Josip Kotlar is a Full Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Family Business at Politecnico di Milano. He specializes in supporting leadership teams of ownership groups, particularly entrepreneurial families and family businesses, as well as senior executives at the top levels of organizations, guiding complex processes of strategic transformation and evolution.

His research explores how owners and business leaders balance financial and non-financial goals, driving innovation and strategic change. Author of over 50 scientific publications cited more than 9,000 times, his studies have appeared in leading international academic journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Family Business Review, and Journal of Family Business Strategy. He serves as Associate Editor of Family Business Review and is a member of the Editorial Review Boards for Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Journal of Family Business Strategy. He currently serves as President of the International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) and was recognized among the “Top 25 Most Influential Academics in Family Enterprise” by Family Capital.

Founder of the Family Office Observatory and Director of the Innovation and Strategy Research Group at Politecnico di Milano, Josip Kotlar also created and leads the Executive Program for Family Office Professionals. His work has been featured in Forbes, The Financial Times, and prominent Italian media outlets such as Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica, and Corriere della Sera.