I've worked with family businesses navigating growth, generational change and succession for over a decade, and there's one pattern I see again and again.
Somewhere between the generation that built the business and the generation taking it forward, the finance function gets left behind. Everyone has their own version of the numbers. Reports tell you what happened last quarter, not what to do next. And the big decisions, the ones about scale, ownership, and succession, end up driven by emotion instead of evidence.
That's not just a numbers problem. It's a family business problem. And it's fixable.
The challenge with any industry when you’re looking in from the outside is to understand the different roles that make up a particular profession.
And I know I’ve been guilty of that when I’ve looked at other professions!
And often when we are working with clients to scope their first in-house finance resource they are looking for a unicorn who has experience in all roles within the finance function.
They very rarely exist within the same person! And this is where outsourcing some of the finance requirements can make sense for a smaller business and avoids over-indexing on costs at too early a stage.
What we'll cover in the session:
How to use a High Performing Finance Function framework to help your family business scale and transition across generations
Reframing finance as a bridge across family and business, not just a reporting tool
Why a clear, integrated finance function cuts out emotional decision-making and builds trust between generations
The five pillars every family business needs: strategy, structure, systems and data, processes, and reporting and analysis
How to apply this framework straight away, whether you're growing, transitioning, or preparing for sale
Who Is This For?
Designed for family business owners, particularly those navigating a first to second generation succession, and small business leaders thinking about growth, ownership transitions, or sale.
It's especially useful if you're working alongside family in the business, don't agree on direction, or just want more clarity and less conflict around the numbers.
Hi, I'm Michelle
I'm the Managing Director of Lantern Partners, an Australian fractional CFO firm working with founder-led businesses navigating growth, complexity, and inflection points.
I've been working in the fractional model for over a decade - long before it became mainstream - with a background spanning fast-growth businesses both in corporate (PwC, Foxtel and Yahoo!7) and small businesses.
The Details:
Join Michelle at 12.30 pm on 14th October 2026 | Hosted on Zoom | Free to attend
Let’s talk about what’s keeping you up at night.
Email [email protected]
Phone 0414 592 331
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