Addis Ababa, November 25, 2025

We were excited to co-host the Ethiopian Family Business Forum 2025, held under the theme Embracing Change for Growth and Innovation.
A big thank you to HST and the Family Business Council for organizing this year’s third edition of the forum.
The event opened with an inspiring keynote from Shaleqa Haile Gebreselassie, who shared his personal journey of building a business while excelling as a world-class athlete. He reminded us that running a business is like running a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint. It requires reliable financing at the start to build momentum, an innovative strategy to overcome hurdles and competition, and strong governance to stay aligned with long-term goals.

Tilahun Esmael Kassahun (PhD), CEO of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), delivered opening remarks and joined the panel on financing strategies for growth. He highlighted how capital markets create new avenues for family businesses to scale, including listing on ESX and issuing debt instruments. He emphasized how the preparation for listing can support in putting in place better governance, transparency and sustainability of family businesses.
The forum brought together leaders with deep financing experience, experts in innovation and governance, and influential family business founders for rich discussions on finance, innovation, building a lasting legacy and managing intergenerational transitions of wealth and leadership.

We look forward to continuing to support and strengthen Ethiopia’s family businesses.