The empirical study addresses long-lived family businesses with hybrid management and executive structures which include both family members and non-family executives. It intends to provide insight into the way active family business owners structure relationships to non-family executives in this form of family business. The investigation will also evaluate the concept of control that they have in relation to non-family executives. Therefore seventy-one active family business owners were interviewed. A significant finding is that this relationship is primarily based on trust and a shared set of objectives and values. The importance of control should not be underestimated; control is not immediately apparent in most cases, but rather is reflected indirectly through informal and generally unnoticed actions and behavioural patterns. A total of fifteen control mechanisms can be identified on the basis of the analysis.