This year’s Institute for Family Governance (IFG) conference was once again held in the Lincoln Room of the Union Club in New York and was titled: “Governance: From Strategy to Execution, Integrating Consulting, Financial and Legal Advice.”

Panelists spoke on a variety of topics, including best governance practices for family-held businesses, purposeful planning when transitioning a family enterprise and practical tools for effective family communication and education.

Speakers are chosen from across multi-disciplinary advisor fields and are leaders in the legal, corporate and family governance world.   Many are also members of successful families, willing to share what they know to help others preserve and create meaningful family legacies.

Barbara Hoeft, founding partner of the Willow Street Group and the Willow Street Trust Company of Wyoming, noted that this year’s conference covered some new ground in the governance field and touched on hot topics such as empowering younger generations and acknowledging human capital as an integral part of a family’s assets. “Families are looking for tools to engage different generations, to manage the family’s finances in a customized manner and create opportunities to mentor personal development for family members at all ages—I was glad to see that the Private Family Trust Company continues to gain in popularity as one of these tools.”