Join the exclusive CFO network at London Business School. The next forum will take place on 17 April 2026. Complete the registration of interest form below to check your eligibility.
The CFO Private Business Forum is an exclusive event organized by the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital (IEPC) at London Business School (LBS) aimed at family business or privately held company CFOs.
The CFO Private Business Forum takes place twice a year and aims to examine the role and performance of the CFO function in family/private businesses. These workshops aim to explore the challenges, priorities, and future prospects inherent in this role through engaging discussions and practical sharing of experiences.
The event will run under the Chatham House Rules, providing a confidential environment for open discussions and knowledge sharing.
The CFO Private Business Forum presents an invaluable opportunity to network with fellow CFOs, gain academic insights, and learn from industry experts.
Explore the role and challenges of CFOs in family businesses at London Business School's exclusive CFO Private Business Forum. Join academic experts and industry leaders for insightful discussions on corporate financing, crisis management, governance, and more. Connect with fellow CFOs in a confidential environment and contribute to the establishment of a family business CFO network.
If you are joining one of our events for the first time, then it is free to attend. Any consecutive events will cost £275, unless covered by sponsorship. London Business School students and alumni receive a 10% discount.
The forum is supported by the following academics.
Exclusively tailored for Finance Directors and CFOs of family businesses, privately held companies, family firms, or holdings that have a major shareholding in a business of over 25 %. Our primary focus is on CFOs from companies with revenue exceeding £300 million. However, we will also consider niche businesses with smaller revenues based on the unique nature of their operations.
The forum promises a unique blend of academic insights and industry expertise. Expect engaging discussions and practical insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by CFOs in today's dynamic financial landscape.
Knowledge Exchange: Benefit from a wealth of knowledge shared by experts and peers, covering the latest trends and challenges faced by CFOs in family businesses.
Expert speakers: Our lineup of speakers includes academic professionals and senior market experts. Gain valuable insights into corporate financing, credit funds, crisis management, risks, governance challenges, inflation, and the evolving banking sector in the context of family businesses.
Exclusive network: Connect with like-minded CFOs, expand your professional circle, and establish valuable connections within the family business community.
Confidential setting: Enjoy the freedom to share and learn in a confidential environment. The forum operates under the Chatham House Rules, fostering open discussions without attribution.
If you're a CFO of a family business or privately held company, join our growing network. Connect with peers, share experiences, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue shaping the future of family businesses.
CFO Governance, Cyber Resilience & AI
We hold the CFO Private Business Forum once a year. Our next forum takes place on 17 April 2026.
The next CFO Private Business Forum will focus on one of the most pressing mandates facing finance leaders today: strengthening governance, cyber resilience and responsible AI in an era of geopolitical volatility. The agenda moves from lessons drawn from regulatory and institutional failures to practical UK-based perspectives on cyber threats and geopolitical tensions, equipping CFOs with strategies for organisational readiness and crisis response. Sessions will explore cyber risk management, insurance and incident handling, alongside the governance challenges posed by operating in complex, global technology environments. The programme also addresses responsible AI in practice—highlighting the consequences of misuse and the safeguards required—while examining cybersecurity and interoperability in critical sectors. The day concludes with insights from the banking sector on resilience and a forward-looking discussion of emerging legal trends in cybercrime.
Welcome and Introduction to London Business School
Aytekin Ertan, Associate Professor of Accounting, London Business School
Florin Vasvari, Professor of Accounting; Academic Director, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital, London Business School
Patricio Ohle, Lecturer, St. Gall University
Keynote: Lessons from Regulatory and Institutional Failures
S. Alex Yang, Professor of Management Science and Operations, London Business School
Coffee Break and Networking
CFO Perspectives on Geopolitical Tensions and Cyber Attacks: Practical Insights from the UK
Session 1: Strategies for Readiness
Matt Mann, Head of IT Operations, Wates Group
Session 2: Cyber Crisis Management: Managing Risk, Insurance and Crisis Response
Lucy Scott, Head of Cyber and Technology, Lockton Companies LLP
Lunch
Keynote: Navigating IT Governance and Cybersecurity in a Global Tech Environment
Jas Brar, CFO, Microsoft UK
Session 3: Responsible AI in Action: Lessons from Irresponsible AI and Cyber Incidents in Private Equity
Didem Ün Ateş, Founder, Lotus AI
Session 4: Cybersecurity and Interoperability in the Defence Sector
Maurice Eglin, Head of Cyber Defence Network and Interoperability, State Secretariat for Security Policy
Coffee Break and Networking
Keynote: CRO Insights from the Banking Sector
Giles Taylor, Head of Resilience and Security, Lloyds Bank – Corporate and Institutional Banking
Session 4: Emerging Legal Trends in Cybercrime and Resilience
Ian De Freitas, Partner, Farrer & Co Alan Baker, Partner, Farrer & Co
Closing words: Summary of Key Learnings and Closing Remarks
Networking Drinks and Canapés
Explore the diverse topics covered and the expert speakers featured in previous forums.
CFO Insights on Mergers & Acquisitions: Exit, Generational Change, or Business Transformation
This event brought together CFOs, finance leaders, and industry experts to explore the critical role of financial leadership in M&A. Discussions covered exit strategies, managing generational transitions, and leveraging acquisitions for business transformation, offering insights from real-world case studies and expert panel sessions.
The IEPC supports the development of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial ideas that drive impact, create wealth and advance well-being. The IEPC also conducts research underpinning today’s private capital markets including venture capital, private equity, growth, buyouts, and the broader private capital ecosystem.
A central ambition of the IEPC is to grow our family enterprise linked research, teaching, and events programmes. For us family enterprise covers the full family ownership spectrum, bringing together business owning families with those managing their own single-family offices. We believe the IEPC’s twin strengths of business entrepreneurship and private capital management are central to understanding family enterprise now and into the future.
If this event is of interest check out the Family Office Conference or related events. See more
Successful family enterprises play an integral role within the entrepreneurial and funding ecosystems.
To find out more about Entrepreneurship and Private Capital at LBS, please email us at the address below.
