FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, THE CARIBBEAN AND THE DIASPORA
What’s keeping you up at night?
The money.Your siblings.The will.Who takes over.The same argument, again.
Money, siblings, wills, who takes over — I help family businesses settle the questions behind the quarrels. I'm Ria Mankee-Sookram, attorney and family business advisor with over 15 years' experience, based in Port of Spain.
Confidential. Nothing is shared with other family members without your permission.
TEP · CIArb · Chair, Family Business Association of the Caribbean · Author
Sound familiar?
Most families who call me aren't looking for "governance" or "succession". They're dealing with one of these.
L · Leadership
“I can't take a holiday without the business calling me.”
Also: "Nobody's ready to take over from me."
E · Equity
“I do all the work. Why are we taking the same money?”
Also: "There's no will — or it's years out of date." · "My children want different things. How do I make this fair?"
G · Governance & Growth
“Everyone has a say, but nothing gets decided.”
Also: "We can't agree on whether to expand."
A · Adaptation & Alignment
“We keep planning, but nothing changes.”
Also: "Our lawyer, accountant and banker never talk to each other."
C · Communication & Culture
“We keep having the same argument.”
Also: "Family meetings end in silence or shouting."
Y · You & Your Family
“I don't know what I want the next ten years to look like.”
Also: "I'm tired, and nobody sees it."
What is it costing you?
Decisions stall
The business waits while the family argues, and opportunities pass.
Money turns personal
Pay, drawings and dividends become a running dispute instead of a policy.
Everything runs through one person
Nobody else can step up, so you can never step back.
None of these fix themselves, and most get harder the longer they wait. That is where a family business advisor earns their place: before the quarrel becomes a crisis.
What changes when it's sorted
- Pay that matches the work each person does.
- A will and a shareholder agreement that say the same thing.
- Family meetings with rules everyone agreed to.
- A handover date the founder actually keeps.
- Decisions that no longer wait on one person.
Why families choose me as their family business advisor
Over 15 years as a family business advisor across Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and the diaspora — as an attorney, a mediator and an advisor who sees both the legal structure and the family relationships holding it together.
Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) · Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators · Chair, Family Business Association of the Caribbean · Licensed Insolvency Trustee
As a speaker at CCGI Governance Week, The University of the West Indies, Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, ACCA and Guardian Group.
Our father did not leave a Will and there were many issues both in the family and in the business that arose as a result. Through communication, governance and succession strategies, our family was able to come to an amicable mutual agreement.
Second-generation family business
Our dad died unexpectedly, and I was the only child that worked in the business with him. With Mankee Advisory, we were able to outline our roles and responsibilities, and develop a workable exit strategy, as well as a communication, succession and governance structure that everyone was able to get on board with.
Second-generation family business
As a founder, I had a vision of building a multigenerational legacy. Ria helped me understand what I needed to do for this to become a reality.
First-generation business owner
The first time we saw the LEGACY DNA, we knew we really underestimated the amount of grey area that we overlooked. It is an ongoing process, but we feel more secure having the expertise to help us work through the challenges in our business and in our family.
First-generation family business moving to the second generation
The Seven Domains of the Family Business
The Journey to a Multigenerational Legacy — the seven moments that break family businesses, and how to prepare for each.
What happens next
1
Take the free Legacy DNA check
About 10 minutes. You get an instant read on where your family business stands.
2
Have a confidential conversation
We talk through what's really going on. You'll know the fee before any paid work begins.
3
Get your plan
The full Legacy DNA Diagnostic, then the documents and structures it points to.
THE FRAMEWORK
The LEGACY DNA
The genetic code of enduring family enterprises.
Six dimensions and eighteen practices, each built around one question — from "Who can lead when you step back?" to "What do you want for yourself and your family?" It is the map behind the free check, the full Diagnostic and my work with every family.
Advising a family business client?
Bring me in without losing the relationship. I work alongside attorneys, accountants, bankers, insurance and wealth advisors on the family questions your client can't solve alone.
Let's talk about what's keeping you up at night.
Confidential. Nothing is shared with other family members without your permission.
Not ready to talk? Get the Legacy Blueprint free.
A short guide to how Caribbean family businesses have approached succession.