Blood ties and business ambitions can make a volatile combination. At the extreme end of the spectrum is the grimly entertaining family infighting depicted in the movie House of Gucci. This stars Lady Gaga as the arriviste cuckoo in the nest.
The bad and the ugly in family business is accompanied by much good, albeit that the latter does not produce compelling Hollywood plot lines. Companies that remain in family control tend to take a cautious approach to risk and to plan for the long term.
Thus investors may be worrying unnecessarily over Inditex’s plan for Marta Ortega to chair Spanish fast-fashion group Inditex. The 37-year-old daughter of founder Amancio Ortega will replace Pablo Isla, 57, a career manager who has overseen the Zara owner for 10 years.