David is second generation of a Jewish immigrant family which successfully built a large textile manufacturing business, and then moved into commercial real estate. David took his own path as a software developer, quant analyst, and then technology entrepreneur, starting several businesses. Over the past ten years, he has taken a shift into the next stage of his professional life.
He is director of Nathanson Pearson in Melbourne Australia – single family office and established provider of practical and appropriate solutions specifically for high net worth families. As a published best-selling author of Transition he has assisted many HNW families to navigate the complexities of succession planning, intergenerational wealth transition, and family governance.
David’s extensive commercial experience together with a confidential and empathetic relational approach to the challenges of family related business issues, has allowed him to facilitate unique solutions for clients by tapping into his personal knowledge and highly resourceful professional and specialist advisor network.
Carefully packaged and staged projects provide clients with a re-assuring process consulting that has successfully helped business owners establish a better work/life balance, retire, sell, hand-over to the next generation or manage family conflict.
David is also an Adjunct Professor (family governance, entrepreneurship) at Swinburne University, publishes regularly, and is regular speaker at HNW conferences and events around the world. He presents case studies and is able to distil complex issues and present them simply and succinctly.
A sampling of typical engagements include:
- Non-exec director for family boards and family councils, family strategic advisor
- Helping a business manage conflict between family members, align personal and business vision, and establish better communication and good governance
- Working with a family on policies to help foster entrepreneurship in the rising generation and prepare them to be effective custodians of the family assets
- Succession planning – preparing both the incumbent and rising generation for a handover of operational control and appropriate governance of the family business to make the business sustainable and maintain family harmony
David is married with five children and deeply engaged with his local community through a number of non-profits. He’s writing his second book – about the challenges of the modern always-connected digital world. In between all that, he is passionate about sport – particularly AFL, cricket and NFL.
David Werdiger