Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme
Strategic growth | Sound governance | Succession planning
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Programme overview: Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme
Business owners, presidents and founders today wear two hats, driving day-to-day performance as CEOs or managing directors while shaping the long-term vision as owners and board leaders. Balancing these roles demands clarity, agility and a unique approach to decision-making, growth and succession.
The Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme equips leaders like you to excel in both capacities. Through a combination of in-person and online learning, you will gain practical tools to lead strategically, manage complex family dynamics, navigate tough decisions and plan for the future. You will learn when to act as an operator, when to step back as an owner and how to grow your business without losing its entrepreneurial spirit. This programme empowers you to scale your business, strengthen your leadership and build a lasting legacy while mastering the art of leading from two seats.
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What you will learn in this programme
The Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme will help you:
Strengthen your capability to lead both as an owner and an executive, balancing operational decisions with long-term governance
Design scalable growth strategies across platforms, ecosystems and industries to create sustainable value, and use AI and emerging technologies as real strategic levers to make sharper, faster, strategic decisions
Understand the dynamics that shape family-owned and owner-led organisations and how to sustain growth across generation
Evaluate financial, investment and capital allocation decisions from both a CEO and a shareholder perspective
Design governance structures, succession pathways and conflict management frameworks that support smooth transitions and enterprise resilience
Apply integrated leadership, ownership and board-level skills that enable you to operate and govern effectively in any organisational context
In person in Cambridge
Experience the Cambridge Judge Business School ecosystem firsthand through immersive, in-person modules. Engage directly with faculty and industry practitioners to explore the latest research and real-world insights on enterprise leadership and governance.
During the in-person sessions, you will work closely with global peers, participate in boardroom and leadership exercises and build a strategic action plan tailored to your business. This intensive environment strengthens both your executive decision-making and your board-level perspective, helping you scale the business while improving governance, alignment and long-term strategic clarity.
Curriculum
Across three comprehensive modules, delivered through a blend of in-person sessions, online learning and practical exercises, you will build the skills needed to scale your business, professionalise governance and manage generational transition. Each module addresses a core dimension of effective enterprise leadership, ownership and board stewardship.
Note: The session topics mentioned are subject to change.
Key programme features
Interact with faculty, peers and industry experts during the in-person modules held on the Cambridge campus.
Engage with high-achieving peers and network with founders and owners from the global family business community.
Navigate the family enterprise landscape with insights into leadership, conflict management, governance and succession planning.
Prepare a strategic action plan to navigate specific opportunities and challenges in your family business.
Earn select Cambridge Judge Business School alumni benefits upon completion of the programme.
Gain the opportunity to visit a family enterprise in the region and interact with senior family business owners.
Programme calendar
Experience a comprehensive learning journey with two immersive in-person modules and one online module. The highly interactive in-person sessions will be held in Cambridge, UK, over a period of five days each. You will get the opportunity to engage in insightful discussions on the family business landscape while networking with your global peers and immersing yourself in the rich Cambridge ecosystem. The online module will offer you convenient learning through a mix of video lectures, discussions and assignments.
Date | Location | |
|---|---|---|
Module 1: Managing the Family Enterprise | 16–20 March 2026 | 5 days in person in Cambridge
|
Module 2: Strategic Thinking for the CXO: Platforms, Ecosystems and AI-Driven Strategies | April–June 2026 | 6 weeks online + live online |
Module 3: Governance and Leadership | 29 June–3 July 2026
| 5 days in person in Cambridge |
Note: Programme schedule is subject to change.
Action plan
Throughout the programme, you will apply new insights to create a strategic action plan tailored to your family business. With in-person and online sessions and comprehensive learning resources, you will develop a road map addressing growth, operations and competitive advantage. By the end, you will have a practical strategy to propel your family business forward.
Meet the faculty
Academic Programme Director, Management Practice Professor of Financial Economics and Policy, Director of the Cambridge Executive MBA Programme, Director of the Circular Economy Centre (CEC), Fellow of Clare Hall
Associate Professor in Strategy, Fellow, and Director of Studies at Magdalene College, European Master in Management and Diplôme Grande Ecole (ESCP Europe), DEA (Université Paris X Nanterre), MA (University of Cambridge), PhD (HEC, France)
Professor of Strategy and Innovation, Professorial Fellow of St Edmund’s College MPhil, PhD (University of Cambridge)
Professor of Organisational Behaviour BSc, MSc (Giessen University), PhD (Aston University)
Assistant Professor in Organisational Behaviour BA (University of Modena), MS, PhD (Washington University in St Louis)
Honorary Fellow, BA, MBA, PhD, Economics (University of Nottingham)
Who is it for?
The Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme is designed for senior leaders who shape both the strategic direction and governance of owner-managed and family-owned enterprises.
Ideal participants include:
Business owners, shareholders and next-generation leaders
Family and non-family board members
Owner-CEOs and C-suite executives
Senior non-family leaders responsible for operations, governance or strategic decision-making
Advisers and professionals supporting family enterprises
Note: Participants are required to have fluency in written and spoken English to enrol in the programme.
Select alumni benefits
Join CJBS’s global network of more than 14,000 alumni in over 100 countries and receive select benefits, including:
Invitations to exclusive events
Bi-monthly newsletter with updates on the latest research, activities and events at the school
CJBS.net email for life
Access to the CJBS Executive Education LinkedIn group
20% discount on all future CJBS Executive Education open-enrolment programmes
Access to country and special interest groups
Certificate
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a digital certificate by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
FAQs
Connect with a programme adviser for a 1:1 session
Our programme advisers have helped senior executives around the world choose the right programme for their career goals. Schedule a 1:1 to get a deeper understanding on why the Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme is the right fit for you.
Email: cambridge_fabu@emeritus.org
Phone: +971 80 0088601097 (UAE) / +44 1786 649936 (UK) / +1 573 527 3654 (USA) / +52 55970 73870 (LATAM) / 000 8009191970 (India*) / +65 3138 1820 (SG)
*If you are dialing the India number, please make sure to include the first three zeros (000).
Flexible payment options available.
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