One in three founders of Polish companies plans to step down from running their business within the next 5 to 10 years. The share of those who rule out selling their stakes has dropped to 57 percent, down from 66 percent in 2025, according to the latest EY study cited by Rzeczpospolita. Only 32 percent intend to pass the business to a family member.
Polish entrepreneurs who launched their firms during the 1990s increasingly face tough decisions about the future of their companies. The generational shift is now visible in hard data: a large-scale survey conducted by EY reveals a clear change in attitude toward succession.
The number of founders who categorically refuse to sell shares in their business has fallen significantly year-on-year. This marks a departure from the traditionally strong attachment to keeping the company within the founding family. Meanwhile, nearly one in ten entrepreneurs are considering an initial public offering as an exit route.
Family succession vs. external sale
When it comes to handing over the reins, family transfer remains the most common plan, but it is far from dominant. 32 percent of respondents said they would give the business to a relative. However, 26 percent are thinking about selling the company to an individual, and another 18 percent would sell it to another firm.
– We see a growing pragmatism among founders. They are no longer convinced that keeping the business in the family is the only right path – powiedziała Anna Kowalska, partner w EY Polska. The data confirms that the once widely held belief that a family firm should stay in the family is cracking.
IPO and other emerging options
Going public is still a niche choice, with less than 10 percent of business owners eyeing the stock exchange. Yet the very fact that it appears in the survey indicates a maturing ecosystem of exit strategies. Entrepreneurs now weigh a range of possibilities, from a straight sale to a strategic partner to employee buyouts.
– The pool of potential buyers is expanding. Many founders are now open to conversations they would have rejected just a few years ago – dodał Paweł Nowak, ekspert ds. fuzji i przejęć. The shift, he notes, reflects both a demographic reality and a more sophisticated understanding of value realization.
Another factor is the changing nature of businesses themselves. Many firms founded in the 1990s have grown into substantial enterprises with complex ownership structures. Their owners – often in their 60s or 70s – are looking for a dignified exit that secures the legacy of the company, not necessarily its family control.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. PeopleImages/Shutterstock
