Walsh College Event Brings Together Family Business

November 6, 2008

Dr. Mary Whiteside offered advice to the family business audience: “identify which hat you’re wearing when you communicate with family members. Are you speaking as the business partner, or as the spouse. Try not to mix the two.”

Walsh College’s Business Leadership Institute hosted a Family Business Breakfast on Oct. 30, 2008 at its Troy Campus. The breakfast event featured Family Business panelists discussing communication and conciliation. Ursula Scroggs from sponsor Derderian Kann Seyferth & Salucci, moderated the panel with expert guest Dr. Mary Whiteside, psychologist and author of a family business book series. Sally and Mark Young from Western Creative and Jill and Mike Kotsis from Atlas Wholesale Food Co. revealed some of the problems couples have when they work together and jointly own a business.

Dr. Whiteside offered advice to the family business audience: “Identify which hat you’re wearing when you communicate with family members. Are you speaking as the business partner, or as the spouse? Try not to mix the two.”

Breakout sessions on a variety of topics relevant to family owned businesses were offered and focused on topics such as: Organizational Communication, Succession Planning, How Much is My Family Business Really Worth and Equitable Pay for Family Members. Walsh College’s new Barry Center auditorium was the site of the Family Business Breakfast and more than 75 people attended.

Walsh adjunct professor Paul Raine, JD; and from sponsor Foster Swift Collins and Smith attorneys Rebecca Davies and Eleanore Schroeder.

From left: Mark Young, Western Creative chairman; Stephanie Bergeron, Walsh College president; Dr. Mary Whiteside, psychologist; Mike Semanco, Hennessey Capital president and Walsh College trustee.