First, on 8 September 2021, Prof Venter was part of a 90-minute long women’s panel discussion and broadcast, themed: Women making an impact in business, entrepreneurship and society. This broadcast formed part of Standard Bank’s Phenomenal Families Series. Prof Venter joined other well-known business women, such as Nike Anani, Tsitsi Mutendi, Nancy Chien, Victoria Blackburn, Thandeka Nombanjinji-Nzama and Doris Mbadiwe on the panel, where they discussed various issues surrounding:
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Women in business - What matters most to them.
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Cultural differences to consider.
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What happens when a sibling (male) is not chosen to be the CEO - How to manage potential conflict.
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Mentoring women in business.
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Succession planning impact.
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Work-life balance, especially in a family business.
Watch the session recording on YouTube.
Prof Venter then presented a 2-hour long webinar to the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), on 22 September 2021. Her presentation centered around ‘Consulting to family businesses: Successfully planning and guiding the family business through management and ownership transitions’. Prof Venter highlighted the nature and importance of succession planning and how to approach this process if clients are family-owned or controlled. She highlighted the factors that influence the succession process and the obstacles to be aware of. In addition, she presented suggestions for how to successfully plan for ownership and management succession.
Finally, on 26 October 2021, Prof Venter was a co-host and speaker at a Family Business Webinar, themed: ‘Your Family Business: Re-set, Re-align, Re-ignite’. The webinar was co-hosted by Mr Carl van Vuuren, who is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), specialising in estate and business risk analysis. Prof Venter’s presentation focused on the often neglected ‘soft issues’ that are faced in family businesses. Various questions and topics were raised and discussed, such as:
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Is traditional succession planning still relevant in family-owned businesses?
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What are the factors that force business families to re-design their succession planning processes?
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What could be done to re-align and re-ignite the succession process in family businesses to ensure their success and increase their transgenerational potential?
