Case Study: “Not Ready” to CEO: How One Family Business Forged Its Future
Industry and Description: Distribution, 44 year-old, $600M, Food Service.
Owner Challenge: After more than four decades building, the 72-year-old founder was ready to step back. The business was doing well, the board was active, and succession planning had long pointed to his son. But while the title was ready, the son wasn’t. The founder didn’t yet trust that his son could carry the weight of leading in a fast-moving, competitive industry—and it was starting to show.
Noted issues: This succession roadblock created a stalemate, an unsettled team, and growing tension in both the personal and business relationship between father and son. Ignoring it was only making things worse, but no one knew how to fix it. No one wanted to say it, but the system was stuck—and no one knew how to fix it.
The founder still made most key decisions. His son had good instincts and was well-liked, but he lacked the confidence, experience, and edge to lead at the next level. The board supported transition, but not at the risk of the business. The son didn’t need a title—he needed to be forged into a leader.
Solution: We started by aligning the founder, the son, and the board on one thing: what a successful transition looked like—for the business, for the family, and for the father personally.
Then we got to work.
We mapped out a phased leadership development plan designed specifically for the son—with real goals, milestones, and coaching built in. We worked hand-in-glove with him, helping him own key parts of the business, build a track record, and learn how to lead his team (not just sit at the table). Alongside this, we restructured the executive team and installed the right decision-making cadence, and governance, to allow more independence from the founder.
At the same time, we helped the founder begin to redesign his own next chapter—mentally, financially, and operationally. This included board recalibration, trust and estate planning alignment, and slowly pulling his hands out of the daily operations.
End Result: Over five years, the work we did with patriarch, the next gen son, and the business, transformed the business from a founder-led organization into a leadership-driven enterprise. The son—once seen as “not ready”—earned the confidence of the board, his peers, and the broader company. He was named CEO in year 4.
The business increased profitability by 17% in year 5, driven by stronger margin management, expanded product lines, and a leaner, more accountable leadership team. The founder stepped into a chairman role and eventually retired completely—with clarity, confidence, and pride.
Most importantly, the family is still speaking, the company is thriving, and the next generation is leading with purpose, not pressure.
Contact iBridge Global Partners Today
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Let’s build a prosperous future together!