About Craig

Craig Aronoff is co-founder of the Family Business Consulting Group (FBCG), which he built with John Ward after recognizing family businesses as a severely underserved niche that represents roughly half the economy. A former college professor who grew up in a family business, Craig has spent more than three decades helping enterprising families navigate generational transitions — from sibling teams in the second generation to cousin groups with 200 related shareholders. FBCG now has about 30 consultants and 12 staff, serves 300+ active clients at any time, and has worked with more than 3,500 families worldwide. Craig is virtually retired and finishing his last cases.

What we talked about

What FBCG actually does — Craig described a comprehensive practice spanning strategy, operations, finance, leadership, succession, and governance on the business side — plus family dynamics, ownership goals, estate planning, and how relatives govern each other on the family side.

Client-centered consulting, not best practices — FBCG's "it depends" philosophy means understanding each family's unique history before recommending anything — including how "Aunt Susie got divorced from Uncle Jim and how that shook out through the family."

When succession and governance collide — From the New York Times board ("Are you one family or you four families?") to a 200-member family where five CEO candidates each saw themselves as the "least worst" choice, Craig shared how governance problems often hide behind succession questions.

Building a firm that scales people, not products — Independent-contractor consultants share knowledge through an internal network, meet quarterly as a "virtual office building," and rely on a dedicated back office for billing and PR while the CEO is not a practicing consultant.

Independence, AI, and reaching the next generation — Craig discussed Zoom-enabled remote work, why AI has not replaced deep family interviews, FBCG's commitment to staying independent despite buyout offers, and why successor generations often see consultants as allies against resistant founders.

Sharpest moments

On the paradox of family business rules:

the good news is you're a family business. Within constraints, you get to make up your own rules. And the bad news is you have to get together and make up your own rules.

On why every client is different:

the day that we stop looking at each client as unique is the day we ought to stop consulting.

On the New York Times board succession question:

Are you one family or you four families

On how FBCG differs from other consultants:

the other family business consultant came in and told them what to do. And you came in and sought to understand what they needed.

On working with the next generation:

we are typically heroes to the successor generation.

Key takeaways

• FBCG focuses where business and family intersect — especially generational transitions — and treats every client as unique rather than applying generic best practices.
• Typical clients run $50–100 million in U.S. sales (from $10 million up to global brand names), often arriving in crisis or proactively years before a transition.
• Succession work frequently uncovers deeper governance problems — boards, shareholder agreements, and family alignment matter as much as picking the next CEO.
• The firm scales through selective hiring, consultant knowledge-sharing, and a back-office model that lets advisors focus on clients while preserving quality control.
• AI and new media change how clients find consultants, but deep interviews and human judgment remain central — and FBCG's independence from accounting firms and acquirers is a deliberate long-term bet.
• Consolidation threatens more family businesses than technology alone; the family unit remains a durable economic building block across industries.