From the press
“With his understanding and approach, over the past three decades, Peter May has managed to become a kind of paternal friend to many family business owners. (...) The 59-year-old is a welcome advisor right up to the executive levels of Germany’s largest family-owned businesses and some Dax-listed corporations.” (Handelsblatt, October 26, 2017)
“Today, Peter May is a brand and the undisputed address of choice when it comes to family strategy or shareholder mediation.” (Mark Binz in Handelsblatt, October 26, 2017)
“The family whisperer: Peter May looks through many a keyhole others would like to see through. He is one of the few consultants and lawyers in Germany who have earned the trust of a rare but economically interesting species: the family business.” (Handelsblatt, May 21, 2013)
“Peter May has driven and promoted the development of independent business administration for family businesses like no other. He is a stroke of luck for family businesses.” (Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, Miele)
What our clients say
Dr. Patrick Adenauer, BAUWENS GmbH & Co. KG
“Peter May combines comprehensive experience and expertise with the necessary keen sense for the tailor-made solution. Over a longer period of time, you embark upon a journey together, a journey that you enjoy taking and that leads you to mutual success.”
Dr. Matthias Beggerow, Bitburger Holding
“In 2012, together with Prof. Dr. May as consultant and representatives of the Simon family business, we developed an owner strategy for the first time. In this way, we created the structure for family governance. Clarity was created with regard to the self-image and expectations of the owner family. During this process, we identified a large number of implementation measures, which have all been put into action in the meantime. The abolition of the tribal principle and the introduction of a professional application and selection process for the supervisory bodies are just two of several outstanding topics. The development of shareholder competence emerged as one of the central points for the present and the future. With the new structure, the Simon family business has become an even more reliable partner for operational business management.”
Kerstin Schönherr, BMV Mineralöl Versorgungsgesellschaft
“As a business and as a family, we have had excellent experience with the consulting of Arno Lehmann-Tolkmitt. He managed to gain a superb sense of the business and the family, identifying potential conflicts and finding suitable solutions. Together, we were able to develop pioneering choices and guidelines. In particular, we came to appreciate his ability to be able to moderate conflict situations with great skill. We look back with fondness on the work-intensive yet extremely fruitful process. The overall concept was accepted and respected in equal measure by the shareholders, the family and the employees.”
Bernhard Simon, Dachser
“In addition to the high professionalism of your consulting services, what distinguishes you is a special understanding of the complexities of family businesses. In my meetings with you, I could sense that you, too, are a carrier of the business gene.”
Strauss Family, engelbert strauss
“Dear Mr. Lehmann-Tolkmitt, We would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much once again on behalf of the entire family. Your skillful, sensitive and extremely trustful advice and support in the preparation of our family constitution impressed us. Your sympathetic approach to treating all family members on an equal footing contributed decisively toward creating a solid foundation for a shared understanding of the future of our family business.”
Ernst Freiberger, Freiberger Group
“The tremendous work of Peter May has greatly helped us install a business and family constitution that has the equal support of all parties. Our entire family is very grateful for this.”
Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Loh, Friedhelm Loh Group
“In particular situations in life, families require confidential, excellent and individual consulting. This is what we were looking for and what we found in Professor May and his team – and not only that but good, future-oriented solutions.”
Hans-Ewald Reinert, H. & E. Reinert Westfalian Private Butchery
“For me, Peter May has been a competent and professional consultant for years - from both a professional and private perspective. He always acts in an analytical and prudent manner. His special gift for connecting with people makes working with him a very pleasant experience. I appreciate his sensitive nature and I am proud to count Peter May among my friends.”
Wiestaw Kramski, KRAMSKI GmbH
“With a project as comprehensive as a ‘family constitution’, in my experience one needs the experience of personalities! We had tremendous help and excellent advice in Dr. Lehmann-Tolkmitt.”
Dr. Florian Langenscheidt
“Karin Ebel has a tremendous sense for people and their sensitivities and at the same time a keen mind and the skills to pierce through complex topics and arrive at constructive suggestions and solutions. She hears the nuances and empathizes with everyone at the table, but she can then summarize things in a way that helps participants arrive at tangible results.”
Fritz Peters, Gebrüder Peters
“Working with Ms. Ebel not only put us on the right path as a family but was a great deal of fun as well. All of the things that are important in this regard, such as expertise, empathy or emotional intelligence, are perfectly joined here. Our family constitution is currently going to press, and every time we pick it up, we look back fondly on our work with you.”
Ritter Family, Ritter Sport
“The discussions coordinated by Mr. Lehmann-Tolkmitt were very helpful. We answered important questions, optimized structures and developed a mission statement for the shareholders.”
Dr. Lis Hannemann-Strenger, Strenger Group
“Karin Ebel is an excellent consultant for the succession process. She manages to take highly sensitive and emotional topics and moderate them empathetically, and at the same time very clearly and objectively.”
Karl-Erivan Haub, Tengelmann
“We are grateful for the many years of good cooperation.”
Dr.-Ing. Michael Schürenkrämer and Heinrich Trützschler, Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG
“From the very first workshop, all shareholders of the fourth and fifth generations felt that Prof. May and Dr. Ebel had fully integrated then on the way to coping with our future generation change. This was successfully concluded after two and a half years with a new partnership agreement supported by all parties involved. The very well-structured analysis and goal management process created new insights for all shareholders and led to a broader understanding of the necessary changes as well as of the perspective of the other shareholders. We are very grateful to Prof. May and Dr. Ebel that we were able to shape our future in harmony and consensus.”
Matthias Unger, Unger Steel Group
“Mr. Lehmann-Tolkmitt brings the tact it takes to recognize the needs of every single family member and develops needs-based strategies that can be implemented with the corresponding sustainability.”
Prof. Dr. Martin Viessmann, Viessmann Werke
“Under the moderation of Peter May, we not only created a family manifesto and documented our common values, goals and governance rules, but also defined the step-by-step plan for the transition to the fourth generation. Peter May and FBC helped us a lot in setting the course for success in the second century of our family business.”
Friedrich Hofmann, Wittmann & Hofmann AG
“Both moderators are distinguished by a high level of professionalism and outstanding expertise. We gleaned many very valuable hints for use in shaping the succession process and the cohesion of business-owning families.”
Volkmar Wywiol, Stern-Wywiol Group
“We worked with Peter May very intensely and very effectively. The difficult task of successfully integrating a family member as a successor was resolved tremendously. Professor May had an excellent understanding of applying conceptual ideas as a friendly tool for creative provocation that then led to practicable solutions applied with great understanding.”