Mind Your Own Business
AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM SHOWS YOU HOW

NINETY-NINE per cent of businesses in Canada are owned by individuals and most are family firms. "Family enterprises contribute to at least half of employment in Canada," says small business expert, Rein Peterson, Schulich School of Business professor. To keep business booming, the Schulich School has established a new Chair for the study of family enterprise.

The program will teach a variety of corporate skills like dynasty-building techniques and how to avoid family feuds. Students also get hands-on experience and earn credits by interning in a real family business.

The Chair was endowed by philanthropist Anne Tanenbaum, in both her and her late husband Max's name. Tanenbaum was the founder of York Steel Construction. "Devotion to each other and commitment to the firm are crucial for a family business' success," says Anne Tanenbaum. "I hope this Chair will help solidify the role family businesses play in the Canadian economy."

illustration: Shawna Wiesberg