Spear’s Review

‘Successful succession requires knowledge and passion, as well as advanced governance and an open-minded approach to innovation and change,’ says Helsinki-based Lauri Oinaala. An adviser to high-growth family enterprises in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, he also heads up EY’s global platform for the next generation of C-suite executives and board members.

Oinaala is well versed in family dynamics and helps family businesses find their purpose. He says his clients often have ‘a unique perspective on the role the family should play and the impact their businesses should aspire to make on society, and they are equally aware of the long legacy they want to uphold’.

The well-connected adviser worked within a family office and its entities in the Nordics and the US for more than 10 years before joining EY in 2012. 

Adviser Profile

Lauri Oinaala is EY Family Enterprise Leader Europe and an experienced professional in family office and family business consulting. In his dual capacity at EY, Lauri is also Global EY NextGen Leader. Through this role, he manages an international platform that serves the next-generation C-suite and board members in family enterprises with a membership of over 950 leaders from 81 countries.

Lauri engages daily with family-controlled entities, such as family offices, and their individual owners, specialising in strategy (family, corporate, wealth) and succession (leadership and ownership transitions) advisory.

As executive sponsor Lauri hosts the annual EY Europe Family Office Summit, an international forum that addresses emerging topics family offices face in an increasingly complex global environment. He actively participates in global industry forums and is a seasoned moderator and contributor at flagship conferences such as COP and New York Climate Week.

Prior to joining EY in 2012, he spent 10 years within a Nordic family office and its operational entities in northern Europe and the United States, advising the leadership on its growth agenda and leading projects related to the international expansion of the portfolio companies in Asia Pacific and USA as well as new strategy implementation.

Prior positions at EY include Nordic family business leader roles and country leader in Finland for private client services, a specialised tax division advising UHNWIs, non-domiciled individuals, family offices and family businesses in domestic and cross-border frameworks.