Chapter 14 - MY FATHER APOLOGIZED FOR TRYING TO BUILD A COMPANY AROUND A FUTURE GRANDCHILDAfter the revised Lawson-Sterling transaction closed, Dad and Graham held a governance retreat.
No family dinner.
No spouses.
No romantic language.
Board members.
Compliance.
Outside counsel.
Dad later told me:
“I’m embarrassed by how often I said ‘when you two marry’ during merger planning.”
“You really were obsessed.”
“I wanted grandchildren.”
“That is not a capital allocation strategy.”
He laughed.
Then:
“We built too many assumptions around something neither company controlled.”
Exactly.
The new structure did not depend on me remaining close to the Sterlings.
Chloe received no automatic board seat.
If she ever wanted one, normal nomination process.
Graham accepted that.
So did she.
May you like
The company became less like a dynasty.
Better.
