Family Business Conference 2026
Hobart, Tasmania | 19-22 May
Next is Now
Thank you for joining us at the 2026 Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific in Hobart.
We’ve been told that so many of you have walked away feeling inspired, excited to head back to your businesses armed with fresh ideas to take action on right away... because 'Next is Now', and your next chapter is already being written.
Please enjoy your full recap video, photo galleries, and speaker recaps with key takeaways from this year's event, all accessible below.
Conference Week Kicks Off in Style
Hobart turned on a beautiful week of weather at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific.
We welcomed everyone to the first day at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific. Starting the morning at the Hotel Grand Chancellor with this amazing waterfront view.
Delegates started to arrive, checked in and got ready for their Family Business Site Visits and our Welcome Function that evening.
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Family Business Site Visits
Daly Farms and Hellfire Bluff Distillery
Greeted by Emma, Ruby and their father Gerard, the family discussed their succession story, how Emma and Ruby joined the business and the support they still received from their parents. Ruby shared her pride in keeping the legacy going, "I’m grateful that our parents want to hand over the business one day." They also discussed the importance of everyone having a clear understanding of their roles and trusting one another.
Incat
We were welcomed by Sean Lowrie, a third-generation family member, and Tom Cooper, Manager of PR and Corporate Affairs, who shared insights into the business, with a particular focus on Incat’s innovation and sustainability efforts in developing electric and hybrid ships. Sean and Tom took delegates on a tour of the facility and the ship currently under construction. It was incredible to see the vast size of the facility and the huge capabilities of this business, including their goals for the future of sustainable shipbuilding⠀
Red Decker
Jonathan and Fiona Gregory shared the story of Red Decker from purchasing their very first red double decker bus in 1997 to operating 15 buses across Hobart, carrying over 500 passengers a day, including the Mt Wellington Explorer and Coal River Valley Explorer services. We heard how innovation and adaptability, and most importantly strong family values, had helped the Red Decker family prepare for their future. We all had the opportunity to experience the double decker bus ride for ourselves, showcasing the very best of Hobart.
Hansen Orchard
Howard, owner of Hansen Orchard showed us around and shared stories and lessons around the business’ expansion, and also about their succession plans. Question after question was fired at Howard, who generously answered every single one as we toured through the facility. The innovation was fascinating to see, with machinery taking photos of 400 cherries per second and 36 images per cherry to identify their quality level to sort and pack them. Taking nearly 15,000 images per second! After the tour, we travelled to Willie Smith's Apple Shed to meet up with another Site Visit group to indulge in a warm apple pie and apple cider. During afternoon tea, Howard was joined by Andrew from Willie Smith’s for a Q&A. The pair covered all sorts of topics from succession to challenges in horticulture and a passion for Tasmania.
Pennicott Wilderness Journeys
As we set sail, Rob Pennicott shared his lessons for life and business, and gave us an insight into how he got started in his family business. What came through was Rob’s entrepreneurial spirit and how he truly lived and breathed his business and life. When Rob got his start, he knew he wanted to give guests a good time, but “didn’t know how to run a good business”, experiencing a significant loss in his first year. By the time of the conference, he had grown the business to offer 8 products, had 160 staff, 18 boats, 15 buses, and was the most awarded tourism business in Australia.
Pooley Wines
We had the opportunity to tour both the Pooley Wines Cellar Door and Prospect House. We were treated to a charcuterie board while tasting a number of the delicious award-winning wines, and then explored Prospect Country House, a building filled with history built in the 1830s, which was an 11-room boutique, luxury Hotel and a la carte restaurant. John Pooley from the second generation and Matthew Pooley from the third generation were interviewed by Lea Boyce to talk about their family business story. They shared the early beginnings of what led them to start the business, and the decision to expand into Prospect House. The passion for the historic house was evident, the family making it clear they wanted to share it with the community, turning it into accommodation and a restaurant that all could enjoy. Matthew also spoke about his plans for the future, and the hope to pass on the business and continue it, paving the way for his children to come into the business if they choose down the line.⠀
Wrest Point
Greg Farrell and Daniel Hanna took us through the timeline and history of Wrest Point and Federal Group, including its acquisition, expansion and the evolution of its range of brands. We heard how Greg Farrell Senior first visited Wrest Point on his honeymoon, saw an opportunity, and went on to purchase the hotel, opening just before World War II. The business had made many significant shifts over the years, from moving from publicly listed to privately owned, to refocusing from a national presence to a local focus on Tasmania. One of the most groundbreaking moments in its history came in 1960, when approval to build Australia’s first casino went to referendum. Wrest Point remained the only casino in Australia to have been approved by the people, later opening as Australia’s first legal casino in 1973.
Grandvewe and Willie Smith's
Nicole was open and candid in sharing the story of how she came to be in Tasmania, running a family business alongside her mum, Diane. There was a common thread throughout: take something with a c that people are familiar with, and then give it a twist. “Cheese comes from cows, not sheep? Gin comes from potato, not whey?” Through every innovation and new path for the business it always came back to challenging the status quo. Registering the first Australian dairy breed of sheep, turning their waste product of whey into award winning Vodka and Gin, and developing sheep-based skincare products. We then headed off to our next stop, Willie Smith's, where Andrew took us on a guided tour of their packing facility where they sorted and packed all their delicious apples. Andrew was incredibly candid, sharing the current challenges presented by the global geopolitical climate, their succession process from his father, and now the plans for his children, and the positives of working down in Tasmania in a cool temperate environment with an extended growing season. Finally, we were all treated to a delicious warm apple pie and an apple cider while we were joined by the Hansen Orchards Site Visit group. Finishing off the day with a Q&A by both Andrew and Howard discussing everything from horitculture, succession, strategic innovation and their passion for Tasmania.
Welcome Function
It was a full house at the Welcome Function!
We loved to see the family business community come together from across Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the Philippines.
FBA Chair, Angus Kennard, offered a warm welcome to officially open the 2026 Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific. He emphasised the incredible 'magic dust' that ran through our community and was felt throughout the conference, and how it was a wonderful chance to bring everyone together.
Masterclasses and the Longest Lunch
The next day began with some learning as we attended masterclasses on family business, advisors, and the emerging generation.
Advisor Masterclass: From Friction to Flow:Navigating Engagement in Family Business Transitions - Wendy Sage-Hayward
Wendy Sage-Hayward led an interactive masterclass for our family business advisor community to deep dive into engagement as part of the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific, providing practical models and a case study to outline how to establish continuity for clients.
Wendy, Senior Consultant at The Family Business Consulting Group, unpacked how to lead more constructive conversations and help shift emotional dynamics within a family, assisting advisors to design effective communication pathways for the benefit of their clients, their business and the family as a whole.
Why focus on engagement? Engagement was essential for continuity and succession in family businesses. Before advisors could create pathways for engagement, relationship-building and trust came first. “Succession takes a number of years, however continuity takes decades.”
Wendy shared practical tools and models which advisors could take back to their practices and clients. Including a model to map assets across 7 different categories, including non-financial assets, as a way to identify important conversations that needed to take place. Asking each family member how they defined and valued each asset and comparing those responses, could flag any differing views and potential causes for future conflict.
We were all then invited into Drew’s story, a case study presented through a recorded interview with Wendy which gave the opportunity to unpack and utilise these new models and tools, and apply them, putting the learnings into action.
Family Business Masterclass: Continuity in Action: A Framework for Multi-Generational Success - Justin B. Craig
We were treated to a deep dive into what it took to build a business that lasted at our family business masterclass, at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific in Hobart.
Professor Justin B. Craig, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Bond University, was incredibly engaging, using flipcharts to draw model after model that all came together to form an overarching framework for preparing your family and business for multi-generational success.
Justin stressed the importance of planning to reduce the tension between owners, management and the family. A strategic plan, a family talent development plan, an estate, wealth and asset plan, and even a plan for the plan!
Among many, here were some of the key takeaways from Justin’s session:
- Your emerging generation needed to be Ready, Willing and Capable.
- Learning in family business took the form in 4 stages: 1. Learn business in general 2. Learn about your family business 3. Learn how to lead, and 4. Learn to let go – “Lead by Leaving.”
- The values and beliefs of founders were interpreted by the second generation, and institutionalised by the third generation.
- Keep everyone in the family in the tent.
- Plan easy and plan early.
- The importance of your family business’ context and its cadence.
Emerging Generation Masterclass: When Rules Need to be Broken - Franco Lombardo and Thomas Clark
At our Emerging Generation Masterclass we explored one of the biggest and most important hurdles facing family businesses: communication.
Franco Lombardo, Founder and Managing Director at Veritage, and Thomas Clark, Chief Operations Officer at Veritage gamified this masterclass, using a range of different games to workshop key lessons to our emerging generation at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific.
The session began with an icebreaker, “rose, thorn and bud” activity, looking at what our emerging generation loved about being part of a family business, the challenges faced and the opportunities ahead.
One of the stand-out games was a test of non-verbal communication. Each delegate received instructions for a card game and then were told to play together, communicating with each other with just one rule - no speaking allowed. Our emerging generation were focused on finding new ways to communicate without relying on speech.
The lesson? When communication broke down, assumptions grew. Expectations went unspoken, and so the rules we had inherited, whether from family, business or previous generations, could start guiding decisions without anyone ever naming them.
This lesson and many more were passed on to delegates during the masterclass, including:
- Go and get to know you.
- You need to know yourself and be clear with who you are and what you bring to the table before you can confidently go to the table.
- If you want different, you have to go do different.
- You are in control of how the message is sent, don’t leave it up to technology.
- When family conflict occurs the first thing that happens is a breakdown of communication.
Longest Lunch
What an afternoon! Our biggest Longest Lunch turnout in FBA history with 320 people across the family business community coming together for a delicious 3-course lunch, rotating seats with every course across 40 tables.
It was the perfect opportunity to network at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific. Make new connections, meet potential collaborators or have a chat with someone who shared a gold nugget of wisdom that you could take back to your own business.
The menu showcased Tasmania's delicious local produce, and Princes Wharf 1 provided the perfect venue, overlooking the water.
Emerging Generation Longest Lunch
Travelling in style by catamaran on the way to the Emerging Generation Longest Lunch event, it was a chance to meet others who experienced the same highs and lows of being the next gen in their family business.
It was great to have many newcomers join us for the day and experience the magic of the Emerging Generation's Longest Lunch event at Peppermint Bay.
Across each course, we changed seats, meeting a new group of people and having new conversations.
It was a relaxed afternoon of delicious food, showcasing Tasmania's local produce, and the conversation never stopped.
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DAY ONE
It was a warm welcome that morning!
Andrew Klein, our Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific Master of Ceremonies welcomed us for another fantastic day ahead of keynote speakers, and parallel workshops and sessions.
In a packed room full of the family business community, we heard from FBA CEO, Catherine Sayer.
FBA CEO, Catherine Sayer, warmly opened the conference, welcoming delegates from around the Asia-Pacific and the 179 first-timers joining us. Catherine emphasised the importance and uniqueness of our ecosystem, made up of family businesses, advisors and sponsors.
Advocacy work was a main focus in Catherine’s message, speaking of the recent milestone that we now had a Minister for Small and Family Business in three states in Australia – SA, Qld and Vic, and we would continue to have conversations to expand this recognition. Catherine also provided an update on the impacts of the recent budget and FBA’s plan moving forward to advocate for the family business sector.
Delegates heard about the latest initiatives at FBA, such as the Emerging Generation Forum Group Program, and future plans for a mentoring program, new system and member portal.
The warm welcome continued as we heard from Chad Gates, Managing Director of our Conference Gold Sponsors, Pronto Software and Lynda McAlary-Smith, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.
Chad from Pronto Software raised awareness of the opportunity and implications of AI, cyber risk and your data, “AI is a paradox”. Rather than business owners managing one big risk, there were now many interconnecting risks to be managed simultaneously. He stressed the importance of understanding the risk around AI and your data, using a few case studies to highlight the potential legal liability, reputation risk and financial loss to be considered.
Finally, Lynda McAlary-Smith introduced ASBFEO initiatives available to support small family businesses, sharing her own personal family business story and respect for the sector. "You drive innovation, entrepreneurship... and you are often the first people to put your hands in your pocket to support your local communities."
Keynote: The Demographics of What's Next - Simon Kuestenmacher
Simon Kuestenmacher hit the stage with huge energy, presenting demographic data more like a stand-up set, hooking all delegates, laughing their way through from start to finish.
Simon gave delegates a powerful window into the future of family business, using demographic data to make sense of the changes already reshaping Australia and New Zealand.
Drawing on his work as Director and Co-Founder of The Demographics Group, Simon explored the demographic shifts and generational transitions that would define the next decade. He unpacked what these changes meant for leadership, staffing and succession, connecting the dots between data, disruption and opportunity.
Starting with the good news, which was that Australia and New Zealand were in a good position, Simon continued to speak about four main points: the current population, migration, skill shortages and customer expectations.
Here were just some of Simon’s key takeaways:
- Australia’s population was expected to grow by 3.5 million people by 2036, creating more future customers and opportunities.
- Around 70% of Australia’s population growth was coming from migration, with 2.7 million migrants expected to be aged 18 to 39.
- Skills shortages would continue as baby boomers retired, while Australia was also relying on 900,000 international students and young migrants to help fill workforce gaps.
- The workforce was becoming more educated, with 55% of high school students going to university and more people moving into higher-skilled roles.
- The middle market was shrinking: skill level 1 jobs had grown from 23% in the 1980s to 35%, while the traditional middle class had dropped from 20% to 13%.
- Customer expectations were rising quickly, and businesses were now being compared with the best apps, platforms and services customers used every day.
Keynote: Lessons from Michael Hilti - Michael Hilti
“You have to have a culture where you can challenge each other for the better.”
It was a privilege to welcome Michael Hilti from Liechtenstein for a keynote conversation with FBA Chair, Angus Kennard, sharing insights from one of the world’s most successful multigenerational family businesses.
As the 2nd generation, former CEO, Chairman and now Honorary Chairman of the Hilti Group, Michael reflected on the leadership, governance and culture that had helped the business grow from its beginnings in Schaan, Liechtenstein in 1941 to now employing 34,000 people and operating in more than 120 countries.
Michael openly shared the ins and outs of Hilti Groups governance structure. Their Trust was very thorough, strategic and forward-thinking to protect the business, the family and their philanthropic endeavours. “It gives the freedom to move forward without any disturbances.”
The respect Michael had for his father, Martin was evident, sharing how the actions of his father made it easier for him as the next generation. “I was very lucky and fortunate I had a father who was always looking forward and ready for change.”
Finally, Michael took us all through the strong culture at Hilti Group, how they established it and how they maintained and evolved it.
“Everybody talks about culture, every company has a culture - it depends what type of culture.”
The Hilti Group lived and breathed their strong culture right through the company, maintaining it’s consistency across the globe and through all their staff. “If you don’t live your culture completely. It won’t work.”
He explained the 9 guiding principles, 4 values and the techniques they used at Hilti Group to maintain and foster their culture which was a “continuous journey.”
Keynote: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Stress - Lila Landowski
Stressful events are inevitable, but we can choose how we respond to that stress.⠀
This was Dr Lila Landowski’s key message during her Keynote Session at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific, unpacking how stress was not simply a feeling, but a hardwired physical response that could affect the brain, body and behaviour over time.
So how should we respond to stress? Before Lila answered this important question, the Senior Lecturer and Neuroscientist from University of Tasmania, first explained the science of how our brains worked, how we learned and how we responded to stress.
We were taken through the fundamentals of neuroplasticity, the flight and fight response, how and where we stored our memories, and the best way to learn.
A little bit of stress, we learned, was fantastic and improved learning. Too much long-term stress, however, impaired it and physically changed your brain, impacted your emotions and reactions, and impaired your memory.
“You can change the effects of stress by the way you think about it. When we believe a certain thing, our body starts to respond like it is true.”
It was all about activating our ‘Rest, Heal and Digest’ system, rather than our flight or fight system. The best part, our body already had built-in ways to achieve this. Exercise, breathing, socialising, gratitude, being outdoors and being able to put a label on what we were feeling could help us transition out of the flight or fight response.
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Parallel Sessions and Workshops
- Inside a Live Cyber Hack
Robyn Adcock, National Placement Manager - Cyber & Technology at Gallagher, took people through a live cyber attack, showing in real time how a cyber incident unfolded, sharing insights into the latest threat trends, practical steps to strengthen cyber defences and a better understanding of what effective cyber resilience looked like.
- Q&A with Michael Hilti
An intimate Q&A with Michael Hilti, Honorary Chairman of the Board at Hilti Group, facilitated by Angus Kennard, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Inauro, offered attendees a rare opportunity to put their questions directly to one of the most experienced voices in global family business.
- Taking the Lead Early
In this facilitated panel, we heard from rising-generation leaders Caitlin Crowther, Marketing & Sales Manager at Alura Coaches & Unearth-ed, Jack Di Losa, Chief Operating Officer at Cold Xpress, and Sebastian Jabbour, Director at Scion, facilitated by Anesan Naidoo, Managing Director at Organisational Coaching Solutions, who had taken on executive roles in their family businesses at a relatively young age. They shared how they were managing the transition, building credibility and navigating relationships with suppliers, advisors and customers. We explored whether parents were taking a hands-on or hands-off approach to succession and the strategies these leaders used to balance legacy with innovation.
- Courageous Conversations
In this workshop, Patrycja Slawuta, Founder of Selfhackathon and Unlab, explored the art and science of courageous, core, and curious conversations, those that touched on the topics we often avoided, such as love, loyalty, power, freedom and responsibility. We unpacked the common polarities that shaped relationships and learned how to navigate them in ways that strengthened connection and insight.
- Decision-Making as a Family Sport
The primary objective of this interactive workshop, with Matt Fullbrook, Founder and Author at Ground-Up Governance, was to bust common family/corporate governance myths. We put a spotlight on some critical decision-making pitfalls and showed how families, executives, boards and advisors could flip them into strengths.
- It Started with a Lark
In this session, Bill Lark AM, Founder of Lark Distillery, shared how a family-led passion project grew into an industry-defining business. He reflected on building a brand grounded in trust and place, navigating legacy and succession within a family enterprise, and the role of generosity and mentorship in strengthening both the business and the wider family business community.
- The Next Gen Effect on Digital Marketing
This fireside chat between Warren Spence, Founder of Motor Brand Design, and his son Wren Spence, Head of Business Growth at Motor Brand Design, delved into the evolution of Motor Brand Design, the realities of bringing the next generation into a long-standing business, and how cross-generational collaboration had influenced growth, innovation and succession planning in a rapidly changing industry. The conversation was followed by a practical 20-minute presentation by Val Montagnana-Wallace, Director and General Manager at Hyphen, on adapting organic digital marketing in family businesses, using Motor Group as the case study to highlight the positive effects of integrating social media strategies into family businesses.
- Understanding Investing 101 and Demystifying Investment Jargon
Presented by James Smith, Head of Melbourne at Providence Wealth Advisory Group, the session offered high-level foundational learning in an informal and engaging format. The aim was to plant seeds by introducing core concepts such as why people invested, how to get started, the importance of saving and investing, and key terms commonly used in investment markets. The content was designed to make these ideas accessible and practical, giving the emerging generation a solid starting point as they built their financial knowledge.
Keynote: Kate Ceberano: A Life in Music and Creativity
Kate Ceberano completely wowed all our delegates at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific.
Interweaving stories and song, Kate invited us into her life, music, family and business.
“When you take life and add music to it, it’s easier to see a solution to your problems.”
Kate spoke about the influence of growing up watching her parents pool together their knowledge and strengths to build a karate family business. This value of hard work was a thread throughout her session.
“Hard work shines through.”
“Push forward and do the work.”
“The work defines you.”
Throughout her career, Kate had worked alongside her mum, brother and then worked hand-in-hand with her Husband Lee. The strength of the partnership and bond with Lee was palpable, “we couldn’t do it without each other.” They complemented each other’s skillsets and had the same work ethic and drive. “It’s our love language.”
The next generation was also coming through, with Kate’s daughter Gypsy forging her own path in the music industry. Both Kate and her daughter showed strength in their individuality as people and in their careers, always having each other’s backs.
Throughout the session we were so lucky to hear Kate beautifully perform four songs - Brave, Louis’ Song, Earth and Sky, and finishing the session with Pash.
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Family Business Excellence Awards
At the Family Business Excellence Awards dinner, we shone a light on family businesses with all the glitz and glamour. Three exceptional family businesses and four deserving individuals were recognised with a Family Business Excellence Award, and Tranzit Group walked away as our Family Business of the Year for 2026!
The energy in the room was electric from the moment the doors opened, from the supportive cheers for every nominee and award winner, to everyone getting down on the dance floor.
Our amazing MC for the evening, Brihoney Dawson, brought the laughs and energy all night, with crowd work, quick wit and a crowd-favourite throwback to a You're the Voice singalong. The entertainment from Brihony and Mr Fahrenheit was non-stop fun, with dance performances, a live band, rap, DJ, and guitar and drum solos.
It was a spectacular night with FBA's famous 'magic dust' filling the room.
The highest accolade, the Family Business of the Year 2026, was awarded to Tranzit Group (NZ)
Congratulations to all our award winners:
- Established Family Business Award: Contemporary Catering (VIC)
- Founder’s Family Business Award: GPSM (NSW)
- Legacy Family Business Award: Tranzit Group (NZ)
- Leading Woman in Family Business Award: Laura Goldberg, Hurricane's Grill Restaurants (NSW)
- Emerging Leader in Family Business Award: Jack Di Losa, Cold Xpress (VIC) and Jordan Pedley, STRIKER (WA)
- Accredited Advisor of the Year: Anesan Naidoo, Organisational Coaching (NSW)
The Family Business Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of families and individuals in respected and successful family businesses of all sizes and at all stages, acknowledging the significant contribution they make to the Australian and New Zealand social fabric and economy.
This could be your moment
DAY TWO
Women Leading the Way Breakfast: Engineering a Family Legacy - Kelly Elphinstone
What a morning at our Women Leading the Way Breakfast: Engineering a Family Legacy with Kelly Elphinstone from the Elphinstone Group, Facilitated by Melissa Donnelly,
Kelly shared the story of her family business from its beginnings with her father, Dale, identifying a gap in underground mining equipment and her involvement in the business.
A key theme was succession. Kelly spoke candidly about her succession story and the future succession plans for the business. She emphasised the importance of governance, advisory boards, family councils and documented rules of engagement in supporting a smooth transition from one generation to the next. “The next generation may have opportunities that do not even exist yet”, and the business of the future may look very different to the business of today.
Here were a few takeaways from the morning:
- The conversation you keep postponing is the one that matters most.
- It’s not where the opportunities come from that count. It’s what you do with them.
- A great family business isn’t measured by what it earns. It’s measured by what it passes on.
- Kelly’s honesty, humour and practical insights made for a generous and engaging conversation. From making her own mark in the family business, and balancing motherhood to her leadership and future business plans.
Day 2 Welcome
Just like that we were at the opening of our final day of the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific in Hobart, and it was going to be a fantastic day of sessions ahead.
We opened with one of our Conference Gold Sponsors, Citation Group. Mark Stewart, Business Development Manager shared the current landscape of managing a workforce and posed the questions, “Do you feel reasonably confident in managing workforce responsibilities?” and “If the next generation took over the family business tomorrow, would they find clarity, visibility and structure?”
Mark shared his key tips to ensure the business you planned to hand over tomorrow, was ready to be handed over today. First, understand where the risks might lie. Second, start documenting processes and operational flow. Find out who holds the knowledge and document it. Finally, build leadership capability and confidence.
Next, we were all warmly welcomed to Hobart and Tasmania by the Deputy Premier of Tasmania, Hon. Guy Barnett MP. “Tasmania is a small and family business state.”
With passion, Guy invited us into the Tasmanian brand, “clean, fresh, pure and natural”, sharing that the state was 100% self-sufficient in renewable energy and the pride in having zero net emissions since 2014.
Guy shared his own story of being raised in a family business, and the importance of a strong economy and a caring economy, “and the backbone of our community are our small and family businesses. The importance of family values in holding businesses together can not be underestimated.”
Keynote: Bold Moves, Big Vision - Richard Crawford
My ‘next is now’ moment had already been unfolding for 20 years.”
Richard Crawford, Vice President of Hotel Development across Australia, New Zealand and Pacific at Marriott International, invited us into his story, sharing how his family values helped to shape and prepare him for the unexpected and successful career path that was awaiting him.
After moving on from the family business, Richard was in his 40s needing to find a new path. It was then that he started to see the gifts taught to him by his dad and uncle while working in the family business in Launceston, “the family business roots had defined me.”
All the steps in Richard’s career, led him to a place he never expected to find himself, and yet they were still grounded by the initial experiences of his family business.
“Even though I thought I was getting out of the family business, the same family values were there at Marriott International. Even with 800,000 staff.” It was his family business roots that helped him to succeed outside of the family business and Tasmania “against all odds.”
Some of the lessons and key takeaways that Richard shared with us:
- You are not one trick ponies
- Your today is not your forever
- Challenge your limiting beliefs
- Have the biggest proposal on the table!
Keynote: The Next Generation is Now - Amie and Belinda Lyone
The pure authenticity, candour and vulnerability in our latest keynote session was not lost on anyone in the room that morning at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific.
Amie and Belinda Lyone truly opened the door into their family and business, with the facilitation of Wendy Sage-Hayward, exploring family dynamics, succession planning, grief and working side-by-side with your sibling.
Amie and Belinda were uniquely Co-CEOs of COS, Australia’s largest family-owned and operated workplace and education supplies business.
“We had heard about Co-CEOS before, had seen a few over time and we started to think… maybe we can do this.” They put a lot of planning into it, and of course there could be hurdles, however Amie and Belinda saw it as a strength. “Being able to have honest, open conversations is our superpower. We can debate and fight, but we always come back to the bond and the value we see in each other.”
Amie and Belinda’s late father, Dom was “our biggest coach and supporter.” There was never pressure felt to join the business, Dom had a key question to them both, ‘Are you capable and are you interested?’ He would check in every year, making sure they were still interested to continue the family business.
The pair discussed the process of developing their succession plan, bringing onboard an advisor to help facilitate discussions and help them to look at things in a different way. “It was a reframe. It wasn’t dad retiring, it was - we are all getting promoted. Dad became Chairman and we became co-CEOs.”
Thank you Amie and Belinda for being so open with us, reflecting on navigating the unexpected passing your father, Dom, and carrying the business forward at a time of grief.
Parallel Sessions and Workshops
- From Idea to Impact
Adrian Harders, Innovation and Productivity Manager at Harders, and Julian Harders, Commercial Manager at Harders, delved into their journey from conceptualisation to execution, sharing the hurdles, uncertainties and the triumphant outcomes. Facilitated by Dominic Pelligana, Founding Partner at Lineage Group, it was also a reminder of the value of passing on the entrepreneurial spirit that started the business in the first place. When that spirit was nurtured, it gave future generations the confidence and capability to be creative, innovative and bold.
- What is Good Governance?
In this session, Matt Fullbrook, Founder and Author at Ground-Up Governance, challenged some of the common myths around "good governance" and explored a more practical, decision-focused approach. Rather than focusing on structure alone, this perspective highlighted how families, boards and executives could strengthen governance in ways that were both effective and adaptable without unnecessary complexity, cost, or loss of control.
- Hands-On AI for Family Business
Inbal Rodnay, AI Keynote Speaker and Technology Adoption Expert, demonstrated practical ways to embed AI tools and automation into your workflow. We gained clarity on what was real, what was hype, and which simple steps could make your business more efficient and future-ready, regardless of industry or tech experience. By the end of the workshop, attendees had gained clarity on exactly how to use the AI tools that were mature and build them into their workflows.
- Staying Relevant when the Game Changes
This workshop explored with Lachie Smart, Chief Operating Officer at The End Game, and Adrian Nisbet, Founder and CEO at The End Game, the realities of today’s business environment, where senior hires sometimes fell short of expectations, systems intended to streamline operations were still held together by duct tape and goodwill, you were working harder than ever yet growth felt slower, margins were tightening, commitment was slipping, and stress was constant.
- Illness, Aging and the Family Business
This session explored the impact ageing, illness and disability could have on family dynamics and decision-making. Danielle Ciliberto, Director of her family business Technologica Pty Ltd, shared her personal story of supporting her father living with Alzheimer’s, reflecting on what this had meant for her family and the business. Alongside her, Danielle Robertson, Director and CEO of DR Care Solutions, brought deep expertise (almost 40 years) in aged care and disability services, offering practical guidance for families navigating health changes in the family. The session was facilitated by Kasia Maczuga, Solicitor at ADLV Law.
- Heritage on Tap
James Breheny, Managing Director of Breheny Brothers Breweries, and Justin Breheny, Co-Founder of Breheny Brothers Breweries, explored the uncovering of family history, the interpretation of century-old recipes and the challenges of bringing authentic heritage beers back to life. Along the way, the Brehenys reconnected with relatives, uncovered the stories of one of Australia’s most influential brewing families, and found ways to share this living history with today’s beer drinkers. It was a story of tradition, innovation and the enduring power of family in Australian brewing.
- Today's Battlefield, Tomorrow's Legacy
In this interactive and thought-provoking session, Michael Masterson, Principal at Intrinsika, showed attendees how to uncover their “magic 1%”, the strategies to unlock hidden value, and the assets they had to protect to secure their family’s legacy. Attendees left with fresh insights into what really made your business valuable and it was not what your accountant was telling you! They expected a challenging, fun, and completely different perspective on building lasting value for generations to come. Using battlefield case studies, Michael demonstrated how lessons from high-stakes environments applied directly to family businesses.
Keynote: The Constants of Leadership - Sacha Coburn
“Today is a great day to be alive!”
Sacha Coburn hit the stage with huge energy in her rapid-fire session full of practical takeaways at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific this afternoon.
She challenged us to think deeply about leadership and the choices that shaped both our personal and professional lives.
Joining us from New Zealand, Sacha introduced us to the constants of leadership, the tools we needed no matter the generation, no matter the shifts and changes in the world. Self-awareness, our superpowers and our kryptonite, high performance, accountability, clarity and taking action.
There were endless key takeaways throughout the session, here were just a few:
- You can't complain about the results you did not get, from the work you did not do.
- Every good thing happens when you are prepared to dive in.
- Self-awareness is the key to self-mastery.
- Be aware of your thoughts, notice your thoughts and get curious.
- Elevate your focus to the things that matter most.
- You need to be open to change.
- Never lose sight of why we do this in the first place.
Keynote: Guided by the Values of Family - Saroo Brierley and Special Appearance by Sue Brierley
This afternoon at the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific, we were joined by Saroo and Sue Brierley, the mother and son behind the incredible story of the major motion picture, Lion, and #1 bestselling autobiography, A Long Way Home.
Separated from his family in India at just five years old and later adopted in Australia, Saroo never let go of the memories of his early childhood. Years later, armed with only fragments of memory and Google Earth, he found his way back to his birthplace and was reunited with his birth mother.
Woven throughout this incredible story was also their family business story. John and Sue Brierley started a family business, Brierley Hose & Handling, on the very same day they went to meet Saroo at Melbourne airport and bring him home to Hobart.
Saroo began working outside of the business, initially in hospitality. Eventually, he joined the family business, along with his brother Mantosh. Sue and Saroo discussed the expansion of the business into Launceston, juggling the business and this new life of fame as a result of their books and film, and the family dynamics at play when 1st and 2nd generation worked together.
While in conversation with MC, Andrew Klein, Saroo shared these words of wisdom:
“When you are put in the deep end, you have to swim.”⠀
“You never give up on family.”⠀
“When you do hard work, you never know what’s around the corner.”⠀
“Every opportunity that’s out there, take it. You don’t want to kick yourself later.”⠀
“Sometimes you have to feel what pulls you down to diffuse it and move forward.”⠀
“You have to battle with yourself in order to achieve.”⠀
In an emotional finish, we were shown the footage of the moment when Sue met Saroo’s birth mother, Fatima. Saroo sharing of the moment he met his mother, “there were two souls that had been searching for each other and on that day those two souls rested.”⠀
Final Keynote: Own Your Future - Gus Balbontin
“My job is to provoke you.”⠀
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From the moment Gus Balbontin stepped on stage for the closing session at the 2026 Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific with his iconic ‘woo’, he made his mission clear, “I want you to feel uncomfortable enough to learn something new.”⠀
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As we get older, why do we push novelty out of our lives? According to Gus, when we do the same things day in and day out, we are starving our brains of novelty. Then bit by bit that tolerance for discomfort, for change, disappears.⠀
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“When you do the same thing over again you build momentum. Momentum is great when you are in the same direction as your customer. When your customer changes direction, that momentum is deadly.”⠀
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So, what does Gus suggest? Embrace adaptability, be uncomfortable, fail and bring back novelty into our life and businesses.⠀
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“Life your gaze. Don’t let the future happen to you. Make you happen to the future. If you let it happen to you, it’s already too late.”⠀
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Thank you Gus for a much needed shake up, it was the perfect way to close out this year’s conference.⠀
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Reminder to all our delegates… Next is Now. Writing your next chapter starts now!
And that’s a wrap on the 2026 Family Business Conference!
We finished on a high with our farewell drinks event, giving everyone that last chance to unpack the week together.⠀
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Thank you to everyone who joined us. Our special 'magic dust' that you feel across our community is because of all of you.⠀
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We’ve been told that so many of you are walking away feeling inspired, excited to head back to your businesses armed with fresh ideas to take action on right away... because 'Next is Now', and your next chapter is already being written.⠀
Thank you to our Conference Sponsors
Thank you to all our sponsors and supporters who helped bring the Family Business Conference 2026: Asia-Pacific to life! Your generosity played a vital role in making this event exceptional, enabling us to host inspiring speakers and deliver valuable experiences to our family business community.
A special thank you to our Gold Sponsors, Pronto Software and Citation Group.
Thank you to our Bronze Sponsors, Australian Made and Morgan Shaw Advisory.
We also thank all our conference sponsors and partners: Longest Lunch Sponsor, EWM Group, Keynote Gift Sponsor, Adina Watches, Airline Partner, Qantas, Public Relations Sponsor Zadro, Printing Sponsor, Bowden Printing, Coffee Cart Sponsor ANZ, Meeting Place Sponsors: Anystore Gift Card, Corp IT, Independent Locksmiths & Security, Kintell, Majestic, MYMAX, Random Harvest, The End Game, Brown Family Wine Group and Breheny Brothers Breweries.
Thank you to our Family Business Site Visit Sponsors: Daly Farms, Grandvewe, Hansen Orchards, Hellfire Bluff Distillery, Incat, Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, Pooley Wines, Red Decker, Willie Smith’s and Wrest Point.
And thank you to our conference supporters: Cup & Carry, Australian Dental Foundation and Mitani.
Access the photo gallery
This year, we have two gallery links for you to explore.
Full photo gallery from Shon Productions
Relive every moment of the Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific!
AI face search tool gallery
This gallery features the same images as the full gallery, with an added AI face search tool. Simply take or upload a photo of yourself, and the gallery will find and display the photos you appear in from throughout the conference.
