Location

Norton Rose Fulbright
1301 Ave of the Americas, NYC

DATE

Tuesday May 5, 2026

2026 NYC AGENDA

Printable Agenda Here

Last Year’s Agenda Here

8:15 AM
sign-in & Breakfast sponsored by alliancebernstein (AB)

8:45 AM
WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONs

9:00 AM
The Importance of Understanding Family Culture and its Impact on Planning for Future Generations

Peter Leach, Adjunct Professor in Family Business at Imperial College Business School
Babetta von Albertini, Esq., IFG Chair (moderator)

9:45 AM
What Can Trusted Advisors Do to Help Facilitate a Successful Inter-Generational Transfer? – Case Studies

Michael Whitty, Esq., ACTEC Fellow, Partner at SGR Law
Francesca Boschini, J.D., LL.M., IFG Board Member (moderator)

10:30 AM
BREAK sponsored by Suntera Global

11:00 AM
Ownership by Design: Aligning Structure with Purpose Before It’s Too Late

David R. York, Esq., ACTEC Fellow, York Howell

11:45 AM
keynote sponsored by Dasein Advisors
Successful Transitions – How to Negotiate from a Position of Weakness

Chris Thorne, Esq., Adjunct Professor, Harvard Law School & CEO Broadline Capital

12:30 PM
Lunch & Roundtable Discussions sponsored by Willow Street

2:00 PM
Structural and Legal Power are not Sufficient—How to Foster Personal Authority in the Next Generation

Guillermo Salazar, Exaudi Family Business Consulting
Kiki Tauck Mahar, G3 of the Tauck family
Gabriella Orengo Lyons, Executive Director Family Office, The Heritage Group (G4 family business)

2:50 PM
BREAK sponsored by Howden Private Wealth

3:20 PM
How to Be Proactive about Succession – The Art of Raising Difficult Questions

Sarah Meyer Simon, Founder of The Simon Collective and G2 of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation
Frank Hixon Foster, G5 of the Hixon family
Mike McGrann, Adjunct Professor, Columbia Business School (moderator)

4:20 PM
keynote sponsored by MLG Capital
Leadership, Values and Robotics — the Future of US Manufacturing?

Michael Schupp, G3 Board Member of L&L Products
Drew Mason, IFG Advisory Board Chair (moderator)

5:10 PM
Concluding remarks

Babetta von Albertini, Ph.D. | IFG Founder & Chair

Babetta is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Institute for Family Governance. She is an expert on family governance and U.S. tax law and has advised large domestic and international families on their governance and succession planning for approaching twenty years. Babetta is also the General Counsel of ATM Capital Partners, a single family office. Prior thereto, she was with Withers (a global trusts and estates law firm) for nine years, and Shearman & Sterling (a capital markets law firm) for three years, living and working in New York, London, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Babetta is a dual-qualified common law/civil law attorney (admitted to the bars of New York and Zurich, Switzerland) and holds both a Tax LL.M. and a Corporate LL.M. from NYU, as well as a Ph.D. in law from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Babetta served as elected U.S. representative on the STEP Global Council for three years (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), and as Vice-Chair of STEP New York for three years.

Dennis T. Jaffe, Ph.D. | Vice-Chair

Dennis, a San Francisco-based advisor to families about family business, governance, wealth and philanthropy, is Senior Research Fellow at BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors. He is author of Borrowed from Your Grandchildren: The Evolution of 100-Year Family Enterprises; Cross Cultures: How Global Families Negotiate Change Across Generations; Stewardship in your Family Enterprise: Developing Responsible Family Leadership Across Generations and Working with the Ones You Love. His global insights have led to teaching or consulting engagements in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The Family Firm Institute awarded him the 2017 International Award for service, and in 2005 he received the Beckhard Award for service to the field. In 2020 he was awarded a special commendation as an individual thought leader in the field of wealth management by the Family Wealth Report. He has a BA degree in Philosophy, MA in Management, and Ph.D. in sociology, all from Yale University, and professor emeritus of organizational systems and psychology at Saybrook University in San Francisco.

John E. Oden | Vice-Chair

John is a Principal and a 30 year veteran of AllianceBernstein, a global investment management and research firm, with approximately US$760 billion under management through 51 offices in 26 countries. He specializes in working with complex global family relationships in the implementation of investment planning and asset allocation advice, and has taken a leading role in the development of the firm’s international private client business. John is a former Chair of the New York Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), an international organization for professionals involved in cross-border tax and estate matters. He is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the China-US Business Alliance, a 13-year-old organization of senior professional advisors in both the US and Asia who have business activities in China. A strong supporter of athletics, John writes and speaks about the sport of boxing. His first book, White Collar Boxing – One Man’s Journey From the Office to the Ring, was published in 2005. It was followed in 2009 by Life in the Ring – Lessons & Inspirations from the Sport of Boxing. He holds BA and MBA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

David R. York, Esq. CPA | Vice-Chair

David is an attorney, certified public accountant and a managing partner with the Salt Lake City law firm of YorkHowell. He practices law in the areas of estate planning, tax, business planning, and non-profit entities. David is a Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is a Dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute. He has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the area of Estate Planning—a distinction awarded to approximately the top 2% of attorneys in the field. David has extensive experience in designing and implementing advanced wealth planning strategies for ultra high net worth clients. He also has extensive experience working with charitable planning, purpose trusts, private trust companies, and advanced trust planning. He has spoken to hundreds of public groups and professional organizations, including the Institute for Family Governance, TED, Q Commons, Stanford University, the Purposeful Planning Institute, Million Dollar Roundtable, and Investments & Wealth Institute. David is the author of The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World and the children’s book, Dudley’s Castle. He is the co-author of two other books, Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts and Riveted: 44 Values that Change the World. David has also written for Trusts & Estates Magazine, Estate Planning Magazine and Investments and Wealth Monitor. In 2023, David co-founded Corenology™, a software as a solution (SaaS) technology company that provides qualitative tools and resources that allow financial professionals to help their clients with identifying and understanding their unique values so they can connect purpose and planning. David currently serves on the Board of Directors of Healing Nations. He lives in the Salt Lake City, Utah area with his wife Mindy and their five children. To view David’s Ted Talk: www.ted.com/talks/david_york_a_new_way_to_think_about_inheritance

Peter Leach | Adjunct Professor in Family Business at Imperial College Business School

Peter is a trusted advisor to business families and family businesses. With over 30 years of experience as a business advisor, teacher and facilitator working with family business owners internationally, Peter is seen as the ‘founding father’ of family business thinking in the UK. Peter has worked with over a hundred business families around the world. Clients appreciate his determination to help them resolve their issues, his depth and breadth of experience within the field, his ability to balance commercial issues with family dynamics and his track record in assisting family businesses transition successfully from one generation to the next. He is Adjunct Professor in Family Business at Imperial College Business School, London, teaching the family business electives on the MBA & MSc programs. Peter also lectures around the world to family businesses and their advisers and at international conferences. He is a frequent writer on family business topics. Peter is the author of Family Businesses: The Essentials (Profile Books) and co-author of Indian Family Business Mantras (Rupa Publishing). He is also a Special Advisor to BDT & Company International LLP.

Michael Whitty, Esq. | ACTEC Fellow, Partner at SGR Law

Mike concentrates his practice in estate planning, taxation, and estate and trust administration. He represents business owners, principals of venture capital and private equity funds, key executives, investors, and other high net worth individuals in planning for the preservation and transfer of their wealth. Mike advises individuals and fiduciaries in the design and drafting of estate plans, wills, trusts, lifetime gifts, premarital agreements, and other estate planning documents. He has extensive experience with various types of trusts, family limited partnerships, corporate recapitalizations, shareholders’ and redemption agreements, private annuities, installment sales, intra-trust sales, and other transactions, self-canceling installment notes, and net gifts. Mike also reviews and manages estate and gift tax returns, including complex reporting and valuation issues. Additionally, Mike consults with executors, administrators, guardians, and trustees in probate and trust administration. He supervises the drafting of estate administration documents and the filing of pleadings, motions, and accountings with probate courts. He also advises clients in connection with litigation involving disputes between trustees and beneficiaries and in contested trust and tax matters, and he has served as an expert witness in such cases. Mike also enjoys hands-on charitable activities. Prior to joining SGR Law, Mike was a Partner with Handler Thayer LLP. Mike served for three years as an adjunct professor at the Northwestern University School of Law, teaching a course titled “Federal Estate and Gift Taxation and Estate Planning.” He earned his B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Francesca Boschini, J.D., LL.M. | IFG Board Member

Francesca currently serves as a Board Member of IFG New York. In addition, she serves as Chair of the local IFG Miami branch. Francesca also serves as Director – Head of International Wealth Planning & Head of Insurance Solutions for the Americas at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. She is based in New York and is in charge of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management Americas cross-border and international wealth planning practice and of its insurance planning solutions platform. When working directly with clients, Francesca provides technical assistance on wealth planning and insurance planning matters to U.S. and international families. She works to develop and execute solutions for the complex global wealth preservation, estate and insurance planning needs of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Francesca has over twenty years of experience finding solutions for global wealth preservation and estate planning needs of ultra-high net worth clients. Francesca earned her civil law degree and J.D. from the University of Bologna School of Law in 1997 and earned her LL.M. in 2002.

David York, Esq., CPA | ACTEC Fellow, YorkHowell

David is an attorney, certified public accountant and a managing partner with the Salt Lake City law firm of YorkHowell. He practices law in the areas of estate planning, tax, business planning, and non-profit entities. David is a Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is a Dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute. He has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the area of Estate Planning—a distinction awarded to approximately the top 2% of attorneys in the field. David has extensive experience in designing and implementing advanced wealth planning strategies for ultra high net worth clients. He also has extensive experience working with charitable planning, purpose trusts, private trust companies, and advanced trust planning. He has spoken to hundreds of public groups and professional organizations, including the Institute for Family Governance, TED, Q Commons, Stanford University, the Purposeful Planning Institute, Million Dollar Roundtable, and Investments & Wealth Institute. David is the author of The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World and the children’s book, Dudley’s Castle. He is the co-author of two other books, Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts and Riveted: 44 Values that Change the World. David has also written for Trusts & Estates Magazine, Estate Planning Magazine and Investments and Wealth Monitor. In 2023, David co-founded Corenology™, a software as a solution (SaaS) technology company that provides qualitative tools and resources that allow financial professionals to help their clients with identifying and understanding their unique values so they can connect purpose and planning. David currently serves on the Board of Directors of Healing Nations. He lives in the Salt Lake City, Utah area with his wife Mindy and their five children. To view David’s Ted Talk: www.ted.com/talks/david_york_a_new_way_to_think_about_inheritance

Chris Thorne, Esq. | Adjunct Professor, Harvard Law School & CEO Broadline Capita

Chris is a triple graduate of Harvard (JD, MBA, AB), where he served as president of the university-wide student government and founded the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. He joined the faculty at Harvard Law School in 2021, teaching courses on negotiation and systems-thinking while also serving as a faculty advisor on AI. Chris currently heads Broadline Capital, a global alternative investment firm primarily focused on growth capital. Broadline and its investments have received numerous industry recognitions spanning a 20-year track record, including Private Equity International’s Asia Deal of the Year, Fierce Biotech’s Fierce15 Award, and M&A Advisor’s Global Technology Deal of the Year. Previously, Chris served leadership roles at McKinsey. He left the firm to execute on his entrepreneurial vision by launching a high-tech company that became a market leader. As its chairman and CEO, he created fundamental advancements in on-demand intelligence solutions and implemented a rollup strategy. The resulting company received backing from Accel-KKR and successfully sold in an all-cash transaction to Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP).

Guillermo Salazar | Exaudi Family Business Consulting

Guillermo is an advisor to family enterprises on the governance models and strategies required for successful family governance and leadership succession. He advises on issues of family relationships and conflict resolution, family governance, and next-generation development. Earlier in his career, Guillermo was a member of the management team for his family’s second-generation family business. He has also served as a board member for privately held family enterprises in the U.S. and Latin America. He is author of the books Genograms in Family Business (Legeris, 2026) and A Road to Triumph in Family Business (Legeris, 2021), among others. Guillermo earned his master’s degrees in Family Business Management from the Universitat Politècnica in Catalunya, and a degree in Systemic Family Therapy from the Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain.

Kiki Tauck Mahar | G3 of the Tauck family

Kiki is a third-generation co-owner of Tauck, Inc, her family’s 97 year-old travel company, based in Wilton, Connecticut. In that role, she has helped develop and oversee the company’s Board of Directors, has established multiple family and company policies related to family ownership, including Growth and Investment Policies, a Family Employment Policy, and multiple Shareholder Agreements. She and her siblings have established a family office and have developed a system for accountability and decision making across multiple stakeholders within their family system. In addition, she and her family have built a multi-generational governance structure to effectively support the family’s growing enterprise activities. Kiki serves on Tauck Inc’s Board of Directors as well as the Board of the Tauck Family Foundation. She also serves as Chair of the family’s Voting Owners’ Council. In 2018, she completed the Kellogg School of Management Executive Program: Governing Family Enterprises. Kiki resides in Rochester, New York, with her husband, Dan, and their five children.

Gabriella Orengo Lyons, Esq. | Executive Director Family Office, The Heritage Group (G4 family business)

Gabby serves as Executive Director Family Office of the Heritage Group, and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her background is as a trusted advisor to family offices and family- and founder-owned and controlled businesses in complex and transformational matters while formulating and navigating governance structures and implementing strategies to preserve family wealth and harmony while achieving business and personal goals. Gabby is adept at designing collaborative methods for decision making surrounding legacy assets and the connection between family and business. She has held several business and legal leadership roles with prominent family offices, family-owned and controlled businesses and family investment entities. Gabby is a frequent speaker on topics of family dynamics and multi-generation stewardship and succession.

Sarah Meyer Simon | Founder of The Simon Collective and G2 of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation

Sarah is founder of The Simon Collective. Over the last decade, she has thoughtfully built creative business partnerships shaped by three core principles: Connection, Curation, and Collaboration. Grounded in authenticity and conscious leadership, Sarah has partnered with and helped grow a portfolio of ventures that enrich communities and enhance well-being in daily life. As a leader within the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, she has navigated the naturally multi-layered process of managing family assets and philanthropy—ranging from heirlooms, trusts, and properties to social-impact initiatives spanning multiple generations and regions. Drawing from deep personal experience in entrepreneurship, family enterprise, and philanthropy, Sarah brings a unique perspective on legacy and the evolution of creative ventures across generations. Her portfolio is a testament to nurturing ideas that not only enhance life for this generation but also continue to drive growth for the next—establishing a meaningful foothold in how lasting family and cultural legacies are built.

Frank Hixon Foster | G5 of the Hixon family

Frank is the patriarch of the Hixon family and a direct descendant of the original founder, Gideon Hixon. He is a prominent American family business leader, venture capitalist, and advisor, currently serving as Managing General Partner of the Gideon Hixon Fund, the venture capital arm representing the financial interests of the multi-generational Hixon family. Frank is also Chairman Emeritus of Hixon Properties, having led the real estate business as chairman from 2013 to 2022. He holds additional roles as Managing Director of DFJ Frontier, a venture capital fund, and as a Venture Advisor to Cerity Partners Ventures, with significant operational and investment experience spanning technology, biosciences, and family enterprises.

Prof. Mike McGrann | Adjunct Professor, Columbia Business School

Mike spent his career working with family firms and family offices. His dedication to supporting them through the challenges and successes of managing their wealth, relationships, and businesses led him to found the Telos Group. As a consultant focused on growth and transition strategies for enterprising families, Mike also serves on the board of several growth companies. He is a researcher, educator, and curriculum developer, with teaching experience at several universities. Mike founded the Initiative for Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He grew up in Colorado and now lives outside Philadelphia. Mike currently works for BBH.

Michael Schupp | G3 Board Member of L&L Products 

Michael is a G3 owner of L&L Products and currently serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Owner's Council. L&L Products is a global manufacturer in the material science market, serving multiple markets including automotive, aerospace, commercial vehicles, construction, and consumer products applications. Over the last 15 years, the company has transitioned from an owner operator to a professionally managed business. With that change, the family has built out its family governance to meet the needs of both the business and the family. L&L Products is always working to stay ahead of the competition, including state of the art research and development labs, and manufacturing facilities world-wide. L&L Products strategically implements automation when it makes business sense when it is in line with the family values that guide the business.

Drew Mason | IFG Advisory Board Chair

Drew is managing partner at Jade Capital, a private investment fund focusing on venture and growth capital. Prior to Jade Capital, Drew founded the Technology Sector Group in Asia Pacific for UBS Warburg. As a social impact investor, he was instrumental in the founding of Sohu.com, credited with helping bring the internet to China in the 1990s, and more recently, a leader in socially inclusive finance, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Drew has served on a number of private and public boards, is on the advisory board of the U.S. Navy League, and has spoken at Harvard, Brown University, Wharton, and the National Defense University. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his honor’s degree in History from Brown University.

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