Lectio Inauguralis AIDAF-EY Chair in Strategic Management of Family Business in memory of Alberto Falck

THE POWER OF FAMILY Family Firms, Strategy, and Resilience Over Two Decades of Population-Level Evidence

This Lectio Magistralis presents the results of two decades of population-level research on Italian family f irms, systematically compared with non-family firms. It challenges the view of family businesses as inherently fragile by documenting their superior long-term performance, resilience during economic turmoil, and distinctive governance and leadership models. The lecture examines strategy, ownership structures, succession processes, and the profiles of next-generation leaders, showing that well-structured generational transitions significantly enhance performance. Ultimately, it argues that family involvement constitutes a unique form of strategic capital that enables firms not only to withstand shocks, but to endure and thrive over time.

Opening Remarks
Francesco Billari Rector, Bocconi University 
Cristina Bombassei President, AIDAF

Lectio Inauguralis The Power of Family: Family Firms, Strategy, and Resilience Over Two Decades of Population-Level Evidence 
Carlo Salvato AIDAF-EY Chair in Strategic Management of Family Business in memory of Alberto Falck, Bocconi University

Panel Discussion
Chair: Massimo Meloni EY, Partner, Italy Private Leader - Italy Audit & Assurance Market Leader
Panelists: 
Lucia Bianchi Maiocchi Sustainability Manager, Vitale Barberis Canonico 
Nicola Drago Vice Chairman, De Agostini Group 
Daniela Montemerlo Full Professor of Business Administration, University of Insubria; Affiliate 
Professor of Governance and Family business, SDA Bocconi 
Salvatore Tomaselli Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Palermo

Announcement of Dissertation Award in memory of Guido Corbetta, offered by the Corbetta Family 
Mariacristina and Chiara Corbetta

Closing Remarks 
Andrea Sironi President, Bocconi University