Sicherheit für die Unternehmerfamilie

In the practical guide „Security for the Entrepreneurial Family – Why Protection Against Threats Is Part of a Family Strategy“ (2025), Sabine Habersatter, Nico Krone and Tom A. Rüsen demonstrate why personal security for entrepreneurial families should not be a peripheral issue, but rather an integral part of a professional family strategy. Based on the observation that many high-net-worth families systematically underestimate the risks they face, the guide advocates a realistic assessment of physical, digital and reputational risks that goes beyond alarm systems and ad hoc security measures.

A key component of the guide is the structured process of safety counselling, which distinguishes between a factual level of analysis and an emotionally charged family process. Building on a comprehensive risk analysis, different groups of perpetrators, motives and risk scenarios are examined and prioritised using a risk matrix-based assessment in accordance with ISO 31000. The guide demonstrates how tailored measures can be derived from this analysis without resorting to excessive or ineffective security arrangements.

Particular emphasis is placed on the modular structure of safety measures and the role of family members’ self-efficacy. Technical, organisational and personnel measures are always discussed in the context of family decision-making processes, communication patterns and individual perceptions of safety. The guide makes it clear that sustainable safety can only be achieved if it is supported by the whole family, regularly reflected upon and understood as a learning process – embedded within the long-term development of social skills and responsible family management.