• Study to Develop a Guiding Charter to Enhance the Sustainability of Family Businesses
• Dr. Eman Mansour: Governance and Clear Rules Governing Relations Among Partners Are Key to Ensuring the Stability of Family Businesses and Their Continuity Across Generations

In line with the directives of Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Investor Dispute Settlement Center, affiliated with the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), organized a discussion seminar entitled “Governance of Family Businesses in Egypt.” The seminar brought together a distinguished group of business leaders, legal experts, and economists to discuss the challenges of ensuring the sustainability of family businesses and their continuity across generations.
The seminar was attended by Dr. Ahmed Darwish, former Minister of Local Development; Eng. Ahmed El Sewedy, CEO and Managing Director of Elsewedy Electric Group; Eng. Mohamed Allam, Board Member of Hassan Allam Group; Mr. Ahmed Abou Hendia, lawyer; and Dr. Khaled Seyam, Chairman of Misr for Central Clearing, Depository and Registry (MCDR).
The discussions addressed the importance of separating ownership from management, adopting competence and merit as the basis for selecting leaders, regulating relations between family members and the company, establishing mechanisms for transferring management and ownership between generations, and resolving disputes.
Dr. Eman Mansour, GAFI’s Deputy CEO, emphasized that strengthening governance and clearly defining responsibilities and authorities help reduce disputes arising from the overlap between family relationships and business interests, while supporting the stability of companies and their ability to grow.
For his part, Eng. Ahmed El Sewedy stressed the importance of separating ownership from management, adopting competence as the criterion for assuming responsibilities, and strengthening the role of independent board members and institutional transparency.
Eng. Mohamed Allam highlighted the importance of establishing a family constitution to regulate relations between family members and the company, as well as planning early for management succession and preparing future generations. Meanwhile, Mr. Ahmed Abou Hendia underscored the importance of mediation in resolving disputes and preserving family and business relationships.
The seminar concluded with a number of recommendations, most notably studying the development of a guiding charter for family business governance, including models for regulating relations among partners, transferring ownership and management, and resolving disputes. The recommendations also included examining the establishment of a specialized mechanism for settling family business disputes, reviewing the development of relevant legislation, and strengthening training and awareness programs.
The Center affirmed that the recommendations would be examined in consultation with the relevant authorities, experts, and representatives of the business community, with a view to developing practical tools that support the implementation of governance and the sustainability of family businesses.