IE University, Franklin Templeton and OpenWealth Launch the IE Family Offices Knowledge Hub

Madrid, July 1, 2025 — IE University, Franklin Templeton, and OpenWealth (CaixaBank Group) announced the launch of the IE Family Offices Knowledge Hub, an initiative led by the IE Center for Families in Business. The Hub aims to become a leading platform for the generation and dissemination of knowledge surrounding Family Offices.

In a context defined by the growing sophistication and importance of Family Offices as vehicles for investment, entrepreneurship, and legacy preservation among business families, the Hub brings a cross-disciplinary approach. It combines academic rigor with practical, sector-specific expertise to address the real-world challenges families face in managing multigenerational wealth. Its agenda includes applied research, strategic convenings, content creation, and training programs designed for decision-makers operating in complex prosperous environments.

The official launch event took place this morning at IE Tower, gathering a distinguished audience from the business, financial, and academic communities. Cristina Cruz, Director of the IE Center for Families in Business and Head of the Hub, presented its strategic lines of action.

Cristina Cruz, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in family business studies, emphasized the role of Family Offices as platforms through which business families channel their transformative capacity: “This Hub is born to understand and support a key evolution — the shift from families who create companies to families who invest in them. This is the era of the Entrepreneurial Family Office: one that not only preserves wealth, but also projects it into the future, generating economic and social impact through purpose, long-term vision, and entrepreneurial investment.”

During the event, Javier Villegas, Managing Director of Franklin Templeton for Iberia and Latin America, shared his perspective on key trends and opportunities in Private Markets and the vital role Family Offices play as multigenerational investors: “We are proud to support this initiative dedicated to generating and sharing knowledge on Private Markets and Family Offices. Understanding the dynamics, strategies, and best practices of these investment structures — so essential to preserving business family legacies — requires deep, rigorous research that initiatives like this make possible.”

The event also featured a panel moderated by Marta Alonso Jiménez, General Manager of OpenWealth (CaixaBank Group), with several Family Office leaders who shared first-hand insights on alternative investments, wealth governance, and intergenerational planning. Marta Alonso remarked: “The Family Office ecosystem in Spain is undergoing a period of growth and increasing professionalization. Initiatives like this one clearly contribute to amplifying the critical role that Family Offices play in driving economic and social development — through philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.”

This initiative highlights the shared commitment of the three institutions to the generation of rigorous, practice-oriented knowledge on how Family Offices navigate investment and governance challenges in increasingly complex environments.

Learn more about the IE Family Offices Knowledge Hub.