Rupert Merson

Lead Advisor for Family Business Succession Planning & Family Governance

Rupert Merson is a leading authority on the management of growth, particularly in owner-managed, entrepreneurial and family businesses.  As an experienced consultant and facilitator Rupert has worked with clients on a broad range of problems including governance, strategy, ownership, remuneration, succession and organisation development.  He has worked on business assignments for businesses in the UK, Europe, Africa, South East Asia, South America and the Middle East.

As a teacher and educator, Rupert is an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School where he teaches MBA electives on the Management of the Growing Business, Managing Corporate Turnaround, New Venture Development, Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets, Strategic Innovation, and the Management of the Family Business.  Since 2009 Rupert has also been a Visiting Adjunct Professor at INSEAD.  He has also taught at Cambridge, the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, China, and at the Indian School of Business in India.  Rupert also frequently teaches on executive programmes on strategy, growth management and finance, principally through LBS.

Rupert won prizes as best teacher at both LBS and INSEAD in 2015 – perhaps a unique ‘double’.  He also won a best teacher prize at LBS in 2018.

As an advisor, Rupert was a partner in BDO Stoy Hayward from 1993 to 2009.  He now leads his own firm of advisers, and has worked on recent advisory assignments for entrepreneurial businesses, family businesses and professional practices.  Rupert is also the non-executive chairman of one business, and has been a non-executive director of several others.

As a writer, Rupert publishes frequently in the national press on issues relating to the management of the growing business and family businesses.  He has published a series of books on the key management roles in the growing business and has co-authored a book on family businesses.  Another book, on governance, Rules Are Not Enough, was published in February 2010. His book, A Guide to Managing Growth, was published by The Economist in August 2011.  His latest book, also on growth and also for The Economist, was published in February 2016.  Rupert has spoken at conferences in Europe, America, and Australia. 

His key expertise and experience

• Family Business Succession Planning
• Business strategy
• Family business
• Family Governance
• Management and growth matters

His educational qualifications

Rupert is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (FCA) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD).  A first-class honours graduate and university prize-winner from Oxford University, Rupert also holds a certificate in general management from Harvard Business School.  Rupert is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragements of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA). He is a native English speaker.