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Posting by: Debra Andrews
Date: May 22, 2009
Smith & Sons Hardware. Twenty Brothers Pizza. The Law Offices of Smith, Smith, Jr. and Smith III. What do these fictional family businesses have in common? The primary members of the family business are men. When one thinks of a family business passing from generation to generation, the picture most people initially get is: a man starts a business from scratch, perhaps partnering with a brother or other male family member, hires the sons to work in the business when they’re old enough, and passes it on to them when they’re ready to retire – hoping they’ll then pass the business on to their sons when the time is right.
Of course, women are in family businesses everywhere, and have been since the start of the family business. In the past, their roles within the business may not have been as defined as those of the men, and much of their work went unnoticed, unannounced and unrecognized. They may have handled the books of the business, performed other behind-the-scenes work, and pitched in when needed in any capacity. But some women held great power – consider a monarchial line as the ultimate family business. Throughout history, women have stood toe-to-toe with the men when “running the business” of an entire family dynasty – Catherine the Great of Russia certainly did not take a back seat to anyone. Their succession plans, however, are probably not recommended for today’s family business – too many mysterious poisonings.
What do you picture when thinking of a woman working at the family-owned Playboy Enterprises? Well, perhaps “picture” is a poor choice of words, but odds are good that one would believe the woman to be behind the scenes as an administrator, or in front of the camera. But for over 20 years, Christie Hefner (daughter of the world’s most famous playboy – Hugh) has served as President of the billion dollar family business, later to be CEO until leaving a few months ago. She has been a well-regarded and well-respected business leader, helping to lead Playboy’s early success in building digital media, repositioning the brand, and an outspoken supporter for women in business. Christie became the longest-serving CEO of a publicly traded company, and has been listed by Forbes several times as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women.” The term “daddy’s girl” does not come to mind here, but “successful leader of huge family business” seems to.
How about “the farmer’s daughter?” This does not mean a pretty farm girl looking for a husband from the big city, but rather the increasing number of women who are taking leadership roles on the family-owned farms across the country. Take a look at Youngs Farm, a family-owned business since 1893 and now run by two sisters in the Youngs family. Women working in the family farming business has been essential from the start, as everyone living on a farm helps run it. But farm work, once more about the physical labor and therefore some gender bias, is now more about the business end of things. Women had traditionally helped with or headed the paperwork, cooking and “customer relations” portion of the farm business, and now these areas have become more important in today’s market.
There is so much more to explore regarding women heading the family business. As it becomes more commonplace, it will be less talked about because it will be the norm. Is your family business run by a woman? We would love to hear from you about your challenges and triumphs.
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