Don't be a chicken - deal with succession

For family businesses that are worried about succession, here’s a date for your diary – 17 April. That’s the day when Jim Perdue of family-run Perdue will give his insights into what makes a good succession plan.

The event is taking place at Wake Forest University Family Business Center, in North Carolina, US.

“Jim Perdue will share his story of succeeding his father, Frank Perdue, at Perdue Farms, and how that experience has influenced current company policies for family members who’d like to join the family business,” a statement from the university said.

Perdue, a third-generation company, is one of the largest poultry businesses in the US, with Forbes estimating its revenues at $4.6 billion (€3.5 billion).

Jim, a graduate of Wake Forest University, comes to the event with plenty of experience – he “grew up in the family business” and is currently chairman of its board, a role he’s held since 1991. But before joining the business in the 1980s, he earned a PhD in fisheries – dealing with a very different species to the family’s chickens.