Leading Beyond the Family: Unlocking Next-Level Growth

For many family businesses, evolving leadership is both one of the most significant and most sensitive decisions they will face. Whether you are preparing to hire your first non-family CEO or looking to better leverage an existing leader, this transition represents a pivotal shift from family-led control to a more professionalized, scalable organization.

When done well, integrating external leadership can unlock growth, strengthen operations, and support successful generational transition, all while preserving what makes your business unique.
In this interactive workshop, you’ll gain practical insights on how to:

• Define the right CEO profile for your family business
• Build a strong, value-creating partnership between ownership and leadership
• Clarify roles between family, board, and CEO to avoid common friction points
• Navigate challenges and avoid common pitfalls in leadership transitions
• Successfully onboard and integrate a new CEO, or realign with a current one
• Prepare your organization for change while maintaining culture and trust

Whether you’re exploring your first non-family leader or refining an existing structure, this session will provide actionable strategies to help your business, and your legacy, thrive.

Facilitators


Bill Benson is President and Co-Founder of WilliamCharles Search Group. Bill has led hundreds of executive and senior-level searches across finance, human resources, operations, sales, and C-suite roles for middle-market, family-owned, non-profit, private-equity-backed, and ESOP organizations.
With more than three decades of experience in executive search, Bill is known for his relationship-driven approach and his belief that long-term success in recruiting is built on trust, transparency, and disciplined process. He has advised boards, CEOs, and executive teams on hiring and talent, as well as on adjacent areas such as succession planning, culture, and leadership. Bill remains actively involved in search management, client development, and candidate evaluation.

Bill is a past Chair of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and a former Chair of NPAworldwide, a global network of independent search firms.
 

Chuck Smeester is Co-Founder of WilliamCharles, bringing over 15 years of experience across Corporate Human Resources and operations leadership. With deep insight into C-suite recruitment dynamics, he understands the complexities senior executives face in attracting, assessing, and retaining top talent. Chuck partners closely with business leaders to navigate critical hiring decisions, offering a strategic and practical approach across a range of industries and functional areas.

He is also an active community leader, having served in board roles with the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and its Endowment Board. Chuck is a past Board Chair of the West Michigan Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, and remains actively engaged in ACG.
 

Rob Elliot began his career in public education, serving as a high school business `teacher & coach, then school business manager and finally superintendent of schools. After 17 years in education, Rob switched to the business world to work for public corporations as well as privately-held family businesses, serving in leadership positions as Director of Training & Development, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and Chief Operating Officer. Rob co-founded Pondera with Joe Day and John Belaski in April, 2006.