Latest news with #familybusiness
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Smethwick's Webb's of Bearwood shop to shut after more than 100 years
A shop that sells "everything for the gardener" is set to close after more than 100 years in of Bearwood, on Three Shires Oak Road in Smethwick, will see its doors shut for the last time on Pauline and Steve Davis recently announced their retirement, saying five generations of their family had been involved in the was first opened in 1921 by Pauline's grandfather Oliver John Webb, and has been passed on down the years. The couple met aged 14, but after school Mr Davis initially worked as a butcher before joining Mrs Davis at the garden shop after about 10 years."It was a bit of a change, butchery to plants," he said, "but we all mucked in and we went on from there."Mr Davis said the teamwork had been the best thing about being part of the were "many, many hours behind the scenes that nobody sees," Mrs Davis said leaving the shop would be a "terrific shock" but that they both wanted to be able to enjoy their retirement while they were still healthy - and the family had plans to move to Cornwall. Mrs Davis said the final day would be emotional, but added she was looking forward to speaking to customers who call in to say will spend a fortnight clearing down the old shop before handing the keys downstairs of the building will remain a commercial unit, she said, and there would be a flat upstairs. The family said the shop was renowned for its wide selection of seasonal plants, perennials, houseplants, and gardening tools, as well as its walled garden gift shop, which offered unique gifts, festive decorations and Christmas trees."The closure of Webb's marks not just the end of a business, but the conclusion of a beloved community institution," they said in a post on social media."Its presence on the high street will be deeply missed by locals who valued its personal touch and commitment to quality."They thanked those who had helped them over the years – including customers as well as friends and family. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Special filly Illyivy comes at the right time with trainer Ray Besanko ready to hand over reins to daughter Kasey
Veteran horseman Ray Besanko cannot wait for daughter and aspiring trainer Kasey to be officially recognised for her work in the family business, especially the special Illyivy. Kasey Besanko bred and weaned the Sandown maiden winner Illyivy, named after grandmother Ivy Lily. 'Anything (Illyivy) has done I give her (Kasey) all the credit,' Besanko said. 'If she had her licence, which hopefully she'll get soon, Illyivy could be in her name.' Besanko, 72, has dedicated more than 50 years to the craft. He tried unsuccessful to steer Kasey away from the family discipline but is now looking forward to eventually handing over the keys. 'We're only small, we do 10 or 12 horses now, we don't do any more than that,' Besanko said. 'It will be up to her if she wants to get bigger, I'm 72 now … I'm at the other end of it. 'I'm more or less finished, but she does a good job. She gets up and does most of the work.' Besanko has retained 'boss' status – for now. • Carly seeking day to Remember at Caulfield 'We work out things together,' Besanko laughed. 'I didn't want either of my kids to do it, to tell you the truth, because it's too hard a caper. 'My son went the right way, he's a builder … Kasey always showed horses and ridden horses, she came to me one day and I said, 'I want to do this'. 'I said 'I don't really want you to' and she said 'I'll go and work for somebody else'. 'Hopefully in the new season she'll have her licence and 90 per cent of these horses will be in her name. 'I'll still help her, but I want to take a bit of a backward step … I've been doing this for 52 years.' • Bad barrier delays start to trainer's Ballarat Cup dream Illyivy is $9 in a 1200m 3YO Fillies Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. The Flying Artie filly has not missed a place in all four starts to date and launched late for a deserved 1200m Sandown maiden victory most recently. 'Blake Shinn has ridden her in trials and given us big raps about her … so far she's living up to that, hopefully she can go up to another level or two,' Besanko said. 'If she's as good as what we think she is, she's going to be hard to beat but she's got to go there and do that Saturday. 'We think she's pretty special, so we'll find out … it's not a bad race, there's other horses with a lot of form in that, we'll definitely find out. 'On what she did the other day and how she won, look, I'd prefer 1400m but there wasn't any 1400s coming up. She's fit, she's well and Kasey has got her looking enormous.'
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Didi's is giving European bakes a local makeover
Didi's Café and Bakery is bringing something fresh to the table. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) KUALA LUMPUR : Listen up, Wangsa Maju folks – your neighbourhood just got a cool new café that's baking up a storm. At Didi's Café and Bakery, you'll find specialty coffee and freshly baked pastries with a unique twist you won't get anywhere else. Opened in February, the café's name means 'elder sister' in Hindi – a sweet tribute to what owner Nashilla Rafiq is called at home. While it's a family-owned spot, it's Nashilla, a former lawyer and mum, who runs the show. 'All of this started because our entire family loves coffee,' the 35-year-old told FMT Lifestyle. 'We wanted to bring something new and exciting to the neighbourhood.' All the café's goodies are baked in-house by a skilled pastry chef. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) At Didi's, classic European bakes get a local makeover with creations like rendang croizza and masak lemak-stuffed ciabatta. Nashilla's younger sister, 25, is the creative force behind many of their creations. 'She's really good with flavour profiles – always trying new things, exploring funky combinations,' Nashilla said. 'She came up with the idea for the masak lemak-stuffed ciabatta, and even though customers are hesitant at first, we encourage them to give it a try. Most end up loving it.' The siblings first tested their ideas through pop-ups. Once they realised their unique creations were a hit, they brought on skilled chefs to help execute their vision – and just like that, Didi's Café and Bakery was born. The croizzas come in three flavours and are a must-try. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) FMT Lifestyle tried some of Didi's signature items, and loved every one of them. The masak lemak stuffed ciabatta was a pleasant surprise. Shredded chicken in a fiery, tangy masak lemak sauce is stuffed into crusty Italian bread, with a bright yellow filling that looks intense but isn't oily. Somehow, they've nailed the richness of masak lemak without the heaviness – keeping it moist, spicy, and seriously flavour-packed. You've seen big pizza chains experiment with local flavours, but on a croizza? That's something else. Generously loaded with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, this croizza hits all the right notes. The croizza base is the real game-changer: made with croissant dough, it's flaky, buttery, and still sturdy to hold all the toppings together. The Kefir chicken croizza is also a must-try with its perfect balance of spice and sweetness. The apple turnover too was a quiet winner. Chunky apple pieces and smooth custard are wrapped in a golden puff pastry, with just the right touch of sweetness. You will end up finishing it in a few greedy bites. The pistachio cherry croissant meanwhile, which happens to be Nashilla's personal favourite, is a visual stunner. The croissant is perfectly laminated, topped with a crown of crunchy pistachios, and filled with luscious pistachio cream and sweet-tart cherry compote. On Wednesdays, Didi's offers 10% off all matcha lattes for ladies' night. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) And if none of this is your cup of tea (or coffee), they've got plenty more – from sourdough and focaccia to cinnamon rolls and beyond. Didi's takes their drinks seriously, too. The butterscotch latte and matcha strawberry are definite must-tries. And if you're a matcha lover, swing by on Wednesdays for ladies' night, where you'll get 10% off all matcha lattes. As it's a family affair, you'll often find Nashilla's mother, Noor Shida Ismail, around the café – coffee in hand, happily chatting with customers. 'What I've realised from running this café is that people who come here end up sharing pieces of their lives with us,' Noor Shida shared. 'On Mother's Day, we had two girls sitting here in tears because their mother no longer remembers them. It's moments like that which are so touching.' So if you're craving a little downtime, drop by this cosy café. With seasonal specials like the Raya-exclusive onde-onde pain suisse, there's always a reason to come back for more. Head over to Wangsa Maju to discover this cosy little café. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle) Follow Didi's Café and Bakery on Instagram. Didi's Café and Bakery 69, Jalan Wangsa Delima 5 Pusat Bandar Wangsa Maju 53300 Kuala Lumpur Operation Hours: 9am-12am: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am-1am: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Closed on Mondays)
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
'You're Not Ready': The Quiet Crisis Of CEO Succession
Older employee looking out of office window. Logan Roy, brutal patriarch of Succession, delivers one of the show's most revealing lines without blinking: 'I love you. But you are not serious people.' It's more than a takedown. It's a generational indictment. A founder who won't let go. A next generation unsure if they're trusted to lead. That dynamic isn't just a popular TV plotline. It plays out inside real boardrooms, family enterprises and executive teams. The CEO successor is named but sidelined. The current leader still takes the big decisions. The person next in line is visible but not empowered. The plan exists, but the trust behind it is fragile. Most CEOs, founders and boards don't ignore succession. But they often treat it as something to finalize later. The Illusion Of Time In a conversation with a board and CEO, I was told their succession strategy was solid. The business was performing well. The future CEO had been identified. There was 'plenty of time.' So I asked: 'If your CEO stepped down tomorrow, who could step in—credibly?' There was a pause. Then a quiet recognition. While a successor had been named, they had not been exposed to the board. They had not led through volatility. They had not owned the story externally. My next question was even simpler: 'Is the board aligned on that person's readiness?' The answer: 'Not entirely.' That hesitation isn't rare. It's an early signal that belief has not yet become readiness. The candidate is identified but not yet fully seen. The CEO Clock Is Ticking Double-time The quiet urgency is already visible in the top seat. In Q1 2025 alone, 646 U.S. CEOs left their roles — a record high. According to Spencer Stuart, CEO tenure among the S&P 500 has declined– from 11.2 in 2021 to 8.3 years in 2024. The leadership cycle is shortening. The window to prepare is shrinking. And in many boardrooms, the successor still isn't visible. In fact, interim leadership has soared in 2025. Of all incoming CEOs this year, 18% of them were named on an interim basis, compared to 6% during the same period last year. What departs with a CEO isn't just decision rights. It's strategic memory, investor trust, unspoken influence and the instincts shaped by years of complex calls. From the outside, the transition may look smooth. Inside, momentum has already begun to drift. Consider a familiar scenario: a CEO announces their retirement two years out. A successor is named. But over those two years, that successor is kept adjacent—invited to sit in, but not to lead. They don't build board relationships. They aren't tested with external investors. The team doesn't look to them when pressure hits. When the handoff comes, they are still a mystery to the people who matter most. Now contrast that with a company like Microsoft. Before Satya Nadella became CEO, he had led multiple business units, shifted internal mindsets around cloud, and earned deep trust inside and outside the organization. He wasn't just selected. He was prepared. The board wasn't surprised. The team wasn't skeptical. The culture didn't pause. One organization hoped succession would work. The other ensured it would. In my conversation with Piyush Gupta, ex-CEO of Singapore-based DBS Bank, he reflected on how much of his own leadership readiness came from being placed in tough, often uncomfortable roles early on—across geographies, away from familiar systems, in moments of high stakes. Those crucibles didn't just build experience. They built identity. He said it was in those formative tests that he learned to make sense of ambiguity, lead without defaulting to control, and develop judgment under pressure. That kind of preparation isn't theoretical. It's earned. And it starts long before the title ever changes. Gupta also aced his own succession. When he announced his departure, he named his successor in the same breath—Tan Su Shan, a longtime internal leader, would step into the role. No drama. No scramble. Just clarity, stability, and a transition that matched the precision of the institution he helped build. Four Shifts Boards And CEOs Must Make Now I've worked on CEO succession with public companies, founder-led firms and family businesses. The ones who handle it well don't view it as an HR process. They treat it as a cultural investment—something that reveals the organization's capacity to learn, evolve and trust. Succession doesn't begin at resignation. It begins when a CEO chooses to shape what comes next. Some CEOs delay because they still feel useful. But often, their most lasting influence happens in the final chapter—as teacher, mentor or transition partner. Not from obligation. From conviction. Reengaging the outgoing CEO in a purposeful handoff builds credibility. It creates space without leaving a void. It protects the legacy while empowering the future. Mentoring a CEO successor is unlike any other leadership relationship. It requires confrontation with complexity—activist pressure, investor expectations, media scrutiny, internal dissent. Successors don't need guidance alone. They need access. They need to be pushed, heard, contradicted and invited into the spaces where presence matters most. A name on a board deck does not equal a ready successor. Many boards assume that a strong internal leader can step up. But readiness doesn't come from potential alone. It comes from repeated exposure to risk, to contradiction, to conflicting expectations—and the maturity to navigate them. Real stakes reveal themselves in breakthrough moments. Investor briefings. Board negotiations. External crises. Not rehearsed behind closed doors—but tested in the open. Authority isn't proven in simulation. It's forged in the marketplace. On the global stage. In lived, not scripted, experience. The CEO role isn't granted. It's demonstrated in advance. The real handoff is already underway. It happens in how the current CEO frames tradeoffs. In who they bring into key conversations. In how often they explain why a decision was made—not just what the decision was. Culture doesn't replicate by instruction. It transmits through observation. Boards should look for the signals that successors are being shaped early. Not through formal grooming, but through informal inclusion. What CEO Legacy Actually Means Most CEOs eventually ask: what will I leave behind? But legacy isn't what follows you. It's what endures without you. It's the strategic clarity that remains intact. The team that doesn't stall. The confidence that continues when your name is no longer the one in headlines. In the strongest transitions I've seen, the outgoing CEO doesn't just vacate. They clear the way. The successor doesn't wait to be told they are ready. They act like it. Because they were trusted with the work that matters. Because someone showed them the horizon early. Because the board aligned not on safety, but on strength. And when succession is handled well, no one needs to say 'You are serious people.' The successor already proves it.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘I opened my cafe just months before my finals. I'd known for a long time what I wanted on the menu'
My parents come from a hospitality background. My dad is a chef . I was always interested in it, and I dreamed of opening my own cafe. I've always been interested in business and enterprise, so I decided to study for a BA in international business at the University of Limerick . With modules on accounting, marketing and management, as well as enterprise, I could see the relevance of the course for setting up a business. But I'd already been learning from my parents about the industry and, during college, was able to do some social media work for their cafe. I planned to take over their business, but then a unit came up in Adare, Co Limerick , and I had an itch to scratch. I was only 22 – I'm 23 now – but knew I was ready; I knew I could do this, and I had my own vision for what it would be like. READ MORE I started my final year of college in September. I got the unit for The Poppy Cup in December, and I opened it in February – just months before my final exams. This meant really putting my planning skills into action. I knew what I needed in terms of the electrics and the fit-out, and I'd known for a long time what I wanted on my cafe's menu. I even knew who my coffee suppliers would be. I worked in the cafe for three days a week in the run-up to the exams, and was lucky that I had great staff and that my mam could manage it for me when I was in college. It wasn't easy, as when I was in college I was thinking about the The Poppy Cup and when I was in the cafe, I was thinking about college. But I knew it would all get done in the end, and it wouldn't be for long. During my four years in UL, I went on Erasmus to Jönköping, Sweden, and I later did an eight-month work placement with Maples, a legal and financial firm. I also was an ambassador for the Kemmy Business School in UL, talking to parents and students and giving them my own insight, which was that it is triple-accredited and a great place to learn. This role helped me a lot with my personal professional development, as I got to meet and network with parents and students, and develop my public-speaking skills. Having accounting skills is so useful as a business owner: I can do my own VAT returns, organise PRSI and understand what my accountant is telling me. There are always challenges in a business, particularly as costs rise. I would have liked to see the Government bring the VAT rate for hospitality down to 9 per cent. But, overall, we have a loyal customer base and a strong social-media following. Businesses need to stand out, and differentiate themselves, so we also run various events and collaborations. And we're getting ready to open our second branch.
