--- title: Letting New Hands Take the Helm description: The challenge of handing on the baton to the next generation is not an easy one – family business marriage’s demonstrates some of the major succession issues. image: https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/Blog_Images/cranfield-blog-succession-planning-marriages.jpg --- [![School of Management Logo](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/LD_Blog_Live_Site_Files/logo-som.png?width=580&name=logo-som.png "School of Management Logo")](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk) - Blog Topics - [Business Growth](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/topic/business-growth-challenges) - [Family Business & Succession](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/topic/succession) - [Not-for-Profit Growth](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/topic/not-for-profit) - [All Blogs](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog) - Learning - [The Business Growth Programme](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes/growing-businesses/business-growth-programme) - [Essential Management](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes/growing-businesses/essential-management) - [Sales Essentials](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes/growing-businesses/sales-essentials-for-success) - [Finance Fundamentals](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes/growing-businesses/finance-fundamentals-for-growing-businesses) - [Masterclass: Selling Your Business](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes/growing-businesses/selling-your-business-masterclass) - More - [Contact](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-contact) - [SUBSCRIBE](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-home#sub-form) [Subscribe](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-home#sub-form) - Menu Item 1 - Sub-menu Item 1 - Another Item - Sub-menu Item 2 - Menu Item 2 - Yet Another Item - Menu Item 3 - Menu Item 4 Quick links [Growth](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/business-growth-challenges) [Family & Succession](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/succession) [Not-for-Profit](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/not-for-profit) [About](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-about) Hit enter to seach. ![](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/LD_Blog_Live_Site_Files/Images/logo-responsive.svg) FEATURED [WEBINAR ON DEMAND | Returning to the workplace - an HR guide - 14 May **Read More**](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/returning-to-the-workplace-an-hr-guide-14th-may) FEATURED [WEBINAR ON DEMAND | Taking Stock - How COVID-19 has impacted my business - 12 May **Read More**](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/taking-stock-how-covid-19-has-impacted-my-business-12th-may) FEATURED [WEBINAR ON DEMAND | Taking Stock - Where are we with this crisis? - 7th May **Read More**](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/taking-stock-where-are-we-with-this-crisis-7th-may) FEATURED [WEBINAR ON DEMAND | Taking Stock - Key Lessons from Webinars in April - 5th May **Read More**](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/taking-stock-key-lessons-from-webinars-in-april-5th-ma) Register for one of our FREE Business Growth Briefings.  [Register Now](http://cgmd.som.cranfield.ac.uk/cr-landing-page-1) Register for one of our FREE Business Growth Briefings.  [Register Now](http://cgmd.som.cranfield.ac.uk/cr-landing-page-1) # Letting New Hands Take the Helm By Team BGP - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![cranfield-blog-succession-planning-marriages.jpg](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/cranfield-blog-succession-planning-marriages.jpg?width=602&height=215&name=cranfield-blog-succession-planning-marriages.jpg "cranfield-blog-succession-planning-marriages.jpg") ### The challenge of handing on the baton to the next generation has not become any easier. With family businesses still accounting for 70-95% of the commercial enterprises in most countries, just 30% of EU-based family businesses survive to the next generation (according to trade association European Family Businesses). This is fairly consistent across the developed world, which means, statistically, just 1% will progress from the fourth to fifth generation. #### A Marriage made in Heaven? And, closer to home, there was nothing like a sure thing when Hannah Marriage applied for the marketing director role at the flour-milling business her great, great, great-grandfather co-founded in Chelmsford, Essex, nearly 200 years ago. Hannah received a real grilling from her dad George, the current joint MD of Marriage’s, and admits: “It was a bit of a shock as people had been quite nice in the other two interviews I’d had! Looking back, dad’s view was, if you are a member of a family with a business, it doesn’t mean you are best suited to run that business.” Both father and daughter were recently on the Cranfield School of Management, [Business Growth Programme](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/business-growth-programme-brochure) and frequently discussed their longer-term strategies for succession with other owner-managers on the programme, many of whom were not from multi-generational family concerns. #### Don’t take work home with you Hannah shares an office with her dad and says the biggest challenge is not to talk shop when they are around other family members, including her mother and two younger brothers, who do not work in the business. #### An important legacy Along with two of her cousins, they are the sixth generation of the family to sit on the board of Marriage’s. Hannah adds: “We know there is a legacy, and my cousins and I would like to pass it on to our children, if we have any. But it is important people are coming into it of their own volition.”   [![Register for the FREE Business Growth Event](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/417879/9152108d-8f82-49b6-b09b-6e54f654f7f0.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/417879/9152108d-8f82-49b6-b09b-6e54f654f7f0)   [![What is the Business Growth Programme?](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/417879/7d6cf8c7-73d4-4672-a185-052bdc8e7161.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/417879/7d6cf8c7-73d4-4672-a185-052bdc8e7161)   Topics: [succession](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog/topic/succession) ### Subscribe for content updates [About](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-about)[Growth](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/business-growth-challenges) [Contact](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-contact)[Succession](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/succession) [Subscribe](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgp-blog-home#sub-form)[Not-for-Profit](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/blog/topic/not-for-profit) [All Blog](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/bgpblog)[Cranfield](http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/) © 2026 Cranfield University | [Privacy Policy](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/privacy-policy)