Randolph B. Godshall will speak from his experience as a respected litigator about family-conflict litigation and how to avoid such legal wrangles by working through differences in perspectives. Randolph will reference his extensive client work to identify proactive and preventative strategies and tactics to better understand the root causes. Ann Begler will build on Randolph’s foundation and explain the psychological underpinnings that impact individuals in different ways and how they contribute to inevitable family conflict.
Resource Search
Strong partnerships between families and their advisors better prepare them to take on complex issues and navigate transitions. Family Office Exchange has undertaken ground-breaking research focused on how these great partnerships are formed. The research chronicles the work of families and advisors who have effectively transformed their numerous and complex relationships into highly productive partnerships. Amy Hart Clyne will lead a panel of families and advisors that will bring these stories to life along their journey to secure family engagement and unity for generations to come.
Emotions are at an all-time high this election, but no matter who is voted into office, our investment goals aren't likely to change much. What's important is how we invest and where each of us focus our energies in the coming years. Our keynote conversation this year is with a recognized investor and supporter of social causes, Mellody Hobson, who will share her insights on investing for the long-term and using family resources for philanthropic impact.
In order to effectively reduce their risk profiles, families of wealth must understand how they may be impacted by geopolitical events. General Hayden is uniquely positioned to bring the level of sophisticated insights families and their advisors need to build a comprehensive view of global risk. In this session, General Hayden will explore the tectonic shifts affecting the world today and how they are changing.
Andy Anderson and his team at Wells Fargo have found that wealthy families are interested in the details of their family histories, not so much to boast about their great business success or to impress their descendants, but to demonstrate that family wealth came with profound dedication, an immense amount of hard work, and often great sacrifice. In this session, Andy will share how weaving together the family story can spur emotional and psychological connections, inspire future generations, and lessen the “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” effect.
Giving up company ownership can be the largest and most important step in a business owner’s career and many successful entrepreneurs are not well prepared to take it. In this break-out, the panel will delve into former business owners’ journeys, providing insights and strategies for the challenges business owners face when deciding what the next step is for their business, whether that means selling the company or transferring it to the next generation. This panel will feature the recently released Columbia Business School and U.S.
The dynamics surrounding issues of wealth – including income inequality, economic mobility, and the tension between public and private personas – are often tricky to manage, especially in the current toxic sociopolitical climate. While there is no “right” answer, discussions with peers can be an important starting point for those grappling with these issues. Peter Karoff and Leslie Pine will reflect on recent discussions with families and others on what it means to be wealthy in our society today, including implications for the next generation.
Sara Hamilton and Steve Martiros will lead an interactive session on how family offices are supporting Family Education programs. We will draw from the experiences of the attendees to discuss what has been working in family education, and perhaps more relevant, what has not been working. We will share some possible approaches and ask for feedback on what you think are the most important topics for financial literacy for rising generations. Topics to be discussed are subject matter topics, methods of learning, time commitment, and age groups.
How do you get on the right track during the investment consultant due diligence process and thereafter to optimize the advisor and client relationship? Aligning the advisory relationship with a family’s objectives is critical to success and as much an art as a science. Certain families don’t realize they have the ability to design and customize a relationship that best suits them. Much of the tone can be set at the outset when simulating the client experience before a family even signs a service contract.
Offering a competitive compensation plan is essential to attracting and retaining the top talent that can ensure the family office’s success. However, compensation is also consistently the biggest line item in every family office budget. This makes designing compensation plans that are competitive and effective especially imperative.