Business Fundamentals for Family Enterprise

Lecturer, Marketing and Behavioural Science Division

Elizabeth is a full-time lecturer at Sauder’s Marketing and Behavioural Science Division. She is also a Registered Psychologist who consults with organizations and executive teams across Canada. Her work focuses on building productive, innovative leadership teams. Much of her work has been with creative new ventures. As a writer, her columns have been featured in magazines and newspapers world-wide.

Christopher is a certified family enterprise advisor and Principal of Jump Management Coaching. As a performance-focused coach, he brings more than 12 years of experience in challenging organizational leaders at top companies like Microsoft and PwC. He also writes extensively about managing people and energy. His talent for motivating high-performing teams earned the National Post’s “Canada’s 50 Best Managed Private Companies” Award.

Lecturer, Accounting & Management Information Systems Division

Scott is a full-time lecturer in Sauder’s Accounting Division. A popular and dynamic instructor, Scott has received the Commerce Undergraduate Society Teaching Exellence Award twice, as well as the Killam Teaching Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

CIBC Professorship in Applied Business Family Studies
Assistant Professor, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division

Vanessa Strike is an Assistant Professor in Sauder’s Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division, and holds the CIBC Professorship in Applied Business Family Studies.

Vanessa received her PhD in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2009.  Prior to joining UBC, Vanessa was the founding and scientific director of the Erasmus Centre for Family Business at the Netherlands’ Rotterdam School of Management.  Her research interests include Family Business, Entrepreneurship, Governance, Comparative Ownership Structures, and CSR.  In particular, Vanessa focuses on the challenges of governance and decision-making within the family firm, and on family firm advising.

Vanessa has published in the Journal of International Business Studies, Family Business Review, and Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings.  Her recent award-winning publications include Leaving a Legacy of Transgenerational Success: The Effect of Socioemotional Wealth on CEO Career Horizons in Family Firms (Best Family Business Paper, Entrepreneurship Division - 2013 Academy of Management Annual Conference); The Most Trusted Advisor and the Subtle Advice Process in Family Firms; and Advising the Family Firm: Reviewing the Past to Build the Future (Most Cited Article in 2012 - Family Business Review). See Vanessa's research and publications here.