I see the future of the agency as a continuous experiment. Our strength lies in exploring new technologies, understanding trends, and creating innovative solutions. The world is changing at the speed of light, and we want to be among those who shape those changes. The agency will not look the same in five years, but that excites me, the opportunity to redefine ourselves and remain relevant in a world that never stands still. This is how Davor Bruketa, one of the founders and co-owners of the marketing communications agency Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, describes it. The agency has already gone through a sort of transition when the founders sold its majority stake to WPP in 2017. This sale secured its stability and global context. Although WPP’s entry does not mean that ownership restructuring in that agency is over, it is already certain that, for example, Bruketa’s stake in the company will most likely not remain in the family because, as he points out, his son ‘has his own desires and ambitions’.
– At no point did I plan to force my son to go in my direction. My only wish was to provide him with the freedom of choice and a quality education so that he would be well-equipped for the paths he wants to take – said Bruketa, who will make a decision about the ownership transition in collaboration with other co-owners when the time comes.
Like all other decisions, the decision about the transfer of ownership or management must be strategic, whether it is about a family member inheriting the business or the issue of professionalization prevailing, explains Manuela Šola, owner and director of the agency Komunikacijski laboratorij, who emphasizes that preparation for the transition does not begin at the end of a career, but rather the opposite, at the peak or the beginning of that peak.
Opportunities for Employees
– The future needs to be actively built every day and continuous work is required to timely involve all parties, from the business owner to employees. I see this as an opportunity to build a clear vision in dialogue with employees, partners, and other people around me and to start developing strategies today that will ensure continuity and growth, which is the foundation of the path to transition. When we talk about handing over the management of the company to others, it does not necessarily mean that it is a family inheritance; rather, that role can also be taken over by talented individuals who learn best from the current business environment. The role of talents and dedicated employees is invaluable, and all options should certainly be considered when the time comes – emphasized Šola, adding that in this process, her own child is learning to develop their own talents and is completely unconcerned that her daughter is following in her footsteps.
The examples of Bruketa and Šola are unfortunately exceptions, as they primarily expect their children to follow their dreams, unconcerned about whether they are following in their footsteps. A series of private and business circumstances affect the motivation and capacity of individuals in the second generation to take over and manage the family business. Some children are not interested and choose a different path. In so-called democratic families, as in our examples, this will be accepted and they will be supported in developing other career paths, but this is not always the case, notes Mirela Alpeza, a full professor at the Faculty of Economics in Osijek and director of the Center for the Development Policy of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPOR).
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