The Inadvertent Multigenerational Family Business: Secrets of Longevity

Spencer Burke
The St. Louis Trust Company

Multigenerational family businesses are a testament to the Evergreen 7Ps, particularly their importance through decades, if not a century, of technological advances, economic cycles, interpersonal family dynamics and competition both domestically and abroad.

Tugboat Institute Summit guest speaker Spencer Burke is an expert in guiding families and their businesses through these inevitable challenges in his work at The St. Louis Trust Company and Washington University in St. Louis. His deep understanding of their history and practices has allowed him to synthesize and share specific strategies that enable multigenerational businesses to thrive for the long haul. As Burke states in his talk, “It’s not a straight line. … Sometimes you need to reinvent yourself and keep moving forward.”