Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 140

Succession without Sabotage:

How to Pass the Baton and Protect Your Culture with Andy Busser

In this high-level conversation, Chris Yonker interviews Andy Busser, President and CEO of Pitcairn, a multi-family office with a deep legacy of serving ultra-wealthy families. Together, they unpack what it means to lead a family-owned enterprise, especially as a non-family CEO, and how modern governance, culture, and communication influence business longevity.

Andy shares strategic insights and lived experience from both inside and outside the boardroom, including best practices for building fiduciary boards, designing family councils, developing rising generations, and aligning leadership around shared values. From employment policies to emotional landmines, this episode offers a rare look into the psychology, strategy, and heart of enduring family enterprises.

Timestamps

• 02:00 - Meet Andy Busser: from consulting and PE to Pitcairn's CEO
• 07:15 - Working with wealthy families: early client relationships that changed everything
• 11:10 - Educating the next generation: where and how to start the conversation
• 15:45 - Aligning values, interests, and business literacy in rising generations
• 20:00 - Family employment policies and why billion-dollar firms still lack them
• 24:10 - Hiring non-family CEOs and building fiduciary boards
• 28:40 - How to handle founder resistance, power transitions, and board pushback
• 32:20 - Addressing accountability and culture as primary family values
• 36:00 - Philanthropy: how separate pools can create clarity and harmony
• 39:30 - The importance of conflict, clarity, and governance documentation
• 45:15 - Trends in family business: what's changing, and what's still missing
• 50:30 - Why family retreats matter—and how to design them well
• 55:00 - Decision-making frameworks, role clarity, and culture building
• 1:00:00 - Andy's perspective on culture, hiring, and leadership assessments
• 1:04:15 - Where to learn more about Pitcairn and connect with Andy

Quotes

·       "If you want to own the business for generations, P&L has to come last. It's not unimportant, it's a byproduct of vision, people, and strategy."[31:30 ]

·       "Problems age like milk, not wine. If you let them fester, they only get worse."[48:10 ]

·       "We're very intentional about the culture we want. Then we hire people who are great carriers of that culture."[60:45 ]

Websites:

·       fambizforum.com.

·       www.chrisyonker.com

·       Pitcairn.com 

Andy Busser President & Chief Executive Officer Bio:

As CEO, Andy is responsible for guiding the firm's client-centric culture and overseeing all of Pitcairn's operations. His vision for the company is to continually evolve the Pitcairn client experience by enhancing the firm's integrated approach to sophisticated family office services for multi-generational families.

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