Prof. Dr. Fabian Bernhard is a Full Professor of Family Business Management and Psychology at EDHEC Business School in Paris, Lille, Nice and London. He holds a PhD in business studies (summa cum laude) and another PhD in psychology (summa cum laude). He is a research fellow for family business at the University of Mannheim and for psychology at the University of Frankfurt in Germany.
Drawing on insights from his own family’s business, Fabian Bernhard worked for several years in the field of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at a leading financial consulting company in New York. In his academic work he specializes in the emotional dynamics in businesses, the preparation of next generational leaders, and the psychological attachment to family businesses. His research has been widely published in academic journals, practitioner outlets, and public media.
Fabian Bernhard is a recipient of several honors and awards for his work on family businesses, such as the best dissertation honorable mention from the Family Firm Institute at Harvard University. Since 2014 he has been serving on the editorial boards of the Family Business Review (FBR) and the Journal of Family Business Strategy (JFBS). Since 2017 he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Family Firm Institute (FFI) in Boston.