Joe Schmieder

Joe is a senior advisor of the Family Business Consulting Group, specializing in family business succession planning and strategic business planning. He helps family-owned organizations increase their value through the careful guidance of family succession and the resolution of complex family business issues.

Prior to joining FBCG, Joe spent more than 25 years leading multi-generation family businesses as a non-family executive. He served as Chief Operating Officer for Custer Workplace Interiors and successfully guided the family-owned dealership through the industry’s most severe downturn. Working with the founder and his three sons, he helped to adjust the organization and diversify product and service offerings to remain profitable. The company rebounded with 20% growth. 

Prior to joining Custer, Joe served as Divisional President at Oliver Products Company, a 114-year-old family business serving the medical, food and graphics markets. He was responsible for the global performance of the largest business unit. For most of his 18 years at Oliver, Joe reported to the second-generation family chairman while leading the third generation in their career development. The blended team of family and non-family executives achieved significant international results in both operational improvements and profitable business growth — all helping unify the family business.

In addition to his consulting practice, Joe has served as an adjunct professor at Notre Dame University teaching Family Business Strategy courses. He’s the author of the book Innovation in the Family Business: Succeeding through Generations and numerous family business articles. He studies and presents family business topics around the world.

Joe serves, or has served, on several family business and community boards, including: Griffith Foods, EJ, Burke E. Porter (Chair), Glastender, Custer Workplace Interiors, Via Design (Treasurer), The Mayline Group, YPO, St. Mary’s Foundation and JDRF.