Peter May is a leading international expert on family businesses and a pioneer in providing strategic consulting to their owners. According to a survey conducted by Internet portal Family Capital, he is one of the top 100 influencers in the world of family enterprises and is considered “Germany’s number one family business consultant.” The Handelsblatt business newspaper described him in a profile as “the man who understands families” and even Manager Magazin stated that he has shaped a whole generation of family business owners.
The lawyer and management expert advises and supports well-known business families and is the founder of PETER MAY Family Business Consulting. Back in 1998, he founded INTES, the first company in Germany focused on consulting and training for business families, and developed it into the leading brand in its segment. In 2013, he sold INTES to PwC.
Peter May is an Honorary Professor at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar and has taught at various universities. He was Wild Group Chair of Family Business at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 2008 to 2009.
Peter May was the first to call for an independent approach to business administration for family businesses. With the INTES Principle, the 3-Dimensional Model, the Owner Strategy and the Family Constitution, he has developed key concepts for advising family businesses and business families.
Peter May has also launched numerous initiatives for family businesses. He initiated the world’s first Governance Code for Family Businesses (2004 in Germany and 2005 in Austria), the Family Business Owner of the Year award (since 2004), the FBN Deutschland business owner association (since 2000) and the Institute of Family Business at WHU. With the Business Owner Success Forum at Bensberg Castle (since 1998), he has also created one of the most important conferences for family business owners. Peter May is President of the Governance Commission, jury chairman of the Family Business Owner of the Year award and was vice president of FBN Deutschland for many years.
Peter May is also an author and the publisher of numerous publications on the topic of family businesses. His reference works “Erfolgsmodell Familienunternehmen” [Family Businesses as Models of Success] and “Die Inhaberstrategie im Familienunternehmen” [The Owner Strategy in Family Businesses: A Guide] have been translated into various languages. His “Lexikon der deutschen Familienunternehmen” [Lexicon of German Family Businesses] published together with Florian Langenscheidt is now in its third edition.
The main focus of Peter May’s work is on providing comprehensive advice to owner families (including in relation to advisory and supervisory board activities) and taking on difficult and particularly fascinating consultancy assignments.
His guiding principle is: “Family businesses are my passion. I am happy to have been able to combine this passion with my penchant for sharing knowledge and experience, and to turn my calling into a career. I love my work and everything connected with it.”