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Mary Nicoletti

Family Council Chair
IDEAL Industries
In her role at IDEAL Industries, Mary works closely with the third, fourth and fifth generations of the family ownership group to ensure that the family is the best possible partner to the board and company through implementation of innovative governance practices, engagement strategies, and education and development opportunities. In this role, she provides strategic leadership to the Family Assembly, Family Council, and Development and Education Committee, and leads the work of the Family Council. Mary has more than a decade of expertise in addictions counseling, non-profit management and program development. She is a passionate advocate for helping family members in management and ownership navigate personal conflict and complex ownership dynamics while equipping next generation leaders with the skills and techniques to thrive in robust family systems and take on the global business challenges of the future. She previously served as the director of the Initiative for Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA) and as senior program coordinator for the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the School of Management at the University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) , where she helped develop and execute programming for family business and early stage high-tech firms. Mary currently volunteers with the Pennsylvania Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship (PCAE) and is a musical director for a local non-profit in Bryn Mawr, PA. She has served on various venture fair/angel investment boards and committees in Buffalo and Philadelphia. She also volunteers as a workshop facilitator with the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans in Philadelphia.

SESSIONS

How Non-Family Team Members Contribute to the Culture Panelist

Many family companies take care to hire executives who fit in with the family culture. But non-family team members at all levels of the organization can go beyond cultural fit — they can actually enhance the family culture through their contributions to the company and its mission. Panelists will discuss how their non-family team members have strengthened the family brand.