Family Business Stories

In this episode of our Family Office Podcast, Lisa Cornwell chats with Danielle Valkner, who heads our US family office practice and guides some of the world's most influential families.
They explore how US family offices are evolving—transforming into efficient, business-like entities by integrating the right talent, processes, controls, and technology. The discussion delves into what it means to use AI responsibly, moves onto governance and engaging the next generation and touches on investment trends being seen in the Family Office space.

In this episode of our “Family Business Stories” podcast Lisa Cornwell, who leads our private clients and Family Offices team, engages with philanthropy consultant Diego Estrada to explore how private foundations and grant-makers can boost their impact sustainably. They discuss enhancing operations and governance, fostering trust-based partnerships, and why Switzerland stands out as a hub for innovation and talent. Diego shares insights on trends, common challenges like due diligence and oversight, and practical ways to measure results. His advice: work together, avoid reinventing the wheel—and act swiftly.

In episode 24 of our Family Business Stories Podcast, PwC’s Lisa Cornwell talks to Gilles Erulin, a longstanding family office practitioner and founder of Westwick Melrose & Cromwell (WMC), a hands-on consulting firm that supports families with family offices in managing extraordinary situations. Among other things, they look at Gilles’s learnings from decades at Financiere Pinault, the family office of billionaire businessman Francois Pinault and his children – including family office mergers and acquisitions and the challenges of succession in a wealthy business-owning family.
A lot of family offices are well equipped to run their ordinary business. It’s when something suddenly pops up or starts nagging the family that they may not have the team in place to deal with the situation. In these circumstances, WMC can provide valuable expertise, such as supporting the family in navigating a merger or acquisition in an unfamiliar jurisdiction, or facilitating the transition from the first to the second generation.  Gilles also talks about the challenges of ensuring proper corporate governance in family offices without detracting from the uniqueness of the family itself – in other words, preserving the family’s right to be different.
Is your family office faced with a major transition or an extraordinary situation? Check out the podcast to find out how experienced practitioners can help you negotiate circumstances that depart from daily business.

In this episode of our “Family Business Stories” podcast the last our mini-series focussed on the upcoming Switzerland Inheritance Initiative, PwC’s Lisa Cornwell talks to Alexandra Bertschi, PwC Switzerland’s family governance specialist. They talk about some of the more family-related and emotional aspects of the new tax inheritance initiative, due to go to the vote in the coming months. If approved, it would comprise a 50% federal inheritance tax with a one-off CHF 50 million exemption.

In this episode of our Family Office Podcast, Lisa Cornwell talks to Jürg Niederbacher, who leads PwC’s private wealth practice across Switzerland, about the latest practical developments in the Inheritance Initiative. Now that the proposal and the alternatives have been rejected by the two chambers of parliament, what are the chances of a Yes vote later this year?