Barry S. Cain

JD, CMC

Managing Director

Barry Cain, Managing Director, leads both the Strategic Services Group and the Family Business Center at Blackman Kallick. Barry has developed in-depth relationships with his closely held and family business clients by focusing on their unique needs. His experience and vision help him assist clients in achieving breakthrough results for their highest aspirations.

Barry has a 35-year background as a legal and business consultant and for many years was a senior partner at the Chicago law firm Sachnoff & Weaver (Reed Smith, LLP). There he built a significant law and consulting practice and also served as both director and chairman of the firm's business group.

One of Barry's most significant accomplishments is taking a client company public and serving as its vice president and chief administrative officer for the following three years. In these roles he was able to help grow the company's revenue from $20 million to $400 million through internal growth; 24 acquisitions; and building an administrative organization to support 65 offices and 2,300 employees.

Barry spent many years on the board of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Family Business Council guiding its development and helping to meet the needs of family business clients. Blackman Kallick has also served as a firm sponsor-partner of the UIC Family Business Council.

Barry's principal areas of focus include the following:

• Strategic project development and implementation
• Driving execution, measurement and accountability strategies
• Facilitating family business integration strategies
• Designing and implementing succession strategies
• Developing organizational design structures
• Building family councils
• Structuring business advisory boards

Barry received his BS in Accounting from Indiana University and his JD from the Northwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) and served as a director of its Greater Chicago Chapter. He was also awarded a certified management consultant certification (CMC) by the IMC.

Barry is also a member of the Family Firm Institute, the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the Association for Corporate Growth and the Executive Club of Chicago. He also currently serves as a director on four corporate boards.

He is a frequent speaker and writer on family business issues and topics and has been profiled in Crain's Chicago Business for his work with family businesses and the success of the UIC Family Business Council. Barry has taught family business courses at UIC and previously served on the Family Business Council Advisory Board.

His speaking engagements include presentations at Family Firm Institute annual conferences, Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center Annual Conference, UIC Family Business Council general meetings and Vistage Chief Executive Forums. He has also authored a number of articles in regional and national publications including Family Business magazine and has been quoted extensively in publications such as Crain's Chicago Business, the Los Angeles Times and MasterCard magazine. He has also been interviewed in a live broadcast by the Wall Street Journal Radio Network.

Visit my blog, Strategy Insights

Articles by Barry Cain

• Are You Sure Your Kids Will Want the Family Business?

News about Barry Cain

• Cain Presents Surviving the Upturn, Be "The Other" at AICC Event
• Cain Interviewed by Crain's Chicago Business
• Cain Quoted in Chicago Tribune Article
• Cain to Present at the Family Firm Institute, Inc. Midwest Chapter Meeting
• Cain Article, “Don't Pin All Your Hopes on One Family Successor,” Published in Family Business Magazine