EP 25

A Blueprint for Multi-Generational Success: Building a Coalition of the Willing, Part 2

In this episode of The UHNW Institute Podcast, host Russ Haworth continues the conversation with fellow co-authors Bryn Monahan, Meredith Thomas Straight and Paul Edelman on their white paper, A Blueprint for Multi-Generational Success: Building a Coalition of the Willing.

Together, they examine the behavioral and systemic dimensions of coalition-based governance, moving well beyond structural succession planning to consider the habits, decision-making models and cultural norms that make inclusive leadership work in practice. They discuss why behavioral change is often harder than structural redesign, how families can build sustained governance capacity over time and the growing expectations placed on external advisors.

Topics discussed include:

  • The shift from single-successor to coalition-based leadership models
  • Building governance systems that accommodate multiple voices and diverse generational experience
  • Developing capabilities such as judgment, communication and emotional intelligence
  • Practical tools including decision grids and governance “gyms” for building sustained capacity
  • The risks of drifting from agreed governance practices and how families can guard against them
  • The expanding role of external advisors in supporting behavioral and systemic change

Listen to Part 2 of the conversation.

Russ Haworth

Head of Family Governance, Transition & the Next Generation
Charles Park Family Office

Russ is a specialist adviser, facilitator, and coach working with family businesses and family offices. He has over fifteen years’ experience supporting families as they navigate the relational, strategic, and governance challenges that come from owning and leading together.

His work is grounded in a deep understanding of family dynamics, decision-making, and transition, shaped by a background in financial planning and wealth management. This combination allows him to work comfortably across both commercial and personal dimensions, helping families build clarity, confidence, and alignment over time.

Russ holds the Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising from the Family Firm Institute, a globally recognised qualification for advisers working with family-owned enterprises. He is known for his thoughtful, plain-speaking approach and for creating the conditions where families can have honest conversations and make well-considered decisions together

Meredith Thomas Straight

Consultant
Renkert Thomas Consulting

Meredith is a member and consultant with Renkert Thomas Consulting. Renkert Thomas Consulting LLC works with family enterprise owners on issues related to strategy, ownership, and governance, with a particular focus on clarifying shared purpose to build engagement and alignment. In addition to work with clients, Meredith also supports RTC’s undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs through the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Society of Tax and Estate Practitioners, and Engaged Ownership, a branch of RTC dedicated to educating family business owners and their advisors on the distinctive features of family business governance.

Meredith brings a background in organizational development and complex systems to the Renkert Thomas Consulting team. Much of her work focuses on the involvement, engagement, and education of rising generation family members with their family’s operating businesses and family offices.

Meredith lives with her husband, dog, and horse in Raleigh, North Carolina. She received a B.S. in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University in 2015.

Paul Edelman, PhD, PCC

Coach, Facilitator, and Family Enterprise Advisor
Edelman and Associates

Paul Edelman works with family enterprise and family office leaders, family members, and their advisors on decisions involving leadership, ownership, succession, governance, and rising-generation readiness.

He is often brought in when the technical work is sound, but the family is not moving, people understand the situation differently, or the same conversation keeps repeating. He helps families define the decision, understand what is at stake, consider realistic alternatives, and reach conclusions they can carry out.

Paul also works behind the scenes with advisors who want a place to think through difficult client situations. He works alongside the family’s legal, tax, investment, and other technical advisors, helping family members understand the advice, examine its implications, and decide how to act.

Paul has more than four decades of experience in psychology, organization development, executive leadership, coaching, facilitation, and governance. He holds a PhD in Personality and Developmental Psychology from Harvard University and a BS in Physics from MIT. He is a Professional Certified Coach, a faculty member of the Ultra High Net Worth Institute, and an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College’s Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship.

Bryn Mars Monahan

Family Enterprise Consultant
Relative Solutions

Bryn Monahan is a highly respected Family Enterprise Consultant with Relative Solutions, specializing in the complex intersection of shared economies and family dynamics. With expertise in business operations, family offices, and shared family assets, she excels in communication, governance, leadership, succession planning, and education within family enterprises.

Bryn serves on the Board of Directors for Foster Holdings Inc. and FAM Legacy Solutions, previously chairing 5/4ths, a Family Investment Group. She also volunteers with the industry conference SEFOF, sits on the advisory board of both The Table Group and StoryKeep, and is a member educator with the UHNWI (Ultra High Net Worth Institute). She is a featured industry thought leader and is a moderator for Campden Education’s Online Module “Becoming Responsible Stewards of Family Wealth.”

Bryn holds a Psychology degree from Skidmore College, and an MBA in Family Enterprise and Entrepreneurship from LSU. Her exceptional contributions have earned her induction into the SEFOF Hall of Fame, solidifying her reputation as a trusted advisor and visionary leader in the family enterprise space. She and her husband live in Tampa, FL and volunteer with Dog’s Inc., a service dog training program.