Sponsorship propels expansion of family business programming at UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- This year, the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) successfully launched a sold-out family business program. Now, backing from Wilmington Trust will give the initiative an extra push.

The CEL has received a two-year sponsorship from Wilmington Trust, a subsidiary of M&T Bank, to support the center’s family business programming. Demonstrating its commitment to the regional family business community, Wilmington Trust has agreed to serve as presenting sponsor for the eight-week “Growing a Healthy Family Business” course.

“We are thrilled to partner with Wilmington Trust to help grow the support and resources we provide for multigenerational family businesses,” says Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean and executive director of the CEL. “Our shared passion for family businesses, entrepreneurship and the community makes Wilmington Trust an ideal partner in this program.”

“Family businesses are the backbone of our communities and national economy,” says René Jones, M&T Bank’s vice chairman, who oversees Wilmington Trust. “M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust have a long history of supporting family businesses through banking services, wealth and investment management, and guidance on business succession. We’re honored to join the UB School of Management to support family businesses in Western New York.”

The partnership will enable the CEL to strengthen its current programming for regional family businesses by drawing national and international experts as distinguished guest presenters and speakers for the “Growing a Healthy Family Business” course and Family Business Association workshops. 

In addition, the CEL plans to expand its reach beyond Western New York through the development of a nationally recognized advisory board that brings together leading authorities on family business.

The CEL is currently enrolling new members in the Family Business Association, which hosts quarterly networking events and semiannual workshops for participants. The next “Growing a Healthy Family Business” course will kick off in February 2015. For more information, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

Established in 1987, the CEL provides participants with individualized and interactive education in entrepreneurship. More than 1,200 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel.

Wilmington Trust’s Wealth Advisory offers a wide array of personal trust, financial planning, fiduciary, asset management, private banking and family office services designed to help high-net-worth individuals and families grow, preserve and transfer wealth. It maintains offices throughout the United States and focuses on serving families with whom it can build long-term relationships, many of which span multiple generations. Wilmington Trust also provides Institutional Client Services for clients throughout the world. Wilmington Trust has offices throughout the United States and internationally in London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Dublin, Amsterdam and Cayman Islands. Wilmington Trust is an M&T company. For more information, visit wilmingtontrust.com.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.