CFO Insights on Mergers & Acquisitions: Exit, Generational Change, or Business Transformation
We hold the CFO Private Business Forum twice a year. Our last forum took place on 13 June 2025.
The next event brought together CFOs, finance leaders, and industry experts to explore the critical role of financial leadership in M&A. Discussions covered exit strategies, managing generational transitions, and leveraging acquisitions for business transformation, offering insights from real-world case studies and expert panel sessions.
Explore the diverse topics covered and the expert speakers featured in previous forums.
Successful family enterprises play an integral role within the entrepreneurial and funding ecosystems.
Join the exclusive CFO network at London Business School. The next forum will take place in Spring 2026. Complete the registration of interest form below to check your eligibility.
The CFO Private Business Forum is an exclusive event organized by the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital (IEPC) at London Business School (LBS) aimed at family business or privately held company CFOs.
The CFO Private Business Forum takes place twice a year and aims to examine the role and performance of the CFO function in family/private businesses. These workshops aim to explore the challenges, priorities, and future prospects inherent in this role through engaging discussions and practical sharing of experiences.
The event will run under the Chatham House Rules, providing a confidential environment for open discussions and knowledge sharing.
The CFO Private Business Forum presents an invaluable opportunity to network with fellow CFOs, gain academic insights, and learn from industry experts.
Explore the role and challenges of CFOs in family businesses at London Business School's exclusive CFO Private Business Forum. Join academic experts and industry leaders for insightful discussions on corporate financing, crisis management, governance, and more. Connect with fellow CFOs in a confidential environment and contribute to the establishment of a family business CFO network.
If you are joining one of our events for the first time, then it is free to attend. Any consecutive events will cost £275, unless covered by sponsorship. London Business School students and alumni receive a 10% discount.
The forum is supported by the following academics.
Exclusively tailored for Finance Directors and CFOs of family businesses, privately held companies, family firms, or holdings that have a major shareholding in a business of over 25 %. Our primary focus is on CFOs from companies with revenue exceeding £300 million. However, we will also consider niche businesses with smaller revenues based on the unique nature of their operations.
The forum promises a unique blend of academic insights and industry expertise. Expect engaging discussions and practical insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by CFOs in today's dynamic financial landscape.
Knowledge Exchange: Benefit from a wealth of knowledge shared by experts and peers, covering the latest trends and challenges faced by CFOs in family businesses.
Expert speakers: Our lineup of speakers includes academic professionals and senior market experts. Gain valuable insights into corporate financing, credit funds, crisis management, risks, governance challenges, inflation, and the evolving banking sector in the context of family businesses.
Exclusive network: Connect with like-minded CFOs, expand your professional circle, and establish valuable connections within the family business community.
Confidential setting: Enjoy the freedom to share and learn in a confidential environment. The forum operates under the Chatham House Rules, fostering open discussions without attribution.
If you're a CFO of a family business or privately held company, join our growing network. Connect with peers, share experiences, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue shaping the future of family businesses.
Welcome and Introduction to London Business School
Aytekin Ertan, Associate Professor of Accounting, London Business School
Florin Vasvari, Professor of Accounting; Academic Director, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital, London Business School
Patricio Ohle, Lecturer, St. Gall University
Session 1: Strategic Insights into the M&A Process
Marcus Alexander, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School
Coffee Break
M&A Case Study
Christian Feldmann, Corporate Finance & Transformation, Head Finance Excellence Center, Partner, Kearney
Angus Hodgson, Europe Lead M&A, Partner, Kearney
Lunch
Driving Transformation and Growth through M&A: A CFO Perspective
Charles Noble, Group CFO, Samworth Brothers
Coffee Break
Transitioning from Family-Owned to Private Ownership
Sean O’Flynn, EMEA Co-Lead Private Equity/ EMEA M&A Lead, AlixPartners, AlixPartners
Session 2: Emerging Legal Trends in M&A
Marie Bates, Partner, Farrer & Co
Simon Ward, Partner, Farrer & Co
Summary of Key Learnings and Closing Remarks
Aytekin Ertan, Associate Professor of Accounting, London Business School
Networking Drinks and Canapés
Event Close
The IEPC supports the development of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial ideas that drive impact, create wealth and advance well-being. The IEPC also conducts research underpinning today’s private capital markets including venture capital, private equity, growth, buyouts, and the broader private capital ecosystem.
A central ambition of the IEPC is to grow our family enterprise linked research, teaching, and events programmes. For us family enterprise covers the full family ownership spectrum, bringing together business owning families with those managing their own single-family offices. We believe the IEPC’s twin strengths of business entrepreneurship and private capital management are central to understanding family enterprise now and into the future.
If this event is of interest check out the Family Office Conference or related events. See more
To find out more about Entrepreneurship and Private Capital at LBS, please email us at the address below.
