When Legacy Meets Innovation: How can the next generation ensure a smooth transition? In the autumn of 2025, the Ingenuity Lab - Family Enterprise NextGen Innovation Xchange(FENIX) at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China(UNNC) successfully hosted a series of thematic events designed to address this very question. We delved into succession planning, tackled innovation challenges, and honed new leadership capabilities, providing future leaders of family businesses with cutting-edge "food for thought and action." Let's now revisit the highlights of this insightful journey.
Roundtable Discussion on Succession
Kicking off the series, this roundtable discussion was led by Dr Michael Mustafa from UNM and Dr Fei Zhu from UNNC on the core challenges of family business succession, initiating in-depth dialogues on leadership transition across generations.
Workshop on Next Generation Visioning
On October 25, the Ingenuity Lab - FENIX at UNNC hosted a workshop on "Next Generation Visioning in Family Businesses." This workshop guided participants to explore future development pathways for family enterprises, helping the next generation of successors develop forward-thinking strategic planning capabilities and address unique challenges they may face during leadership transitions.
Workshop on Women Leaders in Family Business
This workshop, led by Dr Michael Mustafa, explored the unique challenges and growth paths for women leaders in family business management and succession. The genuine sharing from alumni, Jennie and Miliang, demonstrated the resilience and power of female leadership.
Workshop on Wealth Management in Family Business
Going beyond financial perspectives, Mr Kent Choi led students and alumni into holistic family wealth management. From systemic tensions to intergenerational conflicts, from frameworks to advisory processes, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of wealth management.
Workshop on Legacy Meets Innovation
As the finale of the series for this academic year, Mr Malcolm Nerva and Ms Ng Phek Yen of Genowledge (Beijing) Ltd. focused on transforming ideas into action. Through this hands-on workshop, participants learned to turn entrepreneurial thinking into executable action plans.
The FENIX Family Business Initiative has just set sail, with more exciting events being planned. We look forward to continuing this exploration journey of family legacy continuity with you!
Five events, five themes, yet all pointing to the same goal: providing knowledge, tools, and networks for future leaders of family businesses. We extend our gratitude to all experts’ professional guidance, to all our guest speakers for their generous contributions, and to every participant for their enthusiastic engagement.