Judi Cunningham, co-founder and Executive Director of the Business Families Centre at UBC's Sauder School of Business, gave an overview of the genesis of family enterprise as a field of study, highlighting how this new field presents incredible opportunities for advisors to family business owners and operators. She also discussed the increasing discernment families show when seeking out advisors, and the importance on identifying advisors with additional designations, such as the Family Enterprise Advising accreditation, appointed by the Institute of Family Enterprise Advisors (IFEA).
As part of a second generation family business and a thought leader in the field of family enterprise, Judi designed the Family Enterprise Advisor Program, an educational prerequisite for IFEA's designation in family enterprise advising. She is also a faculty member at the Sauder School of Business, delivering programs for both families and their professional advisors and holds her Master's Degree in Family Systems Counseling.