Clarity for your family enterprise.
Your impartial team of family enterprise advisors across Canada who help you see the whole picture and decide what's next.
The real work
What stalls an enterprising family is usually the conversation no one wants to start, about succession, ownership, money, or what comes next. That’s where we begin.
Our work isn’t only about fixing what’s stuck. Just as often, it’s about making something great even better.
A decision that has been stuck for years
A transition no one has named out loud
Three generations, three perspectives
AboutBlackwood FES
Founded by Patrick O'Connor, David Blom, and Dr. Moira Somers, Blackwood brings together advisors with complementary specialties to help families find clarity on the decisions ahead. 100% fee-based. No commissions. No conflicts. Just independent guidance built around your family's goals.
Learn More About Blackwood
What sets us apart
We work collaboratively with each other, your family, and your existing advisors. One team, no silos.
Impartial
No products, no commissions. We have no stake beyond the family’s best interests.
Comprehensive
Family, governance, money, relationships: we look at the whole picture.
Accountable
We don’t just facilitate the conversations to find answers; we make sure the work gets done.
Enduring
Plans, structures, and processes designed to grow and evolve with the family.
Alignment before action.
We believe in establishing clarity and alignment before putting strategy into action.
Who we help
Whether your family is operating a business, selling one, investing, or focused on giving back, we’re here to help you navigate the way forward.
In their words
“We thought our structure was solid. Blackwood’s discovery process showed us it wasn’t, then gave us real clarity on our family’s legacy.”
“There’s no way we could have got this done in under a year on our own. We’re in a different place now as a family.”
“At our last meeting, every one of us named a different highlight, and not one of us had a thing we’d change.”
“The conversation we’d put off for years took one afternoon. We left with a plan, and we still hold each other to it.”
Insights