Campden Wealth’s 2025 Family Office Operational Excellence Report paints a revealing picture of where family offices are evolving—and where they’re falling behind.

In this post, we share select highlights focused on governance, outsourcing, technology, and cybersecurity. These aren’t just theoretical trends—they’re the very levers shaping performance, trust, and sustainability in the next decade of family wealth.

Governance: Rising Priority, Uneven Implementation

62% of family offices cite governance as a key focus area—a clear sign that families are acknowledging its strategic role. Yet despite the enthusiasm, implementation is patchy:

• Nearly half operate without a formal succession plan or family constitution.
• Two-thirds lack a conflict resolution mechanism.
• Adoption of mission statements, investment frameworks, and risk management policies is growing—but still inconsistent.

This governance gap is most pronounced in first-generation and newly formed offices, where informal arrangements dominate. As offices move into second and third generations, governance becomes not just a best practice—but a critical safeguard against misalignment, litigation, and operational confusion.

Takeaway: Future-proofed offices are proactively formalizing governance—even before they “need” it. The cost of waiting can be far higher.

Outsourcing: More Than a Staffing Shortcut

Outsourcing is no longer just a cost-cutting tactic—it’s a strategic enabler.

Key outsourced areas:

• Legal, tax, and estate planning
• IT and cybersecurity
• Succession planning and family engagement (emerging trend)

Top drivers:

• Lack of in-house expertise
• Talent shortages and rising staff costs
• Efficiency and risk reduction

However, satisfaction with outsourcing partners is mixed. The report stresses that many family offices underinvest in managing vendor relationships—leading to gaps in alignment and performance. Stronger onboarding, clearer expectations, and ongoing collaboration are essential, particularly in complex areas like technology and cybersecurity.

‍Takeaway: Outsourcing is helping smaller and mid-sized offices punch above their weight—but requires rigorous vendor selection, clear expectations, and ongoing performance reviews.
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Technology: A Tale of Two Halves

While nearly half of family offices use cutting-edge platforms for investing, adoption across operations remains limited:

• Just over a third employ modern systems beyond investment management.
• Many still rely on spreadsheets and manual aggregation.
• Older offices lean on legacy systems; newer offices often leapfrog ahead via outsourced IT.

Most-used technologies:

• Cloud storage and document management
• Mobile access and reporting platforms
• Emerging adoption of AI for research, risk, and reporting

Persistent barriers:

• Cost concerns
• Resistance to change
• Lack of internal tech expertise

The report highlights that upgrading reporting systems and automating data flows are now becoming top priorities for family offices.

Takeaway: Offices that embrace tech across their full operations—not just investment dashboards—gain better decision-making, risk visibility, and scalability.
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Cybersecurity: The #1 Operational Risk

Cybersecurity is now a top concern for family offices:

• 60% have already experienced a cyberattack.
• Phishing, malware, and data breaches are the most common threats.

Most offices have implemented baseline protections:

• Two-factor authentication
• Data backup and recovery protocols
• Staff training and monitoring

However, many remain overconfident, especially those on outdated systems. The sophistication of threats is outpacing the maturity of internal controls.

Takeaway: Cybersecurity is not a one-time setup—it’s a living discipline requiring layered defenses, external audits, and up-to-date systems.
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Reporting: Still Too Manual

Even with dozens of reporting platforms on the market, about one-third of family offices still conduct more than half their reporting manually. Key challenges:

• Fragmented systems
• Complex asset types
• Gaps in budgeting, tax, and governance data

Leaders in this space are seeing rising adoption, but offices seeking true operational excellence are now prioritizing fully automated, real-time reporting systems.
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Final Thoughts: A Moment of Maturity

The report reveals a clear inflection point: family offices are growing in complexity, and their operational sophistication must rise to meet it. Governance is becoming institutionalized, outsourcing is rising, and technology is the new battleground for efficiency and resilience.

Note:
This post only covers a fraction of what the report offers. Download the full report.

This is not a comprehensive summary of the original document. We have extracted and contextualized select information.‍ This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or recommendations.