Non-Family Board Members Bring Perspective and Growth

What happens at a family firm with shared ownership and leadership? Matt Nielsen, Managing Director of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas International Europe, is candid about the disagreements and stalemate that can ensue.

Enter the non-family board members. The 100-year-old flavorings company, whose products can be found on supermarket shelves everywhere, faced a crossroads when it needed to grow the business and manage the family dynamics of having three siblings with executive roles. As Nielsen points out in this interview with Editor Kimberly Eddleston, not everyone in the family was keen on the idea of bringing in outsiders to help, and it took two years to figure out the best way for family and non-family board members to work together. But Nielsen says it's now paying off in clearer strategies and less conflict.

In this interview, Matt Nielsen counsels family businesses on the best way to bring outside perspectives to the family business board.