.png?width=600&quality=75&resize=contain&format=origin)
.png?width=1920&quality=75&resize=contain)
Jon Kenfield LLB, CA, FRI, FFBI, MBO is the founder and principal of The Solutionist Group, as well as the Chair and founder of the Family Business Institute. With over three decades of experience, Jon combines his legal qualifications with an extensive background in accounting, having held senior roles in two of the Big Four accounting firms. He is a Grade 1 Commercial Arbitrator and a highly regarded mediator with a particular focus on family business advisory and dispute resolution. Jon holds an honours degree in law and is a chartered accountant. His career has spanned multiple fields, including professional training, mediation, negotiation, and facilitation, focusing on complex areas such as succession planning, business continuity, leadership, and family business dynamics. His practical approach is influenced by his diverse background, ranging from roles in adventure travel and underwater photography to establishing Australia’s first major forensic accounting and dispute resolution practice. Through The Solutionist Group, Jon provides innovative problem-solving services designed to address and pre-empt conflicts, especially in the family business sector where he has concentrated much of his professional effort. In addition to his advisory work, Jon established the Family Business Institute, aimed at training advisers to navigate the nuances of family business challenges effectively. Jon is also the author of The Solutionist Guide to Family Business, a comprehensive 350-page text considered a leading Australian resource for families operating businesses and seeking sustainable, long-term success. Outside his professional commitments, Jon enjoys reading, writing, film, fly fishing, travel and underwater photography, reflecting his passion for adventure and exploration.

Co-Founder
The Family Business Institute
Dec 2015 - Present • 10 years 11 months

Training, Accreditation & Practice Support for Family Business Advisors & Family Business Mediators
The Family Business Institute Aus
Dec 2014 - Nov 2022 • 7 years 11 months

Co-Founder
Family Business Consultants Network
Dec 2012 - Present • 13 years 11 months
Accredited Adviser
Family Business Australia
Dec 1997 - Present • 28 years 11 months
Family Business Adviser, Family Business Mediator - Solutions for Family Businesses.
Self-employed
Dec 1993 - Nov 2022 • 28 years 11 months

Commercial Business Advisor / Commercial Business Mediator
Dispute Solutions
Dec 1993 - Nov 2022 • 28 years 11 months
Principal Adviser
Family Business Strategies
Dec 1993 - Nov 2022 • 28 years 11 months

The Solutionist
The Solutionist Group
Dec 1993 - Present • 32 years 11 months

Director, Litigation Support
Deloitte Australia
Dec 1981 - Dec 1993 • 12 years
Master of the Bloody Obvious - MBO, Family Business Advisory
Family Business Institute
1999 - 2016
Mediation and Dispute Resolution
Resolution Institute
1988 - 1988
Arbitration
Institute of Arbitrators Australia
1986 - 2004

Chartered Accountant (retired), Accountancy and Business Advisory
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
1985 - 2024

Chartered Accountant, Accountancy
ICAEW
1982 - 1985

CA, Chartered Accountant
ICAEW
1978 - 1982

Post Graduate Certificate of Education , Secondary Education and Teaching
University of Exeter
1976 - 1977

Post Graduate Certificate, Education
University of Exeter
1975 - 1976

Post Graduate Certificate of Education, Secondary Education and Teaching
University of Exeter
1974 - 1976

Bachelor of Laws - LLB, Law
The University of Manchester
1972 - 1975

Bachelor of Laws - LLB, Law
The University of Manchester
1971 - 1975

LLb, Law
The University of Manchester
1971 - 1975
O and A Levels
Bancroft's School, UK.
1964 - 1972