10. Family Business Day

From 12:30 To 17:00

FH Kufstein Tirol, Festsaal
Fri 20 Nov

Invitation

Initiated by the bachelor's degree program Leadership & Business Management at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol in close cooperation with FH Kufstein Tirol Weishaupt Consulting, we warmly invite you to the 10th Family Business Day.

At the lectures, renowned experts and successful entrepreneurs share inspiring success stories, proven concepts and strategies for management and succession in family businesses. Each event focuses on a current core topic. High-profile speakers address current problems, present innovative best-practice solutions and promote a valuable exchange of ideas through discussions.

Program

Admission
From 1:30 p.m.
Registration in the lobby

Welcome Message
1:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Prof. (FH) Dr. Claudia Van der Vorst, MBA

Welcome address by the Vice Rector of the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol

Short presentation & program overview
1:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Prof. (FH) DDr. Mario Situm, MBA
FH Kufstein Tirol

RADICALLY ADAPTABLE

Family Business Day 2026 kicks off with a brief overview of the format, speakers, and topics: a concise introduction to a day full of inspiration.

Lecture & Discussion
1:15 - 1:40 p.m.
Prof. (FH) Dott. Markus Weishaupt

THE FAMILY BUSINESS ARCHITECT: AN OPPORTUNITY AND A THREAT

The best family businesses possess a unique success model. However, in a world of AI, tense geopolitics, and complex generational transitions, this model is being put to the test. How can family businesses turn their DNA into a strategic competitive advantage? And which areas of action will determine success or failure in the next decade?

Lecture & Discussion
1:40 - 2:05 p.m.
TBA

Lecture & Discussion
2:05 - 2:30 p.m.
Denise Schurzmann, MBA

Carrying It Forward Means Changing It — Growth Through Transformation

Taking over a family business means far more than preserving tradition – it calls for the courage to change, clear decision-making, and the willingness to chart new paths. This talk offers personal insights into the challenges and opportunities of growth, repositioning, and change during a generational handover. At its heart is the question of how resilience and the capacity for change can keep family businesses future-ready.

Break with Catering
14:30 - 15:15
Break with Catering

Lecture & Discussion
15:15 - 15:40
TBA

Live-Performance
15:40 - 15:55
Dietmar Gamper

A THEATEr INTERludE

Director, actor, theater-maker, illustrator, and lithographer from Lana in South Tyrol. Known for his quirky miniatures and long fascinated by the offbeat and the unusual, Gamper sketches scenes with sharp wit and finely tuned irony.

Panel discussion
3:40 - 4:30 p.m.
Prof. (FH) Dott. Markus Weishaupt

In this moderated panel discussion, key questions will be explored from a range of perspectives together with the day's speakers and additional panelists. The audience is, of course, invited to ask questions and contribute their own thoughts to the conversation.

Moderator

Prof. (FH) Dott. Markus Weishaupt

Speaker

Denise Schurzmann, MBA

Managing Director of the family business KRAUSE Industrieschaltanlagen GmbH

At just 26 years old, Denise Schurzmann, took over the management of the family business KRAUSE Industrieschaltanlagen GmbH after the sudden death of her father. Today, she successfully leads the medium-sized company into the future from its newly built location in Rosenheim and represents a new generation of female entrepreneurs: courageous, forward-thinking, and practical. In addition to her role as Managing Director, she is active as a keynote speaker, mentor, and moderator.

In 2022, she was elected National Chairwoman of the Junior Chamber International Germany and also volunteered on various committees of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). For her entrepreneurial success and her exceptional succession story, she was awarded "Bavarian Young Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2024. As early as 2021, she was among Germany's "Top 25 Future Leaders" according to Business Insider.

Prof. (FH) Dott. Markus Weishaupt

Managing Partner
Weishaupt Consulting GmbH, Bozen (IT)

Markus Weishaupt is a business consultant for family business. He is an expert in the development and implementation of corporate strategy, management and leadership, family and corporate governance, succession and handover, and organizational development. Markus Weishaupt is a speaker and keynote speaker, as well as the author of numerous articles and books on the topic of family businesses. Since 2017, he has been a professor at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein, Tyrol.

Companies

KRAUSE Industrieschaltanlagen GmbH

KRAUSE Industrieschaltanlagen GmbH, headquartered in Rosenheim, is a family-run company specializing in customized industrial switchgear and automation solutions. For many years, the company has developed and manufactured high-quality switchgear for a wide range of industries , standing for technical skills / competencies, quality, and tailored solutions. With its newly constructed facility in Rosenheim, KRAUSE is focusing on modern processes, sustainable growth, and innovative future technologies.

Weishaupt Consulting GmbH

Weishaupt Consulting GmbH specializes in family businesses and entrepreneurial families. The company understands these as a holistic system where the unique characteristics of family and entrepreneurship intersect. Weishaupt Consulting supports family businesses with consulting, guidance, and training to help them achieve their business goals.

Studies

Familienunternehmen und ihre Stakeholder

Problemstellung - Lösungsmodelle - Praktische Umsetzung

Edited by: Mario Situm and Stefan Märk

Content

This well-researched, practical book highlights the unique characteristics of this business structure. Family business owners benefit from close ties. At the same time, these very ties can lead to conflict, anxiety, anger, and numerous disputes. The authors explore how family businesses are viewed by lenders, customers, and their own tax advisors, and what shapes these relationships. They also explicitly address the perspectives of stakeholders. Concrete case studies from academia and practice offer business owners and anyone involved in the subject a new perspective and approach to the family business.

Contemporary Issues in Family Business Entrepreneurship

Volume 1

Edited by: Mario Situm and Stefan Märk

Content

Transforming Family Businesses in a VUCA World

New Challenges in the Strategic Management Process
Business Modeling in Times of Rapid Change
Succession Planning for Family Businesses in Times of Rapid Change
Business Opportunities and Threats in the Context of Industry 4.0
Digitalization as a Driver of Strategic Decisions and Business Modeling

Family Business Resilience in Times of Radical Change

Volume 2

Edited by: Mario Situm and Stefan Märk

Content

Resilience of family businesses in times of radical change

Strategies for adapting to a volatile and uncertain economic environment (VUCA)
Resilience in business model development and transformation
Succession planning in times of crisis and strategic restructuring
Early warning indicators for organizational decline and crisis management
Downsizing as a tool for strengthening resilience
Leveraging disruptive change as an opportunity for sustainable renewal

Journal Articles

Publications

Situm, M., Märk, S., & Breuer, C. (2026). Strategische Zukunftsgestaltung in Familienunternehmen – Teil II: Studienergebnisse zu Werten, Wachstum und Veränderung. Krisenprävention Sanierungsberatung Insolvenzmanagement, 22(2), 62-65.
Situm, M., Märk, S., & Breuer, C. (2026). Strategische Zukunftsgestaltung in Familienunternehmen – Teil I: Wachstumsprozesse und Change Management. Krisenprävention Sanierungsberatung Insolvenzmanagement, 22(1), 13-15.
Exler, M. W., Situm, M., & Buchauer, T. (2024). Begleitung der Unternehmensnachfolge in Familienunternehmen durch Interim Management: Erfolgsfaktoren und Handlungsempfehlungen auf der Basis aktueller Studienergebnisse. Krisen-, Sanierungs- und Insolvenzberatung, 20(1), 26-33.
Sorrentino, G., Situm, M., & Märk, S. (2023). State of research on family businesses and the corporate brand: Current findings, future fields of research and approaches to strategic use. In: Kraus, S., Clauss, T., & Kallmuenzer, A. (Hrsg.) Research handbook on entrepreneurship and innovation in family firms (pp. 38-59). Glos, UK: Edward Elgar.
Situm, M., & Märk, S. (2022). Internationality of value chain activities and the export orientation of micro- and small family businesses in Western Austria. Risk Governance and Control: Financial Markets & Institutions, 12(4), 8-32.
Situm, M., Märk, S., & Kathan, M. (2021). The use of management accounting in western Austrian family businesses: An empirical analysis. Corporate Ownership & Control, 18(S3), 379-394.
Exler, M. W., Situm, M., & Thurnbichler, R. (2015). MBO und MBI als Alternativen zu familieninternen Nachfolgelösungen: Eine Analyse zur Sicht von Kreditinstituten in Deutschland und Österreich. Krisen-, Sanierungs- und Insolvenzberatung, 11(5), 207–213.

Arrival

The event has been awarded the Green Event Tirol certification. In the spirit of sustainability, we appreciate your support and ask that you travel to the event in an environmentally friendly manner using public transportation.

Tips and information are available on our directions page.