emlyon business school and Bocconi University. The researchers found that instead, they are over 6% more likely to internally commercialise their products instead of licensing them out. The researchers say that this is because family firms want to maintain a greater control over the innovation and the value that comes from it, not because family firms patent quality is lower or inefficient. This does mean that family firms are more likely to lose the market exclusivity of the patent, as well as lose their legal protection, but they are happy to do so as long as they uphold the values of the organisation through commercialising internally, allowing them to exploit internal resources to scale up quickly and effectively. By prioritising internal over external commercialization, family businesses demonstrate a sophisticated balance between their economic ambitions and their non-economic goals of control and legacy preservation These findings come from research by Addis Birhanu, Professor of Strategy at emlyon business school, alongside Alfonso Gambardella, Professor of Corporate Management at the Department of Management & Technology, Bocconi University, who wanted to examine the relationship between family ownership and patent use strategy. To do so, the researchers used data from 471 publicly listed companies and 2,759 patents, across 20 European countries. The researchers combined this dataset with patent data from PATSAT, as well as ownership and firm characteristic data from Orbis. Within this dataset, inventors were asked questions about the status of the patent at the time of the survey, and whether the patent was commercially exploited internally or externally. Whilst information on whether they worked for a family or non-family firm came through the Orbis dataset. The finding suggests that family firms are more likely to scale up than non-family firms because they have a strong preference to exploit their patents internally. “These findings show that family firms manage to strike a balance between their desire to maintain control over their innovations and maximising profit,” says Professor Birhanu. “By leveraging their strategic resources, family firms achieve effective internal growth and innovation, providing new value for the organisation." With many believing that this would be a negative for family firms, these research findings clearly show that family firms' strong control preferences can enhance their ability to internally exploit resources and scale up effectively, whilst non-family firms continue to opt for using licensing as a viable approach to profit from their patents. This research paper was published in the Strategic Management Journal.

Beatson Cancer Charity is delighted to announce a new partnership with Allied Vehicles Group, a leading UK manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Allied Vehicles has pledged a generous £250,000 over the next five years. This commitment will directly support the charity's vital work with cancer patients and their families throughout the west of Scotland, ensuring that Beatson’s essential services continue to thrive. The partnership will focus on two of Beatson Cancer Charity’s flagship events: the annual Sporting Dinner and the much-loved 'Off the Beatson Track' 10K charity walk. Allied Vehicles will serve as the lead sponsor for both events, helping vital fundraising efforts that make a difference to the lives of cancer patients. Each year 'Off the Beatson Track' sees thousands of participants - making it Glasgow's brightest sponsored walk as we turn Glasgow's west end Beatson yellow. This fun-filled 10k walk is fully accessible and perfect for all ages, making it a great day out, full of family entertainment! Gillian Hailstones, CEO of Beatson Cancer Charity, said: "We are very happy to welcome Allied Vehicles as a key partner. Their support over the next five years will have an enormous impact on the services we provide to people affected by cancer. Sponsorship of our Sporting Dinner and 'Off the Beatson Track' ensures that these events can grow even bigger, reaching more people and raising more funds for the work we do every day." Gerry Facenna, Founder of Allied Vehicles Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce a £250,000 partnership with Beatson Cancer Charity over the next five years. This includes sponsoring both the Sporting Dinner and Off the Beatson Track, which are incredible events that raise vital funds to support people affected by cancer. Cancer touches all our lives, including mine and our staff and we’re honoured to play our part in supporting Beatson to ensure no-one is facing cancer on their own.”

Here at Family Business United we are delighted to announce the launch of our inaugural Global Family Business Think Tank Report which summarises the thoughts of over 100 leading family business owners, experts and advisers from around the world on specific topics that will help to shape family business discussions and strategies going forward. These results were part of the 2024 Global Family Business Think Tank Report that was published in Autumn 2024. A copy of the final report is available to download below and is free to Family Business United members and digital subscribers (simply log in to access). If you are not yet a member or digital subscriber and wish to obtain access to the report, you can find out more about becoming a member  of Family Business United here  or take out a digital subscription  to access all areas and content available on the platform including this report here Download the Global Family Business Think Tank Report, Autumn 2024 here: