Welcome to the Student Initiative
WHU Family Business club
Located at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management we believe in the power of family businesses. Therefore, it is our goal to provide learning and networking opportunities.
Our Goals Are Your Opportunities
WHU Family Business Summit on January 26th, 2024
Network
Seize the opportunity to connect to members of family firms and extend your network
Interact
Experience family firms through first-hand interactions and interesting exchanges
Experience
Get in touch with family firm owners and experience the idiosyncrasies of each firm
Learn
Learn more about why family firms are different and why they are of such importance
Welcome to the WHU Family Business Club!
Our student club is located at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and founded with one clear goal in mind: show students the great opportunities family firms have to offer.
While each family firm is different on an individual level, they are all united in their strong values, entrepreneurial thinking, and significant relevance for the economies around the world.
We want to spotlight the peculiarities and opportunities of family firms through networking and learning experiences at our events.
Why are family businesses important?
90% of all companies in Germany are family owned. This makes family firms the major driver of the German economic success.
Around 90-95% of all companies worldwide are family firms providing 60-70% of the global GDP and employing around 80% of the global workforce.
Currently, Walmart is the largest family owned firm with around $524bn annual revenue and 2.2m employees. That’s about the size of the GDP of Austria.
Our Background and Partners
WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management
WHU is consistently ranked as one of the top German business schools and established among the top 20 international business schools in Europe, offering academic programs and education for executives.
WHU is a Germany-based business school with locations in Vallendar and Düsseldorf.
The fundamental WHU values are community, cosmopoliteness, entrepreneurship and excellence.
WHU Institute for Family Business & Mittelstand
The Institute is a thought leader in the field of family business and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The current research focuses on the understanding of innovation, leadership and employee satisfaction, succession, inertia, business ethics and financing of family firms as well as family offices.
Together with the Institute we want to generate impact for family businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises on a regional, national, and international level.