Andrea Benkenstein Kruger is a seasoned family enterprise governance and succession specialist, currently serving as Director and Founder focusing on Family Governance at ABK Consult (South Africa), where she supports high-net-worth families and their advisors in designing governance frameworks that strengthen continuity, relationships, and purpose across generations. Prior to that she was the Head of Succession and Governance at Stonehage Fleming SA and South Market Area Family business Leader for PwC SA. With extensive experience working with family businesses across Africa, Andrea’s practice focuses on the intersection of governance, succession planning, and family dynamics —guiding families through the transitions from founders to next generation leadership while aligning structure with shared values.  Andrea has been a featured speaker and thought leader in family business forums, including sessions on preparing the next generation for stewardship, moderating expert panels, and shaping conversations around long-term continuity and governance best practices. Her work emphasizes that strong governance systems are not merely about rules, but about purpose-driven alignment, clear decision-making architecture, and relationships that endure through change—making her a respected voice in succession and family enterprise resilience.

Anete Pajuste is a Professor of Finance at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (Latvia) and a former Visiting Professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business (USA). She has also been a Visiting Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Program on Corporate Governance. Anete holds a PhD in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden). As a co-founder and board chair of the Baltic Family Firm Institute (BFFI),  Anete is passionate about helping family businesses in the Baltic region and beyond grow stronger across generations. Through research, education, and community initiatives, BFFI supports family firms in navigating governance, succession, and sustainable growth. Anete’s academic research focuses on how ownership structures and governance influence company success — including studies on dual-class shares, responsible investing, and leadership diversity. Her work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Corporate Finance, Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Journal of Banking and Finance, and Journal of Law and Economics, among others.  Prior to joining academia, Anete worked in asset management.

Carmen Lehner was born into an entrepreneurial family in a little town in Austria, where her father and his siblings built the company from the ground up. In her early 20s she pursued a Psychology degree at the University of Vienna, graduating with a Master of Science in Psychology and shortly after receiving her Certificate of Systemic Psychotherapy. After some years in the social sector, she began a career in Human Resources outside the family business as a Human Resources Development Manager in Vienna. This transition brought her back to the family business, where she started in 2003 as an HR Development Manager at the Headquarters in Austria. A year later she relocated with her husband and two kids to the United States and spent 14 years assisting in the growth and development of the company’s new business in North America. Since September 2020 she has held the position of Family Manager in the Family Office of the family business, now a global manufacturer and recycler of plastic packaging solutions. Her responsibilities include family governance, information and communication within the family, the family archive, qualification of family members, and sharing the topic of philanthropy with her brother. She also developed the company’s first scholarship program, launched in 2020. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, horseback riding, reading, travelling, and giving back to the communities she serves.

Dr. Henry Shi is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at the School of Management, Adelaide University, and serves on the advisory board of the Family Business Education and Research Group. He holds a PhD in Management from the University of Auckland, a Master of International Business from the University of Melbourne, and an advanced teaching qualification from the University of British Columbia. Henry is an internationally recognised scholar and educator specialising in entrepreneurship and SME strategy, with a particular focus on family-owned and managed firms. His research has appeared in leading academic journals such as Long Range Planning, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Small Business Management, Journal of International Management, International Business Review, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research. He is the author of Entrepreneurship in Family Business: Cases from China (Springer, 2014) and serves as Chief Editor of Cases on Chinese Entrepreneurship (Edward Elgar, forthcoming 2026). In addition to his academic work, Henry has actively engaged with local businesses and provided advisory and consulting support to organisations such as the Australia China Business Council, the Australian Asian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association, and the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.

Dr. Khalid Al Araimi is the Managing Director of Al Siraj Holdings SAOC, one of Oman’s leading family-owned conglomerates with strategic investments across energy, industry, construction, and hospitality. Established by one of the country’s pioneering business families, Al Siraj Holdings has been instrumental in shaping Oman’s modern private sector—playing a founding role in several landmark national enterprises, including the country’s largest construction firm and its first private engineering and medical colleges. Dr. Khalid also serves as Vice Chairman of National Drilling & Services Company SAOC, Oman’s first national drilling contractor with operations extending into Kuwait and India, and Arabian Industries SAOC, a major regional EPC company serving the oil, gas, and industrial sectors across the GCC. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to advancing family enterprise governance, regional growth, and responsible diversification in alignment with Oman’s Vision 2040. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Cranfield University, where his research examined the internationalization of family businesses in Oman, alongside an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nottingham. Combining rigorous academic insight with extensive operational experience, Dr. Khalid represents a new generation of Gulf family business leaders dedicated to sustaining legacy while driving innovation and global competitiveness.

Maija Treija-Kovāča is an IT and Business Development Manager at Gemoss, a one-stop shop for HoReCa professionals – a leading hospitality supplier in the Baltics with over 32 years of experience. As one of the second-generation representatives in the family business, Maija enjoys working alongside her mother, husband, brother, and sister-in-law, contributing to the company’s continued growth and innovation. She holds a BBA in Hospitality Management from Glion, obtained in London, and an Executive MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, combining international industry knowledge with strategic leadership. At Gemoss, Maija has been a driving force behind the company’s digital transformation, leading the implementation of SAP Business One and LVS WMS systems. Her work focuses on modernizing legacy processes, improving data flow, and aligning technology with business goals. With a strong emphasis on change management and cross-functional collaboration, Maija ensures that new systems are not only implemented but embraced across the organization.

Orit Pollak is second generation in a family business focused on manufacturing and innovation. At Reyemsa, they manufacture 55-gallon steel drums, primarily used for lubricants, oils, and pulp. They also operate a retail division that produces grills and BBQs under their two own brands, as well as through contract manufacturing for retail chains and corporate clients campaigns. Their second company, Orginor Natural, specializes in the development and processing of natural colorants, mainly carmine, as well as ingredients and spray-dried extracts. They lead R&D and turnkey solutions for the food and feed industries. Additionally, they process heme iron, hemoglobin, and plasma from animal sources, natural alternatives with higher absorption than mineral iron, which are widely used in public nutrition programs to help reduce anemia and malnutrition. In 2017, Orit Pollak co-authored a book to promote Peruvian cuisine using their smokers. “La Cocina al Cilindro” received the Gourmand Award for Best BBQ Book in the World. Prior to joining the family business, she worked across the oil & gas, mining, and healthcare sectors. She currently serves on the external board of the National Chamber of Industry and at a risk rating agency.

Ramia Marielle El Agamy is the CEO and Co-Founder of Orbis Terra Media, a global content strategy agency and award-winning publisher specialising in personal branding, technology-enabled storytelling, and strategic communications. She began her entrepreneurial career in 2008 as founder and editor-in-chief of Tharawat Magazine, growing it together with her family into a globally recognised platform for family businesses and entrepreneurs. In 2014, she co-founded Women in Family Business, an initiative amplifying women’s leadership and visibility in the family enterprise ecosystem. Across her podcasts The Family Business Voice and Women in Family Business, she has interviewed hundreds of leaders, fuelling her purpose to bring greater diversity to thought leadership around the world. Her work centres on amplifying voices and ideas that shape the future, helping organisations align commercial success with positive social impact, a purpose reflected across the family-led ventures she contributes to. Ramia also supports her family’s non-profit organisation, the Tharawat Family Business Forum, promoting sustainable family enterprise across the Middle East and North Africa. She serves on the Board of Directors of Caran d’Ache in Switzerland and the Board of Trustees of Shakespeare’s Globe in London, contributing to strategic transformation, brand evolution, and stakeholder engagement.

Rihards Treijs is the Sustainability Project Manager at Gemoss. As a child, Rihards playfully mispronounced the Latvian word for hippopotamus—begemots—which inspired the name Gemoss, now a well-known brand in the region. Today, Rihards leads Gemoss’ sustainability efforts with creativity and purpose, helping shape the company’s identity as a responsible and forward-thinking business. His projects span a wide range of impactful initiatives: from transforming discarded materials into stylish and functional store interiors, to restoring historic buildings with care and vision. Rihards also organizes hands-on workshops for youth, fostering environmental awareness and practical skills. He is a passionate advocate for circular design, social inclusion, and community-driven change, often collaborating with local artists, schools, and NGOs to bring these values to life. Through his work, Rihards not only strengthens Gemoss’ commitment to sustainability but also builds bridges between tradition and innovation—ensuring that the company’s legacy continues with a greener future.

Sam Maldonado is a 4th generation member of a large Venezuelan family business.  Due to the difficult political and economic circumstances in Venezuela his family decided to sell their core family business and are pursuing new projects with a family office based in Miami, Florida. Sam Maldonado has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. In 2015, Sam completed a Masters in Family Entrepreneurship from Zeppelin University in Germany. He has been a member of FBN’s board and served as president of the Next Generation Committee. He worked as a family business advisor with David Bork for many years but now is dedicating more time to his family’s business and pursuing new opportunities in tourism and conservation. He is a director of Ven Africa Private Game Reserve in South Africa and the founder of the Conservation Initiative of Ven Africa (CIVA) non-profit foundation which continues the Maldonado family legacy of conservation, sustainability and community development. Sam is married to Michaela, who runs her family business ASB Greenworld GmbH and lives in the city of Ermatingen, Switzerland, together with their daughters Emilia and Flora.

Santiago Perry is a member of the Colombian Espinosa Organization, a family business with diversified interests and the largest private traders of Colombian coffee in the world. He has served as the Espinosa Organization’s Family Council President and has been a member of the Board of Advisors for the entrepreneurship committee, the succession committee and the corporate government committee. Santiago is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Family Business Network Colombia and a speaker at several FBN World Summits. He currently serves on the board of advisors of the family business research center of the TEC de Monterrey, the first research center of its class in Latin America, and sits on the board of directors of three Colombian companies. He has been invited to speak around the world by entities such as Loyola University, TEC de Monterrey, UBS, YPO, Campden Wealth and Marcus Evans.

Sarah Bautz is editor and managing editor at “wir-Magazin für Unternehmerfamilien” (wir magazine for entrepreneurial families), published by the specialist publishing house of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. She studied theater studies and art history in Mainz and Paris, and came to daily journalism via cultural reporting. She has been an editor at the F.A.Z. Group since 2007 and a permanent member of the editorial team at wir magazine for entrepreneurial families since 2015, where she is now responsible for the production of the magazine, the program for the annual entrepreneurial family meeting wir-Tage, and the wir podcast.

Topi Paananen leads Peikko with a simple belief: long-term success is built on trust, collaboration, and the courage to evolve. As CEO since 2010, he has guided Peikko’s growth from a strong family company into a global leader in construction solutions — combining industrial know-how with a people-first culture and a focus on sustainable innovation. Topi joined Peikko in 2005 and has since held several leadership roles, including Chairman of the Board and Director of International Operations. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable international experience in the mobile phone component and decorative coatings industries at Eimo/Foxconn and Akzo Nobel. These experiences shaped his pragmatic, results-oriented approach to leadership and his ability to connect strategy with everyday action. Under Topi’s direction, Peikko has expanded its global footprint, strengthened operational excellence, and embraced new digital and sustainable technologies. He is known for his approachable and straightforward style — leading by example, encouraging open dialogue, and empowering teams to take ownership. For Topi, leadership means combining determination with humility and keeping the customers at the heart of every decision.