Family Enterprise: The Future Is Female
Women have always shaped family enterprises, often from behind the scenes. For generations, wives, daughters, and sisters played vital but largely unrecognized roles. They supported founders, kept families connected, and influenced decisions without holding formal titles. As someone who comes from a business-owning family where, across five generations, there has never been a female owner or female executive who was a member of the family, I’ve thought often about what is gained and what is lost when women are excluded from leadership.
Today, change is underway, with women stepping into boardrooms, C-suites, and ownership councils across the globe. Yet progress remains uneven. Women hold just 18% of leadership positions in family firms worldwide, and only 6% of family businesses globally are led by a female CEO, even though women account for about 23% of family firm board seats. Nearly a third of family companies report having no women on their boards, and only 9% meet a “diverse board” threshold. (PwC)
By the numbers, women remain underrepresented in top roles across both family and public companies. Where family enterprises may differ is in their pathways. Because ownership and family identity can confer legitimacy, daughters and sisters sometimes have access to governance or executive roles in ways that are harder to achieve in non-family businesses. This, however, can vary widely depending on cultural norms and the nature of the business itself. The good news is that surveys suggest family firms may be more open to change. More than half report at least one woman on their board, and 70% say they are considering a woman as their next CEO. (Phys.org) For those that are not, the evidence is clear: companies with more diverse boards perform better. Firms in the top quartile for board gender diversity are 27% more likely to financially outperform those in the bottom quartile. (McKinsey) Families who overlook women for these roles may also be overlooking stronger results.
Taken together, the data shows progress but also persistent gaps. Numbers alone do not capture the full story. What really matters is how families create opportunities for women to step into leadership and how those women shape their enterprises once they do.
Spotlight: Women of Influence in Family Enterprises
We have had the privilege of engaging with inspiring women who are in positions of influence in family enterprises around the world. Their stories not only showcase individual achievement but also highlight practices that families everywhere can adopt to accelerate women’s leadership.
Nami Yamamoto – Yamamotoyama (Japan/U.S.)
As a member of G11 and the first woman to lead parts of the centuries-old Yamamotoyama group, Nami is modernizing a traditional green tea and seaweed business while preparing to become its first female global president. Her story shows the importance of giving daughters early opportunities to lead operating businesses, allowing them to shape strategy and sustainability agendas for the future.
Emine Sabancı Kamışlı – Esas Holding (Türkiye)
Emine comes from Türkiye’s prominent Sabancı family, but her branch charted a new course by founding Esas Holding in 2001, with Emine as co-founder. Today, Esas is one of Türkiye’s leading investment groups with holdings across aviation, real estate, retail, healthcare, and entertainment. Emine serves as Vice Chair and also leads Esas Sosyal, the group’s social investment platform focused on youth employment and women’s entrepreneurship. Her path illustrates how women in family enterprises can use leadership positions not only for business growth but also for social impact, showing families the value of aligning ownership with purpose.
Meghan Juday – IDEAL Industries (United States)
A fourth-generation leader, Meghan became Chairman of the Board after years of family governance work. She has been a powerful advocate for rising-gen education and family councils. Her example demonstrates the need to equip all owners, not just operators, with governance training so they can serve as capable stewards of the family’s legacy.
Damchae Dem – Pelden Enterprise (Bhutan)
From selling potato chips to founding Bhutan’s first steel manufacturer, Damchae leads Pelden Enterprise and the Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs. Her journey underscores the value of role models. When women in family enterprises lead visibly, they inspire younger generations to pursue both entrepreneurial and governance roles.
Samia and Sameen Chowdhury – PRAN-RFL Group (Bangladesh)
PRAN-RFL is one of Bangladesh’s largest diversified conglomerates, spanning food, beverages, plastics, and light engineering. The group is currently led by Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, who is actively preparing the next generation, including his two daughters, Samia and Sameen, and his son, for future leadership. Samia and Sameen currently hold operational oversight of the PRAN and RFL divisions, reflecting the growing role of daughters in South Asian family enterprises and Ahsan’s commitment to inclusive succession planning.
Yasmine and Farida Khamis – Oriental Weavers (Egypt)
After their father’s passing, Yasmine and Farida assumed leadership of one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers, steering governance reforms in a traditionally male-dominated sector. Their leadership illustrates how families can allow flexible paths for rising-gen members who transition into authority at critical moments while reshaping organizational culture.
These are just a handful of the women now in positions of influence across family enterprises worldwide.
Accelerating Women’s Leadership: Five Levers for Families
Looking at the spotlights, families can take concrete steps to ensure women’s leadership continues to grow within their own businesses:
- Start rising-gen education early. From teenage years, include daughters and sons equally in business exposure, mentorship, and governance training.
- Equip all owners, not just operators. Even if rising-gen members do not work in the operating company, they should be educated to be strong owners and board-ready governors.
- Establish transparent succession pipelines. Define clear criteria for roles and use rotational opportunities to prepare the next generation for executive and governance responsibilities.
- Provide role models and visibility. Showcase women already leading, inside or outside the family, as mentors for younger members.
- Allow flexible paths. Recognize that some rising-gen members may prefer hybrid roles that combine governance, board service, or part-time operational involvement.
The next chapter for women in family business is about creating structured pathways, aligning leadership with family values, and ensuring that rising-gen daughters are prepared to guide enterprises through change.
The Way Forward
For much of history, women in family enterprises were influential but invisible, shaping decisions from the background without formal authority. Now, as more women take up visible roles in governance and leadership, families have an opportunity to build on that legacy by preparing the next generation—daughters as well as sons—to lead. Educating rising-gen members early, whether or not they join the operating business, equips them to be strong owners and effective governors. Families that prepare daughters alongside sons to govern, steward, and innovate will not only sustain their legacies but also help set a global example of inclusive leadership.
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