Family Entrepreneurship & Growth Capital: A Marriage Made in Heaven?
Amsterdam, 14 April 2026
A standout event by the INSEAD Directors Network Netherlands. Prof. Bagalopal Vissa (INSEAD Entrepreneurship & Family Enterprises) shared cutting-edge research on growth capital for mid-market family businesses—highlighting risks, opportunities, dilemmas, and the role of boards and special attention for family dynamics.
A panel of seasoned board members, Heleen van Gulik, Pascal Piepers, Ernst-Jan Koziolek, and Bastiaan Hoogendoorn moderated by Fennemiek Gommer, discussed provocative statements:
- Patient capital allows family business to grow while staying true to their legacy
- Private equity capital in family business is bad news for the environment
- The next growth phase of midcap family business is not a linear step, but a system shift
- Sometimes a family business needs impatient governance – rather than patient capital
Key Takeaways:
- Clarify family objectives: is it growth? Is it continuity? Is it relation to certain stakeholders, or saving family wealth? Dilemmas abound.
- Huge potential for value-creating partnerships between patient capital and ambitious family founders. But that road is full of pitfalls.
- Governance is about control, not just capital—advisory/non-executive boards are game-changers. We must focus more on the quality of governance.
- Family dynamics make this space endlessly fascinating.
Thanks to Prof. Bala, the panelists for their insights; and Fennemiek for sharp moderation, and all participants for lively questions;
A special thanks goes to Boer & Croon for hosting this event.
#INSEAD #IDN #FamilyBusiness #GrowthCapital #DirectorsNetwork @INSEAD Alumni Association The Netherlands
INSEAD Directors Network Netherlands 🔗 https://directorsnetwork.insead.nl/
Charting the New Frontier of Family Enterprises and Private Capital at INSEAD 🔗 https://www.insead.edu/events/family-enterprise-summit-charting-the-new-frontier-of-family-enterprise-and-private-capital