Strong values, new demands

Global megatrends—economic instability, geopolitical tensions, talent shortages, rapid tech shifts, and sustainability demands—are reshaping Greek family businesses more sharply than those worldwide.

Although 86% of Greek family businesses view technological advancements as a key growth driver, their conservative management style persists: only 6% actively innovate, while most take a cautious, incremental approach.

Business leaders are optimistic about technology, yet their investments remain selective and risk‑averse, favoring proven solutions over early adoption. Only 31% are investing in digital transformation and AI adoption, while an even smaller 17% allocate resources to startups, venture capital, or new business ventures.  

Leadership in Greek family businesses remains tightly concentrated, offering control but restricting agility and perspective as firms grow.

Boards mirror this pattern: 50% are made up solely of family members (vs. 39% in 2023), 25% have no women (vs. 19% in 2023), and only 28% include members under 40 (vs. 50% in 2023), with 39% having no one from a different industry background. The result is a tradition‑heavy governance model that, despite its strong foundation, is falling behind global peers—highlighting the need to evolve through broader diversity and next‑generation participation.

Greek family businesses show limited appetite for governance modernisation: only 31% are considering changes to family involvement in decision‑making, just 22% are updating or creating a formal succession plan, and only 8% are revising their family employment policy for the next generation. 

Greek family businesses show widening governance gaps and limited preparedness for long term sustainability, in contrast with global peers: shareholder agreements have dropped from 38% in 2023 to 33% in 2025, and shared family capital strategies have halved from 21% in 2023 to just 11% in 2025. Despite a rise in dividend policies (26% in 2023 → 36% in 2025), core governance tools remain weakly adopted — with only 25% having family councils, 22% education processes, 17% family constitutions, 14% conflict‑resolution mechanisms, and 11% entry/exit rules. Notably, 25% report having none of these structures, exposing serious risks in succession, alignment and long‑term continuity.

There is rising sensitivity around conflict in Greek family businesses and a growing tendency to resolve issues behind closed doors—even as conflicts become more frequent. Conflict incidence is higher than the global average (47% ‘from time to time’ vs. 38%, and 17% ‘regularly’ vs. 10%), yet 64% manage disputes solely within the immediate family (up from 52% in 2023), while reliance on open discussion has fallen to 31% (from 41% in 2023). With only 3% using formal mechanisms and none engaging external advisors, families face heightened risks of unresolved tensions, biased decision‑making, and succession or governance disruptions.  

Greek family businesses face significant succession‑planning vulnerabilities: 39% lack a clear leadership transition plan and 14% are delaying succession due to uncertainty. These low preparedness levels create substantial risks for leadership continuity, strategic stability, and long‑term resilience—leaving businesses exposed during periods of market volatility or generational change.