The theme of our Annual Event in Porto was “The Transfer of Family Business” as many of SMEs or micro-enterprises are family-run and are therefore vital for our economy and growth. It is important to keep their needs and opportunities in mind to support their success now and in the future. What happens if one generation leaves the business and wants to pass it on to the next and what are the implications of such a change?
There are just some of the questions our speakers and participants tried to elaborate upon during the panel out of three different views: a business, financial and international perspective.
Bernhard Sagmeister, Chairman of AECM, opened the Seminar together with José Fernando Figueiredo, former Chairman and now Honorary President, and the Portuguese members António Gaspar and Miguel Sousa Branca from SPGM presented the independent Impact Study on the Portuguese Mutual Guarantee Scheme, a project carried out in collaboration with the Portuguese Catholic University, represented by Vasco Rodriguez.
A keynote speech from Wilhelm Molterer, Managing Director, European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) of the EIB presented the investment plan for Europe and the current and future products and structures, such as the European Investment Advisory Hub.
The first panel dealt with the business perspective and was moderated by Anaïs Rajery-Rasata, Research Manager, Study Department of our French member Bpifrance, who gave the floor to Kristin Schreiber, Director of the Directorate COSME programme of the European Commission. After her speech the panelists, Gerhard Huemer of UEAPME, Bernard Jehin, Vice-President of TRANSEO and Member of the Board of the Belgian member SOWALFIN, Paulo Barros Vale, Board Member of the Portuguese Entrepreneurial Association, Jesús Casado, Secretary General of the European Family Businesses and finally Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General of Copa Cogeca debated on the subject.
In the financial perspective panel Matthew Gamser from the International Finance Corporation moderated a panel which comprised Gilbert Rebeyrole, Honorary President of the French SOCAMA and entrepreneur, Leonardo Nafissi of the Italian Assoconfidi, Pedro Pisonero Perez of the Spanish CESGAR and Teresa Duarte of the Portuguese Norgarante. Their discussion was introduced by a presentation from Roger Havenith of the EIF.
The final panel dealt with the subject of family business transfer from an international point of view: the moderator Giuseppe Gramigna of the Small Business Administration (USA) introduced the presentation of Lex van Teeffelen, Professor of Finance and Firm Acquisition, Research Center Innovation and Business, HU Business School in Utrecht (The Netherlands). The panelists then gave their contribution, Lucia Cusmano from the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Local Development of the OECD, Pablo Pombo González, Founding President of AECM and Secretary General of the Iberoamerican Network of Guarantees (REGAR), Sanaa Abouzaid, Regional Corporate Governance Lead – MENA of the IFC and Hiroyasu Kaburaki, Group chief of the Japan Finance Corporation.
The new formula experimented for the first time in Porto, with every panel introduced by a presentation and a small group of panelists debating on the subject with a moderator generated a large pool of input and ideas for an interesting and lively conversation.
If you want to find out more about the topics that were discussed or our speakers please visit the page dedicated to our annual event: you can find the presentations, quotes from the panelists and the biography of every speaker.
