Building on the themes of the keynote speech, this debate will address the structural characteristics and decision-making dynamics of owner-managed and family-influenced businesses from four complementary perspectives: the (entrepreneurial) owner, the CFO as internal financial steward and the advising investment banker with an external view providing academic context. The discussion highlights how succession, valuation expectations, control considerations and informal decision structures shape outcomes in owner-managed companies and why transactions in closely held businesses follow different dynamics than in widely held corporations.