Ethiopian Family Business Forum

Converse and collaborate with local family businesses. Lay a reliable foundation for your family business by learning and applying global best practices.



About the Forum

The Importance of Family Businesses

Family businesses play a significant role in the private sector of the Ethiopian economy. The contribution of family businesses makes up the lion's share, for example, in import and export, manufacturing, education, agriculture, health, supply and distribution of consumer goods, hotel and tourism, construction, and other economic sectors which are not mentioned here. Therefore, ensuring the continuity of family businesses means directly or indirectly improving the country's economy by creating employment opportunities and building institutions that can move the country forward by achieving rapid growth and improvement in their respective fields.

The experiences in the developed countries clearly show and confirm this. Most global companies that are based in the Western world and whose products/services have become household names today, are family-owned businesses that have left an indelible dent in the economy of their countries. They stayed in their field for many years, continuously improving their products/services and ensuring their global competitiveness.

Family Businesses in Ethiopia

When we come back to our country, Ethiopia, family businesses are not growing as much as they could, due to a variety of challenges. Among these challenges, the main ones usually mentioned are issues on leadership, ensuring competitiveness, and well-thought strategy for the next generation of the family to successfully take over and continue the family business.



Ethiopian Family Business Forum

To address the above challenges collaboratively, HST Consulting PLC created a platform called 'Ethiopian Family Business Forum'. The forum is held in cooperation with family business owners, sectoral associations, higher education institutions, relevant government ministry offices, and research institutions working directly on the issue.

HST organizes the annual flagship family forum event once a year. And to ensure that the platform provides constant support to family businesses;

* periodic workshops will be organized based on global best practices using subject matter/industry experts and

* locally relevant research papers on critical family business topics will be prepared and distributed for family businesses that are members of the forum.

Speakers

Solomon Gizaw


Chairman and CEO

HST

Melaku Kebede


CEO

Hibret Bank

Panelists

Mehrteab Leul


Managing Partner

Mehrteab & Getu Advocates LLP

Hanna Tilahun


Managing Director

Bezale Construction Material Manufacturing PLC and
Hebron Resort PLC

Tsedeke Yihune


Managing Director

Flintstone Engineering & Homes

Salahadin Khalifa


Founder and General Manager

Samatra Logistics & Shipping PLC

Program Facilitator

Zekrie Negatu


Managing Director

Consulting and Learning Solutions, HST

frequently asked questions

  • 01What is the purpose of Ethiopian Family Business Forum?

    The purpose of the forum is essentially to establish a locally relevant family business management practice to help Ethiopian Family Businesses [EFB’s] grow and become sustainable.

  • Conduct continuous research to create locally relevant knowledge on managing a family business. Run a flagship annual forum, and periodic workshops to learn from global best practices and subject matter/industry experts.

    Serve as a venue for a community of support where peer family businesses can converse on an ever-changing business landscape influencing their progress.

  • Companies who have been in business for a very long time and who are in verge of transitioning their business to the second generation.

    They can also be family businesses already being run by 2nd/3rd generations.

  • Family business owners, business schools, family business research centers, relevant government ministry offices, and financial institutions.

  • HST Consulting PLC is the brand owner and organizer of the forum. The main actors of forum are the family businesses themselves. HST plays a facilitation role.

 

Contact Us


Physical Address:

Bole Wollo Sefer
Ethio-China Friendship Road
Mina Building 5th and 4th Floor

Phone:

+251931391100 | +251911222667
+251 (0) 11 552 7666/67