bffi
3rd Baltic Family Firm Institute - ECGI Conference

Empowering Family Enterprise: Professionalisation and Community Impact

Date

-

Location

Riga, Latvia

“Empowering Family Enterprise: Professionalisation and Community Impact”

The professionalisation of family enterprise is essential for navigating the complexities of governance, family dynamics, succession planning, and societal impact. Aligning business objectives with family values requires a structured approach to managing both financial and socioemotional priorities and challenges. The conference explored how professional governance frameworks, investment vehicles such as family offices and family investment companies, and social impact strategies and philanthropy can provide diversification opportunities, competitive advantage, and help manage family dynamics and succession challenges thereby ensuring the continuity of family enterprise across generations. 

 

CONFERENCE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

  • Morten Bennedsen (University of Copenhagen and ECGI)
  • Janis Berzins (BI Norwegian Business School)
  • Valdone Darskuviene (ISM University of Management and Economics)
  • Krista Jaakson (University of Tartu)
  • Valerija Kozlova (Stockholm School of Economics (Riga))
  • Mattias Nordqvist (Stockholm School of Economics)
  • Anete Pajuste (Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and ECGI)
  • Erik Wetter (Stockholm School of Economics)
  • Alminas Zaldokas (National University of Singapore and ECGI)
  • Yupana Wiwattanakantang (NUS Business School, National University of Singapore and ECGI)
     
ORGANISATION

Conference Dates: 8-10 June, 2025.
Conference venue: Stockholm School of Economics (Riga), Riga, Latvia. 
Pre-conference social program: 8 June - Visit to Latvian family company “Baltic Bonsai Parks”
Conference dinner: 9 June - AC Hotel by Marriott Riga, 11th Floor.

 

The academic track of the conference took place on 9-10 June, 2025. In addition to the academic track, there were keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops involving family business members, as well as participants from industry and the public sector. 

Conference participation (including meals) was free for presenters and discussants. Participants are responsible for their travel and accommodation expenses. 

Programme

Sunday, 8 June 2025 | 12:00 - 17:00 EEST

Visit to Latvian family company “Baltic Bonsai Parks”: family business history, Bonsai park visit & Sigulda excursion (separate registration on conference home page)

Monday, 9 June 2025 | 14:00 - 18:30 EEST
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Coffee break

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Practitioner workshops

Moderator

-

Academic track

Moderator

Valērija Kozlova
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Conference Dinner

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 | 09:00 - 18:00 EEST
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Coffee break

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Academic track

Moderator

-

Coffee break

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Group Photo and Lunch

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Academic track

Moderator

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Coffee break

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Baltic Family Firm Champion Award Ceremony

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Wrap-up and networking

Speakers

Marco Becht

Marco Becht

Professor of Finance and the Goldschmidt Professor of Corporate Governance
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Université libre de Bruxelles
Board Member, Fellow, Research Member
Morten

Morten Bennedsen

André and Rosalie Hoffmann Chaired Professor of Family Enterprise
University of Copenhagen
Research Member

Janis Berzins

Associate Professor
BI Norwegian Business School
Academic Member
Ron Masulis

Ronald Masulis

Scientia Professor in Finance
UNSW School of Business, University of New South Wales
Research Member
anete-pajuste

Anete Pajuste

Professor of Finance, Head of Accounting and Finance Department
Stockholm School of Economics (Riga) and BFFI
Research Member
kristine-ross

Kristine Ross

Infotark AS
Belen Villalonga

Belen Villalonga

Professor of Management and Organizations
Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University
Research Member
Yupana Wiwattanakantang

Yupana Wiwattanakantang

Associate professor, Department of Finance
NUS Business School, National University of Singapore
Board Member, Research Member
alminas-zaldokas

Alminas Žaldokas

Associate Professor of Finance
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Research Member

Presentations

Highlights from the Baltic Family Business Conference 2025

The 3rd BFFI - ECGI Conference "Empowering Family Enterprise: Professionalisation and Community Impact" was held at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia on June 9-10, 2025. The event featured 50+ expert speakers and gathered more than 150 participants from 20 countries.

Read the conference Highlights
bffi 2025

Conference General Sponsor:

seb

Conference Partners and Supporters:

Sorainen resized
ViaClarus

This event is part of the Family Capitalism pillar of the ECGI’s Responsible Capitalism project.

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Organised by

Morten Bennedsen
André and Rosalie Hoffmann Chaired Professor of Family Enterprise
University of Copenhagen
Valdone Darskuviene
Professor of finance
ISM University of Management and Economics
Krista Jaakson
an Associate Professor of Management and Executive MBA program lead
University of Tartu
Valerija Kozlova
Research Associate
Stockholm School of Economics (Riga)
Mattias Nordqvist
Full Professor in Business Administration
Center for Family Enterprise, Stockholm School of Economics
Anete Pajuste
Professor of Finance, Head of Accounting and Finance Department
Stockholm School of Economics (Riga) and BFFI
Erik Wetter
Assistant Professor - Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology
Center for Family Enterprise, Stockholm School of Economics

Contact

Anete Pajuste
Professor of Finance, Head of Accounting and Finance Department
Stockholm School of Economics (Riga) and BFFI

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