Multi-generational wealth creation through family businesses and family offices. Leadership throughout the chapters of your life.
Christina R. Wing
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Technology and Operations Management
Christina Wing is a Senior Lecturer in the Technology and Operations Management Unit at the Harvard Business School. Her research focuses primarily on topics surrounding families in business, and the course she created, titled Demystifying the Family Enterprise, covers family dynamics, operating companies, family offices and legacy opportunities.
Chair of the executive education program Families in Business, Christina frequently teaches family office and HBS/Young Presidents’ Organization programs internationally. She has also taught first-year Technology Operations Management (TOM) and Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) courses. A firm believer that you can have it all—just not all at once, Christina gives speeches on topics related to families in business, leadership and understanding the different chapters of life.
Christina is co-founder of Wingspan Legacy Partners, an advisory firm helping enterprising families and founders navigate the intersections between family dynamics, business operations, wealth, legacy, and philanthropic impact. She believes families have an outsized opportunity to affect society, and with the right guidance, they can be global leaders.
Prior to teaching at HBS and creating Wingspan, Christina held a variety of roles within the finance and general management fields. Most recently she was president and CEO of a family office where she oversaw a team of people and assets within real estate, art, collectables, private investments, and philanthropic activities. Before that, she was in finance and operations at a startup venture formed by several of her HBS classmates. She began her career focused on equities and energy investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Kidder Peabody.
Christina is a Senior Advisor at Crestview Partners, a private equity firm focused on the middle market. She is also on the Advisory Boards of F3 Partners, a fund focused on investing in family businesses, Northrim Horizon, a private investment firm with a long-term focus, and Corvias, a private infrastructure company. Additionally, she is on the Board of Ambassadors of The Steppingstone Foundation, an organization providing educational opportunities to underserved children.
A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Christina graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.B.A. in finance and organizational behavior and business policy. She earned an M.B.A. from HBS, and is passionate about her family, dogs, friends, students, family clients and golf.
- Cases
-
- Wing, Christina R., and Sarah Mehta. "MDH Partners: Evolving a Family Legacy." Harvard Business School Case 625-001, October 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Carla Larangeira. "Topaz: Navigating Governance, Legacy, and Change." Harvard Business School Case 625-062, September 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Paul Wuensche, and Brittany L. Logan. "PRAN-RFL Group: A Diversified Family Business." Harvard Business School Case 624-101, June 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Zeshan Gondal, and Brittany L. Logan. "Ӧzyeğin Social Investments: A Legacy of Giving." Harvard Business School Case 624-054, October 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Carla Larangeira, and Pedro Levindo. "Votorantim: Uniting Family and Business Across Generations." Harvard Business School Case 624-050, November 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Lauren Cohen, and Alpana Thapar. "Ghassan Nuqul and the Nuqul Group: Preserving a Father's Legacy." Harvard Business School Case 624-030, September 2023. (Revised October 2023.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Alpana Thapar. "Esas Group: Investing Together, Staying Together." Harvard Business School Case 623-027, September 2022. (Revised September 2024.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Amram Migdal. "Cesaro e Associati." Harvard Business School Case 623-021, September 2022. (Revised April 2023.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Carlton Burrell Jr., Chika-Dike Nwokike, and Abby Patrick. "Sixty Years of Sylvia’s." Harvard Business School Case 623-018, July 2022. (Revised October 2022.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and John Masko. "The Boston Beer Company (B): Growth and Uncertainty." Harvard Business School Supplement 622-051, September 2021. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Gamze Yucaoglu. "Saham Group: It's In the Genes." Harvard Business School Case 621-069, January 2021. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and David Lane. "Scale and Scope at Drake Real Estate Partners." Harvard Business School Case 621-065, March 2021. (Revised June 2021.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "The Gauthier Family: To Sell or Not to Sell?" Harvard Business School Case 621-099, March 2021. (Revised July 2021.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and John Masko. "Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads." Harvard Business School Case 621-018, July 2020. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-he, Christina R. Wing, and John Masko. "Theranos: Who Has Blood on Their Hands? (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 320-091, February 2020. View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-hê, Christina R. Wing, Emilie Fournier, and Anna Resman. "Theranos: Who Has Blood on Their Hands? (A)." Harvard Business School Case 619-039, February 2019. (Revised February 2020.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Inakshi Sobti. "Thermax—Changing of the Guard." Harvard Business School Case 620-043, October 2019. (Revised February 2020.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "Sopra Banking Software: Can a French Fintech Succeed in the U.S.?" Harvard Business School Case 620-004, September 2019. (Revised July 2021.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Alpana Thapar. "It's All About Family: Esas Group." Harvard Business School Case 620-010, September 2019. (Revised August 2021.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Suraj Srinivasan, and Esel Çekin. "Family Matters: Governance at the Zamil Group." Harvard Business School Case 620-009, August 2019. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Robert F. White, and Michael Norris. "Bill Cummings: The Cummings Way." Harvard Business School Case 619-038, May 2019. (Revised February 2020.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Marco Iansiti. "The Boston Beer Company (A): New CEO." Harvard Business School Case 619-021, October 2018. (Revised July 2023.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Esel Y. Cekin, and Samer Al-Rachedy. "From Beirut With Love (B): The Last Judgment." Harvard Business School Supplement 619-027, September 2018. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Esel Y. Cekin, and Samer Al-Rachedy. "From Beirut With Love (A)." Harvard Business School Case 619-024, September 2018. (Revised November 2018.) View Details
- Articles
-
- Wing, Christina R. "A New Paradigm for Family Giving." Crain Currency (April 12, 2024). View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "Best Practices for Family Philanthropy." Family Capital (March 12, 2024). View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Rohit K. Gera. "How to Bring an Outside CEO into the Family Business." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 25, 2023). View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Laurie Tack. "Meet the Parents—Family Business Style." Family Capital (May 9, 2023). View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Rohit K. Gera. "Onboarding NextGens." Family Business Magazine (May 2, 2023). View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Rohit K. Gera. "Create a Culture of Generosity and Communication in Your Family Business." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 18, 2020). View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Rohit K. Gera. Should Your Family Business Have a "No In-Laws" Policy? Harvard Business Review (website) (February 3, 2020). View Details
- Teaching Materials
-
- Wing, Christina R., George Jackoboice, and Justin Huang. "Is a Single-Family Office Right For You?" Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-073, November 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Brittany Logan. "Sixty Years of Sylvia's." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 624-062, April 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Hillary B Sieber. "Note on Working with Relatives in the Family Enterprise." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-034, July 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Everett Alexander, and Justin Huang. "Is Concentrated Ownership Good?" Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-033, August 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Andrew Peddar, and Dylan Torchinsky. "Managing Professional Relationships in the Modern Workplace." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-035, August 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Kara A. Perusse, and Hillary B. Sieber. "Note on CEO Succession in Family Enterprises." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-030, September 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Maryann G Bell, and Kara A Perusse. "How to Pay Family Employees in a Family Business." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-032, September 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Everett Alexander, and Justin Huang. "Measuring Concentrated Ownership." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-031, August 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Kara A Perusse, and Hillary B Sieber. "Note on Running Effective Family Meetings for Family Enterprises." Harvard Business School Technical Note 625-037, September 2024. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Esel Çekin. "Saham Group: It's In the Genes." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 623-091, July 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Amram Migdal. "Cesaro e Associati." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 623-081, April 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "Successful Governance for the Family Enterprise." Harvard Business School Exercise 623-083, June 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "Note on Difficult Conversations in the Family Enterprise." Harvard Business School Technical Note 624-044, September 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Vicki Morton. "Governance for the Family Enterprise." Harvard Business School Technical Note 624-047, October 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R. "Note on Family Constitutions." Harvard Business School Technical Note 624-045, September 2023. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and John Masko. "Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 621-109, May 2021. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and David Lane. "Scale and Scope at Drake Real Estate Partners." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 622-016, July 2021. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Alpana Thapar. "It's All About Family: Esas Group." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 622-023, July 2021. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Suraj Srinivasan, and Esel Çekin. "Family Matters: Governance at the Zamil Group." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 622-022, August 2021. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Esel Çekin. "From Beirut with Love (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 622-021, August 2021. View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-he, and Christina R. Wing. "Theranos: Who Has Blood on Their Hands? (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 620-102, February 2020. View Details
- Wing, Christina R., and Madeline Keulen. "Demystifying the Family Enterprise." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 620-030, August 2019. (Revised July 2023.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Madeline Keulen, and Vicki Morton. "Demystifying the Family Enterprise: Module 1 - The Family." Harvard Business School Module Note 620-031, August 2019. (Revised July 2023.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Madeline Keulen, and Vicki Morton. "Demystifying the Family Enterprise: Module 2 - The Operating Company." Harvard Business School Module Note 620-037, August 2019. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Wing, Christina R., Charles Richards, and Vicki Morton. "Demystifying the Family Enterprise: Module 3—The Family Office." Harvard Business School Module Note 620-048, October 2019. (Revised July 2023.) View Details
- Research Summary
-
- Teaching
-
This course is primarily designed for students who are pursuing a career in family run businesses, family owned businesses, investment roles in family offices, or students that might invest in or wholly purchase a family owned business through a private equity firm, search fund model or a public company that through dual class stock is still family controlled.
The course is also useful for students who are planning to work in companies that advise or support family owned businesses. It may further be interesting for students seeking to advance their knowledge of general management, strategy, succession and governance issues in the context of a challenging and sometimes emotionally driven work environment.
Like every company, family businesses must strive for growth amidst fierce competition, an evolving marketplace, and demanding customers. But family businesses also face a unique set of challenges and opportunities. In this Executive Education program, participants discover how to leverage the intrinsic strengths of their family business and to implement practices that drive high performance, shareholder loyalty, and healthy family relationships.
This course enables students to develop the skills and concepts needed to ensure the ongoing contribution of a firm's operations to its competitive position. It helps them to understand the complex processes underlying the development and manufacture of products as well as the creation and delivery of services. Topics include: process analysis, cross-functional and cross-firm integration, product development, information technology, as well as technology and operations strategy.
In this course, students learn about the complex responsibilities facing business leaders today. Through cases about difficult managerial decisions, the course examines the legal, ethical, and economic responsibilities of corporate leaders. It also teaches students about management and governance systems leaders can use to promote responsible conduct by companies and their employees, and shows how personal values can play a critical role in effective leadership.
- Additional Information
-
Podcasts & Webinars
- The Art of Having Difficult Conversations in the Family Business
- HBR Cold Call: Sustaining a Legacy of Giving in Turkey
- Perspectives on Family Philanthropy and Social Impact Governance
- Does Your Family Business Have a Succession Plan?
- The Term Family Office is Confusing; It Needs a New Name (Webinar)
- HBR Cold Call: Planning the Future for Harlem’s Beloved Sylvia’s Restaurant
- HBR Cold Call: A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession
- HBR Cold Call: Can the “Cummings Way” Live on After the Founder Retires?
- How to Fire Your Daughter
- HBR Webinar: Governing the Family-Owned Business
- Areas of Interest
-
- family business
- innovation
- leading change
- succession
- ethics
- leadership
Additional Topics - In The News