EY NextGen

EY NextGen is a global leadership platform in EY Private for next generation C-suite and board members in family enterprise and private capital.

EY NextGen Academy

Find out more about the first in-person experience for 2022 – the Board Professional Program.

Private ownership often brings an additional layer of complexity. The new generation of leaders faces expectations from both the business and the family. EY NextGen is for those operating in conditions unique to professional ownership. It focuses on finding the balance between ownership and leadership while developing a strategic mindset, building business acumen and navigating transformation amidst disruption so future leaders can confidently advance to hold trusted positions within family enterprise and private capital.

EY NextGen approach: Our leadership platform with three key pillars

EY NextGen is built on three pillars: the EY NextGen Academy, an executive learning program; the EY NextGen Forum, in-person and virtual events and activities; and the EY NextGen Network, a global membership community for peer-to-peer connectivity and professional insights.

EY NextGen Academy: Our pillar for executive development

EY NextGen Academy offers the next generation of family enterprise and private capital leaders an executive leadership development and learning experience. Founded in 2008, the program combines three key principles: academic knowledge from top international executive education institutions, professional experience and insights from EY professionals, and leading practice sharing between global peers in a trusted environment. 

We know that future leaders are at different levels of their careers. That’s why we offer four program levels:

  • Board Professional Program

    The Board Professional Program provides nextgen leaders with the framework, mindset and peer-to-peer network to serve on private and family enterprise boards. Our mission is to see nextgen board members perform in positions of trust and contribute to the board dynamic.

    Nextgen leaders who serve, or are about to serve, on boards of their family-linked entities need to excel across a breadth of areas. The program equips them with insights into professional governance frameworks and explores how boards can navigate a future shaped by disruption to successfully accelerate business transformation. 

    The Board Professional Program is for those who want to:

    • Explore traditional governance topics while preparing for a future shaped by innovation and disruption
    • Professionalize their approach to serving on boards, advising the management team and bringing value to ownership
    • Discover how they can use their unique point of view to refresh the board’s thinking on a variety of issues
    • Learn how to effectively serve the board’s interests and balance them with the family’s desires related to board composition, member rotation and length of service

    The Board Professional Program 2022 is in-person.

  • Excellence Program

    The Excellence Program builds nextgens’ leadership acumen and confidence in positions of trust.

    The dates for 2022/2023 calendar will be confirmed in the near future.

  • Advanced Program

    The Advanced Program challenges nextgens to consider how to apply leading-class practices and develop their social, teamwork and leadership skills.

    The dates for 2022/2023 calendar will be confirmed in the near future.

  • First Program

    The First Program prepares nextgens to discover how they can apply their talents, skills and interests to real business issues.

    The dates for 2022/2023 calendar will be confirmed in the near future.

EY NextGen Network

The EY NextGen Network is a global membership community for peer-to-peer connectivity and professional insights. We have more than 850 members from 75 countries. Discover below the experiences from two of our professional members.

  • Carla Venesio

    Carla Venesio, Director, Private Banking and Wealth Management, Banca del Piemonte, Italy

    Carla Venesio believes that to embrace the full potential of their ambition, business leaders need to be brave, open-minded and resilient. She says that when those qualities are paired with vision, they create a dramatic impact by changing the way people think, act and behave.

    Having a clear vision is important to Carla. As the Director of Private Banking and Wealth Management at Banca del Piemonte, she is navigating the digital transformation of the banking sector. “You need to know where you want to go, you try to understand the big picture of what you are doing, and you find a way to do it,” she says.

    “The way clients and customers think and act is very different than in the past,” Carla says. “We are trying to change the business model in a way that improves the user experience for our clients.” To that end, she is working with her team to harness the digital revolution and invest in technological solutions.

    Her family, which founded the bank in 1912, is fully committed to this project. “We all agree that we need to make this big shift and change the business model we’ve been used to in the past,” she says. “They trust me a lot.”

    Trust is important to a family enterprise, and it’s one of the many relatable topics that attendees discuss at the EY NextGen Academy. “It’s a great opportunity to talk with people from different parts of the world and also from different industries about issues that are incredibly common with you,” Carla says.

  • Douglas McAlpine

    Douglas McAlpine, Chairman, Americas, Renewable Energy Systems, United States

    Douglas McAlpine knows that a leader’s groundbreaking ambitions can lead to revolutionary outcomes. When Renewable Energy Systems was founded 35 years ago, the company was focused on R&D in a high-risk, nascent industry. Today, the technologies are commercialized and the industry is on the brink of a potentially huge expansion.

    “Renewable energy is one of the most important answers to decarbonizing the world and electrifying our energy use,” says Douglas, who is the Chairman of the company’s North American subsidiary. “The people who led my family business at the beginning were visionaries. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

    As a fifth-generation member of the family enterprise, Douglas sees the business attracting the attention of younger generations who are interested in sustainability. Their interest reveals one way a family legacy can evolve. “I think legacy can really shine a light on some of the issues that we face today,” he says. “A lot of the lessons learned can be reapplied to today’s world.”

    One of those lessons is the importance of culture. “We have four core values: passion, accountability, collaboration and excellence,” Douglas says. “We believe that if everyone in the company demonstrates them and excels at them, then the company hugely increases its ability to succeed.”

    Another key to success came from networking at the EY NextGen Academy. “I had a number of issues that I was able to share and ask others about,” he says. “Their advice directly impacted the way I approached the situation.”

Family Enterprise - Unlocking ambition for family-owned businesses 

As trusted advisors to some of the world’s most entrepreneurial family enterprises, EY teams have the experience, authority and know-how to help families unlock their ambition and grow from generation to generation.

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