Comparison · 15 material differences
Family Business Network (FBN) vs REF
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Family-business organization
Verified September 2026 Family Business Network (FBN)
Members of business-owning families (owners, executives, non-executive shareholders and next-generation family members) where the family controls the business
Peer advisory
REF
CEOs, owners and presidents, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives reporting to the CEO and for high-potential managers on leadership programmes
What the records say
- Minimum age: Family Business Network (FBN): Individual membership is open to family members aged 18 and over; Next Gen membership covers ages 18–34; REF: No published minimum age.
- Role or title: Family Business Network (FBN): No published role or title; REF: Top Executive track: CEO, owner, president or equivalent.
- Minimum ownership stake: Family Business Network (FBN): The family must hold a controlling ownership interest in the firm and control its strategic direction; REF: No published minimum ownership stake.
- Geographic restriction: Family Business Network (FBN): Applicants join through the FBN member association covering their country or region; there is no direct international membership; REF: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues: Family Business Network (FBN): S$7,000 a year; REF: Not publicly disclosed. REF publishes no membership price; the Peer Resources directory also recorded fees as unavailable at publication. Members are described elsewhere as paying monthly dues..
Side by side
| Family Business Network (FBN) | REF | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Family-business organization | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 1989 (Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, per FBN's own About page.) | 1994 (Entrepreneur's franchise directory records the company as founded in 1994 and franchising since 1994. REF's own site says only "Founded 30 years ago in the USA" and "With 30 years of experience", which is consistent.) |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland | San Diego, United States |
| Geographic footprint | A federation of 34 member associations covering 65 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East | 51 locations across 20 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and Asia; the largest concentration is in Latin America |
| Members | 25,000as of September 2026 | 3,000as of January 2025 |
| Chapters | 34 | 51 |
| Primary audience | Members of business-owning families (owners, executives, non-executive shareholders and next-generation family members) where the family controls the business | CEOs, owners and presidents, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives reporting to the CEO and for high-potential managers on leadership programmes |
| Typical member | Members are individuals from families that own and control an operating business that has reached at least the second generation of family ownership, management or involvement. Membership is typically taken out in the name of the family or family company and then extends to family members including spouses and next-generation members from age 18. | Members are CEOs, owners and presidents of non-competing businesses, plus CXOs and upper management reporting directly to the CEO in the Key Executive track and high performers selected for leadership programmes in the High Potentials track. REF publishes no revenue or headcount threshold, though its application form asks for employee count and revenue. |
| Qualification | ||
| Minimum age | Individual membership is open to family members aged 18 and over; Next Gen membership covers ages 18–34FBN Asia terms. FBN International describes its NxG community as covering members aged 18 to 40.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum age |
| Role or title | No published role or title | Top Executive track: CEO, owner, president or equivalentREF's own application page lists the candidate requirements for each track.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum ownership stake | The family must hold a controlling ownership interest in the firm and control its strategic directionStated as a qualitative test; no numeric ownership percentage is published. Criteria published by FBN Asia, the member association that discloses them most fully.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum ownership stake |
| Geographic restriction | Applicants join through the FBN member association covering their country or region; there is no direct international membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | Sometimes |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | No |
| Application process | Applicants approach the FBN member association for their country or region rather than FBN International. At FBN Asia, the published route is to review the eligibility criteria, complete and submit an application form, then be contacted by the association to work through the remaining steps. Membership is normally taken in the name of the family business, with a principal member plus alternate, next-generation and supplementary family members nominated afterwards. FBN International's central contact address is connect@fbn-i.org. | Applicants complete an online form selecting one of three tracks (Top Executive, Key Executive or High Potentials) and supplying title, industry, city, country, employee count and revenue. REF then contacts the candidate and, if accepted, places them in a local Forum of non-competing executives with a certified Forum Leader. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: FBN publishes eligibility criteria but no acceptance rate or applicant volume. | Not publicly disclosed. REF describes its peer groups as "by invitation only" while operating a public application form, and publishes no acceptance data. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | S$7,000 a yearFBN Asia corporate (family) membership, covering all members of the business family including spouses; FBN Asia states the rate drops to SGD 5,000 a year from year three. This is one member association's price, not a network-wide fee.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. REF publishes no membership price; the Peer Resources directory also recorded fees as unavailable at publication. Members are described elsewhere as paying monthly dues.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual, renewed through the local member association | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Local member-association events year-round plus FBN International global and regional summits; FBN Ireland reports roughly 750 member activities a year across the network | One Forum morning each month, plus webinars, community events and curated trips and retreats |
| Peer forums | Not a facilitated-forum organisation in the peer-advisory sense; FBN organises members into thematic communities (Next Generation, Impact, Now Gen, Entrepreneurs, Family Office, Large Families) alongside national associations | Forums of 12-15 executives from non-competing industries, led by a certified REF Forum Leader, meeting monthly in a three-part structure: expert insight, round table, and a member case |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Forums are described as confidential, high-trust environments built on transparency and trust; one senior figure calls the Forum a "Circle of Trust" |
| Time commitment | Not documented | One morning a month for the Forum, plus optional events |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Not documented |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Yes |
| Travel | Partial | Yes |
| Family programming | Yes | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Yes | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Family Business Network (FBN) · REF