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iFUn

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History

The timeline provides an overview of the first years of the iFUn and the endowed chair.

iFUn foundation

Bielefeld University

In 2013/14, Ortwin Goldbeck (then IHK President), Thomas Niehoff (then IHK Managing Director) and Prof Dr Fred G. Becker (representative of Bielefeld University) successfully endeavoured to attract donors for the "Leadership of Family Businesses" chair and the Institute for Family Businesses (iFUn). The iFUn was part of the concept that was presented to the potential donors. It was about the iFUn triangle "Unity of research, teaching and transfer". It was intended to promote cooperation between family businesses and Bielefeld University researchers in a structured way. An institution was thus created alongside the endowed chair to ensure continuous, complementary and expanded cooperation between theory and practice as well as between researchers.

In 2014, the Institute for Family Business (iFUn) - Ostwestfalen-Lippe was formally founded at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Bielefeld University. The founding board consisted of Professors Fred G. Becker and Hermann Jahnke.

Appointment of Prof. Dr Christina Hoon

Prof. Dr Christina Hoon was appointed holder of the endowed chair on 1 September 2015. The iFUn Advisory Board was constituted at the same time as her inaugural lecture. The first employees were hired.

First iFUn activities

The first iFUn transfer activities (OWL.ManagementKolloquium, IUUB dialogue for corporate management, BU2BU, workshops) started in 2015, as did the annual advisory board meetings.

Appointment of J.Prof. Dr Kai Bormann

On 1 September 2017, J.Prof. Dr. Kai Bormann was appointed to the newly created six-year W1 professorship "Management of Family Businesses", which was funded by the Foundation and the Rectorate. He was thus also a natural member of the iFUn.

With the participation of Professors Anne Sanders and Simon Kempny

In the course of the winter semester 2017/18, two members of the Faculty of Law, Prof Dr Anne Sanders and Prof Dr Simon Kempny, also joined the iFUn.

Reorganisation of the iFUn

The cross-faculty cooperation led to the iFUn being reorganised as an interfaculty department in January 2019. Since then it has been called: Institute for Family Business (iFUn) - Ostwestfalen-Lippe at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics and the Faculty of Law.

iFUn Executive Board and iFUn Board of Directors

In January 2019, a formal Board of Directors was elected for the first time and the Management Board was set up to manage any business.

Kai Bormann takes over his own professorship

Photo: Stefan Sättele

Kai Bormann has been Professor of Human Resource and Family Business Management at Bielefeld University since June 2021. This adds another chair to the iFUn and further expands the field of human resource management.

Handover of the baton: Change of Management Board functions

Photo: Stefan Sättele

In 2022, after six years as Chair of the iFUn, Professor Fred Becker stepped down. The newly elected iFUn Chair is now Professor Dr Christina Hoon (see also reporting).

Jana Bövers takes over management

Photo: Stefan Sättele

At the beginning of 2023, Dr Jana Bövers will take over the management of the iFUn and thus support the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. The aim is to further promote the exchange between science and practice and establish various new event formats.

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