Our History

After careers as an executive and management consultant, Henry Landes founded DVFBC in 1988 to educate and prepare enterprising families for generations of success.  Sally Derstine joined him in 1992 and was key to launching our Educational Forums.  Having both grown up in family businesses, they brought first-hand experience and understanding of the complexities and opportunities as they guided multi-generational families forward. They moved through their own leadership transition in the early 2000s and then ownership transition in 2014.

Today’s DVFBC team of seasoned advisors – all of whom have personal family business experience – and their superb support staff consider it a special privilege to serve enterprising families. Enterprising families entrust them to speak into the lives of their most precious asset, their family; with the health, growth, and future of their businesses; and the development of well-designed governance for the whole enterprising family system. 

Our Mission & Our 5 MOUNTAIN® Model

At DVFBC, our mission is to guide multi-generational enterprising families so they flourish as individuals, families, and businesses. Our 5 MOUNTAIN® Model is foundational in guiding enterprising families through extraordinary complexities that create clarity, alignment, and value in the whole system. To learn more about our 5 MOUNTAIN® Model click here.

Our Values

We Believe:

• Healthy families are the soul and foundation of sustainable businesses; families are forever.
• Family business is a complex living system; a change in one area impacts the other areas. Understanding, navigating, and governing a family business system well requires neutral, experienced guidance.
• Multi-generational success includes building 5 Interdependent Teams and Structures – Family, Management, Shareholders, Board, and Advisors – and developing leadership for each.
• Effective leadership, healthy communication, strategic planning, decision-making, and accountability need to happen in each generation.

Our Core Competencies

• Our growing team of seasoned advisors and support staff bring deep experience in family dynamics; clear communication; leadership, management & organizational development; family business governance; and strategic planning for the family and the enterprises.
• Our experience includes scar tissue learning from navigating our own family business complexities which we understand at the cellular level.
• We create safe spaces, listen deeply, and facilitate crucial conversations where every voice is heard.
• We work collaboratively in our own teams and with other advisors.