2013 Wealth Advisor Forum Speakers

Howard Bragman, Vice-Chairman, Reputation.com, ABC News Consultant, Chairman, 15 Minutes and Author, “Where's My Fifteen Minutes?: Get Your Company, Your Cause, or Yourself the Recognition You Deserve”

Howard Bragman is the Vice Chairman of the world’s leading online reputation management firm, Reputation.com. This multi – faceted role entails raising awareness about the importance of managing one’s online image, improving the company’s products and helping its customers build their reputations.

Bragman founded Fifteen Minutes in 2005 and it has evolved into one of the most respected boutique entertainment public relations agencies in the US. His personal participation includes high-level strategy, top-tier media contacts, crisis communications, media training and agency vision and values. Prior to Fifteen Minutes, he founded BNC which has become the largest entertainment PR agency in the world. He sold the agency to IPG in 2000. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at PR giant Burson-Marsteller.

Michael Cole, Ascent Private Capital Management

As the president of Ascent Private Capital Management, Michael Cole is fulfilling one of his family's core values. "My parents taught me and my two sisters that we are all citizens of a larger planet and that we need to look for ways to give back. For me, the greatest way to give back is to empower people who have great wealth to use their resources - both financial and personal - to do great things and make a positive impact on the planet."

Michael spends the majority of his time sharing his vision of how Ascent Private Capital Management may help families with significant resources act strategically to potentially make an impact with their wealth. "I believe there is no higher calling than to help people move forward in a direction that creates a positive change in how they manage their wealth and impact the world." Michael brings more than 28 years of financial-service experience to his position. He earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and is also a Certified Financial Planner.

David Friedman, WealthX

David Friedman is the Co-founder and President of Wealth-X, the world’s leading provider of wealth intelligence for luxury brands, private banks and not-for-profit organisations. Mr. Friedman is a noted author and speaker on UHNW business development practices and his opinions on a broad range of topics involving the ultra-wealthy have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Guardian, Investment News and The Telegraph. He is a frequent contributor to Private Wealth Magazine and has written for a variety of magazines and publications on UHNW market and business development strategies.

Mr. Friedman has a Masters Degree in Philosophical Theology and Ethics from Yale Divinity School as well as a political philosophy degree from Wheaton College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Maria Elena Lagomasino, WE Family Offices

Maria Elena (Mel) Lagomasino is CEO and Managing Partner of WE Family Offices, a multi-family office serving global ultra high net worth families. She is a recognized leader in the wealth management industry, and is a Founding Member of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.

Mel served as CEO of GenSpring Family Offices, a leading multi-family office. Prior to that, she served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JP Morgan Private Bank, an institution with more than $300 billion in client assets under supervision. Her career in banking began in 1977 at Citibank. She joined the Chase Manhattan Private Bank in 1983 and was named head of Chase’s worldwide private banking business in 1997. Following the chase-JP Morgan merger, she became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the JP Morgan Private Bank.

Thomas Melcher, Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth

Thomas P. Melcher is executive vice president and managing executive of Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth℠, which is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals and families with investable assets in excess of $20 million. With national responsibility for this business, Mr. Melcher oversees the investment process and all facets of client acquisition and servicing. He also personally manages nearly $2 billion for ultra high-net worth individuals and families. In addition, he is a member of the PNC Wealth Management Investment Policy Committee, the Investment Advisor Research Committee, and the Risk Management, Investment and Fiduciary Committee.

Preston Root, Root Family Board of Directors

Preston Root is president of the Root Family Board of Directors, a position that has been continuously occupied by a family member for 113 years. Root Company is a sixth generation family business based in Florida. He is the great grandson of C.J. Root who founded Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1901. Root Glass Company designed, patented and manufactured the original 6 ½ ounce Coca-Cola bottle in 1916. Root Company relocated to Florida in 1950 and started to build what would become one of the largest independent bottlers of Coca-Cola in the United States. Preston has worked for the family business for 35 years in roles ranging from route sales to radio station manager.

He just concluded a 29 year career as an auto racing commentator and worked for MRN Radio – “The Voice of NASCAR” – American’s largest independent sports radio network. Preston has served on the Board of Directors for the YMCA, Halifax Health Foundation, Museum of Arts and Sciences of Daytona Beach and The Arc. In 2010 Preston was named “Top Volunteer in the State of Florida” by The Arc.

Mark Rubin, FTI Consulting

Mark B. Rubin is a senior managing director and leads the firms’ Private Client Tax & Advisory Services practice, based in New York. Mr. Rubin oversees service delivery to private enterprises, family businesses, family offices and high net worth executives in the following areas: Income Tax Planning and Compliance, Asset Protection and Estate Planning, Multigenerational Succession and Governance Planning, Financial Planning, Philanthropic Advisory Planning, Family Office Services and Trust Accounting Services. Mr. Rubin is a recognized leader in the field of advising multigenerational families regarding tax planning and, broadly speaking, governance for long-term wealth preservation. He advises regularly on litigation matters regarding the tax implications of transactions in damage assessment.

Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner, Millennial Branding and author of Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future and Promote Yourself: The New Art of Getting Ahead

Dan Schawbel, recognized as a “personal branding guru” by The New York Times, is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. He is the author of the #1 international bestselling book, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future, now in 13 languages. His second book, Promote Yourself: The New Art of Getting Ahead, will be released in 2013 by St. Martin’s Press. Dan is a columnist at both TIME and FORBES, and has been featured in over 1,000 media outlets, such as Wired Magazine, PBS Nightly Business Report, and ELLE Magazine. He’s spoken at Google, NBC Universal, McGraw-Hill, Harvard Business School, MIT, Time Warner, IBM, and CitiGroup. Dan was named to the Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 List in 2010, the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 List in 2012, and BusinessWeek cites him as someone entrepreneurs should follow on Twitter.

Leslie Voth, Pitcairn

Leslie C. Voth is President and Chief Executive Officer of Pitcairn, a recognized global leader in the specialized multi-family office marketplace. Leslie’s industry experience and invaluable insights have contributed to the success of both the firm and its clients. She has been a member of Pitcairn’s senior management team since 1996.

Leslie is directly responsible for overall corporate planning and strategic growth, and oversees all client relationships. She has played a key role in Pitcairn’s growth and expansion, spearheading development and implementation of an industry-leading 100% open architecture investment platform, and developing a total wealth management strategy utilized by the firm’s clients. She has recently pioneered creation of multi-disciplinary teams to collaboratively meet the increasingly complex needs of the firm’s clients.

FOX Speakers and Facilitators

Sara Hamilton, CEO and Founder

A recognized visionary in the private wealth community, Sara provides strategic direction for FOX and leads the development of programs and services supporting wealthy individuals, family office executives, and wealth advisory firms globally. For the past three years, she has been named as one of the "Top 50 Women in Wealth Management" by Wealth Manager. Sara is the co-author of Family Legacy and Leadership: Preserving True Family Wealth in Challenging Times and serves on the executive education faculty of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for the "Private Wealth Management" course offered twice a year in Chicago.

Amy Hart-Clyne, Managing Director - Market and Content Development

Amy Hart Clyne is Managing Director of the Family Office Exchange (FOX) Market and Content Development team where she works on delivering market-centric solutions to both Family and Advisor Members of the firm. She is an executive with extensive experience in private wealth management serving ultra high net worth individuals. A strategic and tactical professional, Amy is skilled in developing strategy, marketing and communications programs to both members of senior management teams and as an advisor to industry leaders in private wealth management. Specific areas of expertise include strategic planning, client management and advisory, strategic marketing and research planning, internal sales and training meetings, client events and seminars, relationship management, and new product launch.

Alexandre Monnier, President

Alexandre, who has extensive experience in creating, marketing, and delivering premium services in the private aviation and healthcare industries, plays a significant role in the next phase of growth for FOX, which includes the launch of the FOX Wealth Center website, introduction of three new advisor directories, expansion of the successful workshop program, and development of appropriate local membership models outside the U.S. He has executive-level experience at PinnacleCare and Bombardier Skyjet and served 10 years as a management consultant for firms in the U.S. and Europe.

David Lincoln, Managing Director - Research

David Lincoln joined Family Office Exchange as Managing Director of Research in April 2007. Formerly practice manager for The VIP Forum of the Corporate Executive Board, which serves as a best practices research advisor to 400 leading financial organizations in 42 countries, Mr. Lincoln brings to his role 13 years of research product development and delivery expertise. Previously, he held research-related positions at the Goldman Sachs Group in New York, where he completed the firm's first complete research analysis of private wealth management, and the Institute for International Economics, where he assisted institute fellows with research focusing on international trade and economic issues.

Karen Neal, Managing Director - Consulting

Karen Neal is managing director of the Family Office Exchange (FOX) consulting group, where she works with family groups to bring processes and solutions to the challenges of preserving family wealth, including refining of business strategy to address transitions and changing needs of the family and firm. Her work with families has included development of family enterprise strategy, operational assessment of the family office, selection of wealth advisors, and wealth management industry education. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of family office best practices. Ms. Neal brings to her clients more than 20 years of consulting experience with an extensive background in the valuation of closely held businesses for estate and gift tax planning, merger and acquisition, and financial planning purposes.

Permission Groups

Family Office - Council Member

FOX - Employee

Family Office - Member

Family Office - Subscriber

Family Office - Discussion Only

Thought Leaders Council Member

Wealth Advisor Member

Advisor Specialist Member

Advisor Council Member

Directory Only Individual

FOX Public Network - Other