A passion for family enterprises and a legacy of thought leadership

Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA) is a globally recognized advisory firm dedicated to supporting the enduring success of multi-generational family enterprises. 

LGA was founded in 1997 by Dr. Ivan Lansberg and Dr. Kelin Gersick, initially out of a shared passion and curiosity about their own family businesses, and a deep belief in the crucial role of families in the most important aspects of life—work, love, and purpose.  Growing out of the founders’ personal histories as university professors, LGA has always been deeply committed to thought leadership, publishing seminal books, conducting landmark research, and establishing key frameworks for continuity planning that have become global standards throughout the field. This stems from our genuine curiosity about families and organizations, and a devotion to helping our clients realize their shared aspirations and dreams.

Today our team of over 40 advisors supports the continuity of hundreds of enterprising families around the world, as they each navigate the unique ownership, business, and family challenges that emerge around complex governance dilemmas, particularly at moments of generational transition.  

With a global reach spanning six continents and over 30 countries, LGA proudly serves leading families worldwide. Our diverse clientele includes Fortune 500 companies, multi-generational family businesses, global family offices, and philanthropic families, all seeking to build an enduring enterprise.

We facilitate the change you need to build the legacy you want.

Over the last quarter century, we have learned that every enterprising family is unique, and that they are also all alike—both statements are true. Our team can help you harness your family’s unique strengths to achieve your shared aspirations, while guiding you through the predictable challenges that every family enterprise faces as it grows more complex.

Our methodology is both diagnostic and systemic, built upon the Three Circle Model and the Seven Drivers of Continuity. Through our signature Continuity Audit, we thoroughly assess your family enterprise to identify critical issues that could impede continuity. This individualized assessment allows us to integrate the latest academic research with practical insights, developing targeted interventions that address the specific needs and sometimes conflicting goals of various stakeholders within your complex system. 

We actively listen to understand your family members’ individual concerns, values and aspirations, and frame them within your broader collective goals, with an aim to identify barriers that could hinder your success. This allows our recommendations to be precisely tailored to address your unique needs, while remaining grounded in our experience supporting hundreds of other families around the world. 

We pride ourselves on being among our clients’ most trusted advisors, helping to guide the development and implementation of effective governance systems and succession plans. We ensure these strategies align with your family’s core values and vision, safeguarding your legacy for generations to come. Furthermore, we are committed to building your internal capacity so you can better leverage your human capital throughout the enterprise. 

Our goal is not just for you to follow our advice, but to understand why new approaches are needed and effective, enabling you to sustain these structures, policies and processes long after our direct intervention concludes.

Our theories and frameworks have been widely adopted throughout the field.

We recognize that family enterprises are not merely economic assets, but also enduring institutions that touch the lives of many stakeholders over decades and even centuries. Consequently, the effectiveness of their owners is often a primary driver of employment, development, and innovation around the world. 

At LGA, we are committed to helping our clients become the best versions of themselves through ongoing education—becoming purposeful stewards of the wealth and organizations under their guidance and care.  

As a firm, we also pride ourselves on being thought leaders in the family enterprise field. We hold that nothing is more practical than a good theory, a conviction that underpins our commitment to research and the development of conceptual models of family enterprise. Most of our advisors are faculty or frequent lecturers at universities, conferences, and private gatherings. We have special academic relationships with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the School of Management at Yale University, and Harvard University, among others.

In addition to our on-campus teaching, we design and deliver private educational programming to enterprising families who want to go beyond executive education and networking events. We help them design experiential learning workshops and customized Owners Academies to support and develop their human capital, expanding the bench of leadership talent for the future.

We also publish insights on topics of relevance to family enterprises in articles, books, podcasts, and more. We provide these materials to our current and former clients, as well as the broader community, enabling emerging leaders in family enterprises to shape their own unique path to generational continuity, regardless of their current size and influence.