SMP Leading in Transformation

#21 | Why advisory boards fail—and how to do it better

SMP Leading in Transformation

24. August 2026

With Klaus Jaenecke, Konrad Fröhlich, Janis Steinfort and Michael Hedtstück

On trust, independence, and the challenges AI disruption poses for advisory boards

0 h 55 Min

“A sparring partner trains someone—and doesn't knock them out.”

Family-owned businesses are the backbone of Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises, and many of them now have a professional advisory board—serving as a sounding board for management and as a link between managers and shareholders. However, the upheaval in many industrial sectors, the disruption caused by AI, and the fairly similar backgrounds of many advisory board members are calling previous models of success into question.
In this podcast, we discuss what ideal advisory boards for family-owned businesses look like today—in times of major change.

*Video only in German

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our classic podcast: SMP LeaderTalks.

26. August 2026

SMP LeaderTalks

#160 | Who guides your inner self? - Georgiy Michailov meets Dagmar Kumbier

"If you have a strong inner critic, then it must have a reason."

To the full episode To all SMP LeaderTalks