Panel Discussion: Interactive Q&A and Debate with Speakers
This panel discussion is fully interactive, designed primarily for audience questions and open dialogue with the speakers of the first topic block. It offers a unique opportunity to address specific scenarios and challenges relevant to your family or business.

How to Prepare for the Discussion with Melissa Durda
To help you ask deep, impactful questions, here is a concise overview of Melissa’s primary areas of expertise:

Working with Global Philanthropic Families
- As Senior Director at Synergos, she works closely with members of the Global Philanthropists Circle (a network of leading philanthropists founded by the Rockefeller family). She brings unique insights into how high-net-worth families and organizations build, safeguard, and transition their legacy across generations.
Navigating Critical Turning Points & Building Trust
- Melissa specializes in Bridging Leadership—a key framework for navigating crises, bridging differing perspectives, and building trust within families and organizations.
Personal and Strategic Leadership
- With nearly 30 years of experience across the US and Europe (including directing programs at Václav Havel’s Forum 2000 Foundation), she also serves as an executive leadership coach for leaders of foundations and social enterprises.

Key Questions You Can Ask Her:

How do global family empires prepare their successors to take over the legacy?
What mechanisms best safeguard family values and legacy when facing an unexpected crisis or critical turning point?
How can families build trust and communicate effectively across generations when visions for the future diverge?