Lunch and Learn: Family Business 

Join a discussion on the unique challenges and opportunities facing family businesses.  Bob Carmody of Diana’s Bananas and Cathy Carroll of Legacy Onward will discuss the hard skills and soft skill dynamics that make family business leadership distinct.  Topics will include business strategy, succession planning, conflict management, and family business leadership. To ensure that we cover the topics that are most relevant to your family business, please let us know what interests you by clicking here. Bring your brown bag lunch.

About the Speakers: 
Cathy Carroll, founder of Legacy Onward, is a leadership and executive coach serving family businesses.  After growing up around her grandfather’s business, Cathy pursued a 20-year corporate career as an actuary at Hewitt Associates and a corporate executive at both Sabre Inc. and United Airlines.  In 2009, she joined her father’s manufacturing business as President and COO, where she was responsible for five companies that manufacture and distribute equipment serving the team roping market. 

After turning the company around, Cathy left to start Legacy Onward which provides leadership and executive coaching services to family businesses.  Cathy earned a leadership coaching certificate at Georgetown University, an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a BA at Boston College.  She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) in the International Coaching Federation. 

Bob Carmody is the co-founder and owner Diana’s Bananas, a Chicago-based manufacturer of “The World’s Best Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Bananas”.  Incorporated in 1992 after they dipped their first frozen banana at Taste of Chicago in 1984, the company has gained nationwide distribution in most supermarket chains, specialty and health food stores, and “big box”/club stores.  

Bob serves as Board Chairman of the Chicago Family Business Council sponsored by DePaul University and is a Director on the advisory board of the National Frozen and Refrigerated Association. His background also includes working for IBM and serving as the Director of Knowledge Management Alliances and Sales Director for KPMG Consulting.  He served as Sales Director for a division of Rand McNally, and Manugistics, Inc.  He received his degree in Design Science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  He is a veteran, serving in the US Army from 1969 to 1971.