John A. Davis

John A. Davis is a Senior Lecturer in Family Enterprise at the MIT Sloan School of Management, recognized globally for pioneering work in family business dynamics. He specializes in advising multigenerational enterprises across 65+ countries, focusing on governance, succession planning, and wealth preservation. Davis founded the Cambridge Family Enterprise Group (CFEG) in 1989 to support family enterprises' long-term success. His research includes seminal frameworks like the Three-Circle Model and Family Enterprise Sustainability, emphasizing unity, talent, and asset growth.

Education: PhD in Business Administration (Harvard Business School), MA in Economics (University of Wisconsin), AB in Economics (Kenyon College). Davis teaches at MIT and previously led Harvard’s family business programs, including the Families in Business initiative. He co-authored influential works such as Generation to Generation and Next Generation Success.

Research interests include adaptive leadership in disruptive environments, resolving role identity conflicts in family businesses, and leveraging family values for sustainable enterprise growth. His media engagements span Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the World Economic Forum.

Advisory roles include the Inclusive Capitalism Programme at Oxford’s Said Business School. Davis designs executive education programs like MIT Sloan’s Future Family Enterprise, focusing on multigenerational resilience and future-proofing strategies.

Labs/Teams: Founder/Chair of CFEG, MIT Sloan Family Enterprise Programs, Harvard’s former Family Business Management Area leader. His frameworks are taught globally, with case studies used by top business schools.