This week’s guest on Family Business Talks, a videocast produced by the students of the Mastering Family Businesses course at CATÓLICA-LISBON, is Markus Kemper, CEO of Filkemp, a Portuguese family-owned company specialising in the production of industrial monofilaments.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Lisbon, Markus Kemper has built a multifaceted career shaped by experience across sectors including information technology, real estate, agriculture, and healthcare. He describes himself as an “accidental entrepreneur”, having initially turned down a corporate career in a multinational to pursue business ventures on his own terms from an early stage.
In 2015, he took over the family business after his father, Wolfgang Kemper, founder of Filkemp, had to step down due to health issues. Markus assumed leadership during a difficult transition, marked by both strategic and emotional challenges.
“There was no succession plan. And our leadership styles couldn’t have been more different,” he recalls. While his father led with a more authoritarian, top-down approach, backed by his majority shareholding, Markus favours a horizontal and participative leadership style, focused on people, dialogue, and shared decision-making.
Adapting to this new leadership model was not immediate. Kemper remembers the team’s initial doubts about his long-term commitment to the company and fears that he might sell the business. However, he quickly demonstrated that he was in it for the long haul, combining stability with a clear long-term vision.
The conversation was also a moment to reflect on the meaning of success in family businesses, the importance of intergenerational respect, and the freedom of heirs to pursue their own paths.
The penultimate episode of the second season of Family Business Talks offers an honest, pragmatic, and inspiring perspective on the challenges of leading and transforming a family business. The episode is now available to watch on CATÓLICA-LISBON’s YouTube channel.