Family Office Navigator

In my role as Professor and Director of the IMD Global Family Business Center, I have the privilege of working with enterprising families from around the world. My ultimate goal is to assist them in ensuring multi-generational success and unity. Many of these families either have a family office or are in the midst of establishing one. My mission is to guide them through the intricate terrains of a family office in the most effective and efficient manner.

This has motivated me to create the Family Office Navigator, the second in a series of Navigator books, following the publication of the “Family Philanthropy Navigator” in 2020.

I hope this book will challenge, educate, and inspire families in their family office endeavors, irrespective of whether they are novices in the realm of family offices or have accrued decades of experience. In the end, I envision the navigator evolving into a standalone tool that families and their advisors worldwide will find invaluable.

Mario was passionate about his work and always recognized the wider purpose and values in each entrepreneurial family. He had the privilege of meeting and assisting numerous families around the world, especially on topics where they could make a difference in people’s lives. His deep desire was to transmit knowledge to meet the family’s needs and empower younger generations. He was honored to co-write the Family Office Navigator with Peter Vogel, sharing their collective wisdom.

Unfortunately, Mario left us too early to complete this project about which he cared so deeply. Our gratitude extends to Peter as well as Mario’s colleagues at CFEG who supported its realization. This book will not only be valued for its written words, but its completion is also proof that the union of families and friendships can lead to the accomplishment of wonderful projects.

In memory of Mario, we hope this book will stand as one of the pillar stones that protect and bind families together, not only in good times but also in challenging ones.

Ivana, Filippo, and Leonardo Marconi (Mario’s Family)

Matt Falloon
As the lead editor for the Family Office Navigator, it was a great personal and professional privilege for me to work with Peter, Mario, and the rest of the team in bringing their exceptional levels of knowledge, skill, expertise, and experience together in a meaningful and impactful way for our audience.
With this book, we have strived to create and present a practical, easy-to- understand – but also deeply comprehensive – guide and framework that we hope will help families shape healthy and positive futures for the generations to come, and for society at large.

Courtney Collette, Martin Liechti, Marius Holzer
At Cambridge Family Enterprise Group, serving enterprising families is what motivates us. We continually strive to better understand and respond to the ever-changing challenges and opportunities that families and their enterprises face. Our services have evolved over the years, and – with the visionary leadership of Mario Marconi – have deepened, to support family offices as a vehicle for family success and wealth regeneration.
Developing the Family Office Navigator with Peter had been a passion for Mario these past few years. Though he was unable to see the fruits of their efforts in the publication of this book, we were sad but proud to step up to the task of completing the book in Mario’s honor, in collaboration with Peter.
It is our hope that it will be a testimonial to Mario, as well as an invaluable tool for enterprising families as they build and strengthen their family offices for generations to come.

Alfredo Carlo, Veronica Maccari, Beatrice Schena and Elena Vasumini

Our design studio, Housatonic, exists to create bridges toward generative relationships, where design plays a key role. We worked on the design of this book with the hope that anyone will be able to use it to enhance the way we create a positive impact on the planet. We believe that good design promotes good collaboration, and that collaboration is the only factor that will allow us to make the changes needed to create a better future for all, including our own families.
We hope the Family Office Navigator book will not only help readers better understand how to shape each family’s vision and future but also focus on what’s relevant with intention and sound organization.