The Great British Family Business Conference 2026
Schedule
Thu Mar 19 2026 at 08:30 am to 04:30 pm
UTC+00:00Location
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) | London, EN
About this Event
Join us in London for our flagship event that celebrates the significant contribution that family firms make in terms of employment, income generation and wealth creation. This inspirational event brings the family business community together sharing insights on all manner of topics to help others achieve their family business goals.
Book your seat for what is always a day packed with learning with plenty of opportunities to make new connections during the networking sessions.
The Programme For The Day*
8.30am Registration and Coffee
9.00am Welcome and Introduction - Paul Andrews, Founder & CEO, Family Business United
9.20am Opening Keynote - Cybersecurity: The Single Biggest Risk To Your Family Business. Daniel Teacher, Managing Director, T-Tech
9.50am - Family Business Insight: Stephen Leckie, Chief Executive, Crieff Hydro
Stephen is Chairman and Chief Executive of Crieff Hydro and the fifth generation of his family to run this hotel and estate since 1868. The company is now the oldest trading registered company in Scotland which owns seven hotels with 1,000 staff.
He is currently Chair of Visit Scotland, Past Chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Immediate Past President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, a committee member for UK Hospitality and Lord-Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross.
Stephen has a broad background as an operator of hotels, self-catering and attractions across different parts of rural Scotland, and is well versed in the challenges and opportunities on the ground.
As a longstanding Chair of various companies Stephen is also familiar with working to maximise the impact of boards and organisations.
Stephen’s wife Fiona is a Director of Crieff Hydro and Head of Projects and Interiors, who with their family of four share Stephen’s varied interests - classic cars, Land Rovers, piping, skiing, trials biking and sailing.
10.20am An Audience With Polly Staveley, Managing Director, TL Dallas
Polly started her career as a Graduate Trainee in Corporate Finance at Yorkshire Bank after graduating from Newcastle University. After several happy years at the bank she joined the family business, TL Dallas Group in 1999 and has worked her way through the business and is now Group Managing Director. Polly will share her journey in the family firm and the emphasis that they place on mental health and wellbeing within the business.
Along with her brother Mackenzie they are the fourth generation to run the business, started by their Great Grandfather in Bradford in 1919.
10.45am - Family Business Insight: Balancing The Old With The New & The Next Era Of Growth - Amanda McLaren, Managing Director, AW Hainsworth
Amanda McLaren is the non-family Managing Director of AW Hainsworth, a 242 year old Textile Manufacturing Business, based in Pudsey, near Leeds, where she is charged with leading the Business through a new era of growth.
Backed by family shareholder investment, Amanda was appointed in April 2021, to establish and implement a long-term sustainability strategy for the business, which would ensure it would continue to thrive, for many generations to come.
Amanda has spent over 35 years working across UK Manufacturing – gaining experience in Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Automotive, Leisure and Textile Sectors. For over 20 of these years’, she has operated at Board level.
She will share with us the story behind AW Hainsworth and their plans to futureproof the family firm for generations to come.
11.15am Coffee and Networking
11.45am - Family Business Matters
12.15pm Table Talk - Crafting A Family Business Culture
Our experts will discuss the ways in which they have used the very essence of being a family business to create the culture within their organisations, the nature of the underlying values and the steps they have taken, the programmes they have introduced and share the challenges they have faced and the outcomes and benefits that have resulted from their endeavours.
Our presenters include:
- Nick Hipkiss - Commercial Director, Furniture Village
1.15pm Lunch and Networking with lunch including cheesecakes from The Pantry.
2.00pm Workshops - Each delegate is able to select and attend one of the workshops that run concurrently.
Workshop 1 - Non-Family In Family Businesses.
Workshop 2 - Next Generation Journeys & Insights.
Our panel of next generation members will share their insights into life in the family business, how they got involved, the conversations they had, what they wished they had known when they got involved and some of the challenges they have faced along the way and how they are gaining the skills needed to be future leaders of the family firm.
Workshop 3 - Communication and Balancing The Needs Of The Family & The Family Firm.
This session will be facilitated by Nick Mayhew, Co-Founder and CEO of Alembic Strategy.
Workshop 4 - Life After Selling the Family Business & Maximising The Sale Event.
This session will be facilitated by Duncan Jackson, CEO of Buckles and include insights from Jacqueline O'Donovan, former CEO of O'Donovan Waste and now a strateigc adviser and PR consultant supporting other family businesses.
Workshop 5 - The Family Business Leadership Forum.
This session will be facilitated by Martin Lindsey of Brooks Macdonald and will include insights from a number of CEO's/Managing Directors/Directors from family firms across the UK.
3.00pm Afternoon Tea and Networking
3.20pm Closing Keynote
4.00pm - Closing Remarks
*Programme subject to change
OUR EVENT SPONSORS
Events like these are supported by a range of sponsors and partners and we are delighted to confirm the following sponsors and partners of The Great British Family Business Conference 2026:
Where is it happening?
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), 1 Kensington Gore, London, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 76.43 to GBP 1277.69
