Why Many Family Businesses In Cameroon Do Not Survive Their Founders (Part 4)

 SOHAING Group – An Example Of A Family Business In Cameroon That Is Surviving Its Founder

  The Founder, Late Andre Sohaing ,  Groomed One Of His  Children To Eventually Take Over The Management Of The Family  Business

All is not bleak or dark in Cameroon as regards what happen to Family Businesses when their Founders pass away. There are some Family Businesses that have survived their Founders, though they are comparatively a small minority. There are a few of them that have not only survived their Founders, but are waxing on strong.

An example of  a succeeding successor of  the management of a Family Business  in Cameroon , that was invited  by the United Bank for Africa , UBA Cameroon, to participate  and share his experiences in an online debate on plan of succession  in the management of Family Businesses in the country, is Olivier Sohaing, the  PDG of ‘Groupe Sohaing’.  The Founder of the Sohaing Group I was the late Douala based business magnate, Andre Sohaing, who0 hailed from Bayangam Sub –division in Koung –Khi Division of the West Region.  Andre Sohaing was also the Mayor of Bayangam.  Worth noting, that the flagship business of the Sohaing Group is the famous Akwa Palace Hotel in Douala.

Trained On The Job

Meanwhile, Olivier Sohaing said after school, he was based in Europe, where after working for sometimes he decided to start his own business, a consultancy. He was shuttling between Britain and France. He said after about 10 years in his business, his father called him one day and said he should stop whatever he was doing in Europe, pack his things, and return to Cameroon, and work in his company, the Sohaing Group.  The father did not ask his opinion. He said he asked himself several times if that was a good idea, but finally respected the father’s demand and returned home.

Olivier Sohaing said when he joined his father’s company he did not just make him the manager.  Of course he had no experience in the company’s type of business. He said he humbly worked at almost all the levels in the company, before finally being appointed General Manager, while his father was left with the post of Board Chair.   He said he realized later that his father took a wise decision because by the time he became manager of the company, he had acquired a good experience of how the different sections of the company function, and also knew the workers well.

Olivier Sohaing explained that by the time his father, who was also into politics and was Mayor of their Bayangam Municipality, unfortunately passed away, he (Andre Sohaing) had structured his company, Sohaing Group, in a way that, the business could effectively function in his absence. He said even before his father passed away so abruptly, he was no longer so much involved in the management of the company, as he focused more on  his job as Mayor of Bayangam, and on other things.

Importance Of Training The Future Manager Of A Family Business, On The Job

The President / Director General of Sohaing Group, Olivier Sohaing, said since taking over the management of the Family Business following the unfortunate death of the father, he has been doing quite some findings about Family Businesses the world over. He said results of international business surveys show that as high as 83 % of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, SMEs, in the world, are Family Businesses.

Olivier Sohaing expressed concern that many Family Businesses in Cameroon do not survive their Founders. He called on managers of Family Businesses in Cameroon, especially those enterprises that have difficulties to survive their Founders, to seek advice from experts and try to modernize.  He pointed out at some Family Businesses in Asia like SAMSUNG in Japan ,that started as SME,s  and which did not only survive the Founders, but have grown to become reputed and leading international brands.

The PDG of Sohaing Group stressed the importance of a plan of succession in the management of a Family Business. He said his father was very wise to bring him back home, and trained him on the job in his company.  H wondered what would have being the situation of  the Sohaing Group , if his father died,  when  neither him nor one of his brothers or sisters,  had been trained  on the job to take over the management of a company, that  they knew very little about.

It should be noted that most a times, when workers realized that the new General Manager that succeeds a late Founder of a Family Business, knows very little or nothing about the enterprise or business, some take advantage to embezzle funds or steal materials and equipment.  There are some also unscrupulous workers that smartly and rapidly work their way to become close to the new General Manager of the enterprise, and then deliberately mislead him or her, for their selfish interests.  Worst of all, the absence of a member of the family as the competent and legal successor in the management of a Family Business when the Founder dies, often open the door to a fight over  money and assets by the  family members,   and often lead to the collapse of  the business.