Learn more about our lineup of speakers below.
Note: Speakers are listed in the order they appear in the program.
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Rachel D. Hyman is President and Executive Director of The Family Wealth Alliance. In this role, Rachel leads day-to-day operations, team management, relationship management, and business development for FWA. Rachel brings extensive experience in public, private, start-up, and non-profit entities such as E*TRADE and Oracle. She built her career creating and nurturing strategic relationships at every level inside and outside an organization, and is a passionate catalyst across stakeholders, leveraging the power of exceptional communication and collaboration. Rachel is driven to make a positive impact through personal relationships and strategic initiatives at every stage of our growth. |
Family Office Advisory Leader
RSM US LLP
Chris Dickson is a nationally-aligned senior manager within RSM’s Family Office Enterprise practice, where he plays a pivotal role in supporting the expansion, execution, and go-to-market strategy for family office advisory services. Known for critical thinking, Chris is passionate about innovation and collaboration. He believes that integrating multiple perspectives into any conversation is essential for crafting the best solutions. Chris works in RSM’s family office practice and has over 14 years of experience working directly with family offices, spanning both advisory and assurance perspectives. His primary area of responsibility includes the assessment and design of family offices, with a deep focus on people, process, technology, data, and governance. His advisory experience includes:
1. Family office strategy and design – comprehensive design and setup of family offices, encompassing governance, people, processes, and technology
2. Family office risk assessment – conducting enterprise risk assessments, developing project charters to support risk mitigation activities, and establishing risk committees
3. Family office technology search and selection – identifying business requirements, drafting and coordinating vendor RFIs and RFPs, developing proof-of-concept challenge cases, and designing systems architecture and integration plans
4. Family office governance advisory – designing family governance and operating governance structures, including family assemblies, family councils, advisory boards, and investment committees
Prior to joining RSM, he held the role of senior manager within a leading professional services firm, specializing in guiding ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their family offices in areas such as business and operational risk management, process engineering, and technology selection/integration. He was instrumental in designing and leading the firm’s family office risk management practice.
CFO
Sawmill Trust
Gail has more than 28 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families and leading within the private wealth management space. As an executive team member and Chief Financial Officer at Sawmill Trust Company, a growing multi-family office, she oversees financial strategy and firm operations while continuing to guide complex client engagements. Prior to joining Sawmill Trust Company, Gail was a Managing Director at Deloitte Tax where she advised family offices, multi-generational family-owned enterprises, and senior executives on sophisticated planning and compliance matters. Gail's combination of technical expertise and strategic perspective has made her a trusted advisor to families navigating the challenges of wealth stewardship across generations.
Partner & Managing Director of Client Experience
Heritage Wealth Advisors
Sarah Simmer is a Partner and the Managing Director of Client Experience, leading the firmwide strategy and execution of our client service delivery model and ensuring all client interactions reflect our standards of excellence. In addition, she leads the firm’s Pittsburgh office and continues to provide comprehensive wealth management and tax planning services to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and family offices. She has a particular emphasis on supporting multi-generational households in preserving, growing, and transferring wealth. Sarah is deeply committed to building long-term relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and personalized service.
Before joining Heritage, Sarah served as an Assurance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she specialized in technical financial accounting for publicly traded Fortune 500 companies and managed large-scale audit engagements.
A graduate of West Virginia University, Sarah earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting, magna cum laude. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®).
Sarah chairs the Advisory Board for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and is a Trustee of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. She resides in Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband, Blaine, and their two daughters, Amelia and Eliza.
AI Strategist & Author
Burrus Research
Daniel Burrus has delivered over 3,000 keynote speeches worldwide and is a strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies, helping them to develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. His client list includes Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Microsoft, VISA, Deloitte, Google, Procter & Gamble, KPMG, Honda, FedEx and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Burrus is an innovative entrepreneur who has founded six businesses, four of which were U.S. national leaders in the first year. He is the CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology-driven trends to help clients profit from technological, social and business forces that are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities.
He is the creator of the Hard Trend Methodology, the Anticipatory Organization® Business Model, used by leading organizations worldwide, and he is a founding member of the Department of Defense Joint Services Futures Group.
His accurate predictions date back to the early 1980s, when he became the first and only futurist to accurately identify the 20 exponential technologies that would become the driving force of business and economic growth for decades to come. They included digital electronics, AI, distributed computing, genetic engineering, lasers, optical storage, photovoltaics, fiberoptics and nanotechnologies to name a few. Since then, he has continued to establish a worldwide reputation for his exceptional record of predicting the future of technologydriven change and its direct impact on the business world.
Burrus is a featured writer, reaching millions of monthly readers with his insights on disruptive innovation, exponential change and the future. His work is featured across various platforms, including LinkedIn, where he is a member of an exclusive invitation-only group of experts. On LinkedIn alone, he has built a following of over 1.2 million professionals.
He has been the featured subject of several PBS television specials and has appeared on programs such as CNN, Fox Business and Bloomberg. Burrus has been quoted in a variety of publications, including Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fortune and Forbes.
Founder & CEO
Risclarity
Rick Higgins brings decades of experience to provide leadership and innovation in financial reporting for wealth managers and family offices. Having dedicated his career to innovation in family wealth technology, Rick is widely known for his ability to connect with people, overcome challenges, and offer reporting expertise.
Rick grew up with an understanding of the family office space and what it means to run a business. Having begun his career creating operational efficiencies in the family office run by his mother, it seems fitting Rick found quick success in the founding and operating of his first solution-based business, Digital Partner. In 1999, Digital Partner was acquired by myCFO where Rick continued to work as Product Manager until beginning a new venture, WealthTouch, in 2001. Rick served in leadership roles at WealthTouch until 2009.
Now, as founder and CEO of Risclarity, Rick continues to innovate and support reporting technology for family offices and ultra high net worth wealth managers. Rick’s entrepreneurial mindset and talent for creative thinking has led Rick to gain unparalleled experience in the family wealth space, while also establishing himself as a respected leader in financial technology.
A creative at heart, Rick is also a successful filmmaker, having directed and produced several works, and earning three Heartland Emmy® Awards along the way. Rick enjoys spending time with his wife Lesley and their family in the beautiful Colorado foothills.
Founder & CEO
Ellevate
As the former Director of Solutions Consulting at SS&C Advent and a Senior Executive on the Black Diamond Wealth Platform, Michelle Odom has spent the last 15 years evolving her impact on the wealth management space by designing industry-leading technology solutions for the country’s most successful advisory firms. Michelle was also instrumental in building Black Diamond’s Alternatives Strategy, connecting the platform with the largest fund administrator (SS&C) to address RIAs growing alternative investments exposure and aggregation challenges. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida and is a member of The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. She lives in Ponte Vedra Beach with her husband and two daughters. When away from work, Michelle enjoys spending time at the beach, traveling, getting together with friends, and volunteering in her children’s schools.
Managing Director, Wealth Management
West Monroe Partners
Wade Spencer is a long-time participant in the wealth management, asset management, and related technology space, having had significant leadership roles in custody, software, digital wealth, consulting and a leading independent wealth management firm in the US. In his 20+ years in financial services, Wade has had extended assignments and led product, strategy, and sales/relationship initiatives in the US, Europe, and Australia. Wade is a consultant with a passion for extending wealth management capabilities to more consumers through digital tools, financial product innovation, and modern technology. He works with wealth management providers, investment product manufacturers, technology providers, custodians, broker/dealers, and other industry participants to optimize growth. Wade has extensive experience working for F2 Strategy, Boston Consulting Group, Springboard Advisory Group, Plante Moran, Charles Schwab Institutional, and Advent Software.
COO
HB Wealth
Kyle Glenn joined HB Wealth in 2020 as Chief Operating Officer, returning after a previous stint with the firm from 2008-2013. He leads the firm’s internal operations, helps align the firm’s talent and culture with its long-term objectives, and drives strategic initiatives to support future growth. Prior to re-joining HB Wealth, Kyle was a Manager in Bain & Company’s Atlanta office. In his 5 years at Bain, Kyle led teams serving clients across a wide variety of industries, with a focus on Private Equity, Consumer Products, and Technology. His expertise includes M&A, growth strategy, organization and operating model design, and performance improvement. Kyle received an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2015 and a BS in Management with Highest Honors from Georgia Tech in 2008. He lives in Brookhaven with his wife and three daughters. In his spare time he enjoys running, reading, cycling, and wine tasting; he is a coffee snob and BBQ snob (and apologizes for neither).
Managing Director in Exclusive Family Office
Aspiriant
Lisa Colletti, J.D., CFP®, serves some of Aspiriant’s largest and most complex client families. She has also played an important role in advancing and modernizing the client service experience across the firm. In 2021, she was named Managing Director of Aspiriant’s Exclusive Family Office. Lisa joined Aspiriant’s New York office in 2011 and has worked in various leadership roles at Aspiriant while also advising clients. Lisa currently heads the strategy, growth and execution of our Exclusive Family Office group, which is a pioneer in the multifamily office space, providing clients with a multi-disciplinary, 360-degree view of their financial lives. With one of the largest and longest tenured in-house teams, the group brings together strategic wealth planning which includes investment strategy, estate and philanthropic planning, income tax planning, family governance, and financial administration services to help clients make the best financial decisions for their families.
Ultimately, she works to help clients see the big picture, while mastering the details necessary to help clients with their estate planning. Her goal is to provide every client a comprehensive perspective, independent and objective advice, and solid support to help them achieve their financial goals and live life well.
Lisa has developed her expertise in comprehensive wealth management for affluent families since the mid-1990s. Prior to joining Aspiriant, Lisa worked as a director in the Private Client Advisor practice at Deloitte and Touche, where she began her wealth management career. She completed her professional education at Fordham University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a juris doctor (J.D.) degree from the School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the state of New York, is a member of the Financial Planning Association, and earned the Certified Financial Planner™ designation in 2002.
Lisa has received numerous industry accolades including Forbes Top Women and Best in State Wealth Advisors and is frequently quoted in news publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, MarketWatch and USA Today. Lisa lives in the suburbs of New York City with her husband and three children.
CEO
RWA Wealth Partners LLC
Michelle Knight serves as the chief executive officer of the firm. As CEO, she is responsible for day-to-day management of the firm and executing its long-term strategic plan. As the firm’s chief economist, she’s responsible for apprising clients of global economic and market activity. Michelle is a frequent contributor to Financial Advisor magazine, Barron's Advisor, and Private Asset Management magazine, and she has been quoted in Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, the Boston Business Journal, Forbes and The Boston Globe.
In the past, Michelle served as chief executive officer for Ropes Wealth Advisors and chief economist for Ropes & Gray LLP. She was chief economist and managing director of fixed income for Silver Bridge Advisors (now Boston Private Wealth) and head of fixed income at Atlantic Trust (now CIBC Wealth). Before joining Atlantic Trust, Michelle was an analyst and assistant portfolio manager at J.P. Morgan Investment Management in New York.
Michelle earned an MBA, an MSF and a B.A. from Boston College, where she graduated summa cum laude and held the distinction of Presidential Scholar. In 2009, the Boston Business Journal named her one of its "40 Under 40" in recognition of her accomplishments as a corporate and civic leader.
Michelle is a Boston College trustee and Investment Committee member, Boston Latin School chair of the Investment Committee and former vice chair of the board of trustees, Dedham Country Day School trustee and Investment Committee chair, Rosie’s Place trustee, secretary, and Investment Committee chair, trustee and treasurer of the Leventhal Map & Education Center of the Boston Public Library, and Investment Committee member for the endowment of the Archdiocese of Boston. She is a volunteer and member of the Boston Economic Club, the Boston College Alumni Association and Council for Women, the Boston Children’s Hospital League, and the Catholic Schools Foundation Inner-City Scholarship Fund. Michelle also teaches religious education at Holy Name Church in West Roxbury, and is a parent volunteer with the Xaverian Brothers School parent council.
Michelle resides in West Roxbury, MA, with her family, including three sons who are the joy of her life.
Managing Director, Principal
Johnson Investment Counsel
Chad Maggard joined Johnson Investment Counsel in 2009 and is a Managing Director within Johnson Family Office Services. He is a shareholder of the firm and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation. Prior to coming to the firm, he was a Financial Consultant for AXA Advisors, LLC.
President, CEO & Partner
Brand Asset Management Group
Todd Brand serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President for the firm. He has more than 30 years of experience serving multi-generational families and their businesses at Brand Asset Management Group, Inc. His undergraduate degree in Financial Services & Planning and his MBA both come from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Todd earned his Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation in 2024. Through the knowledge learned in the credentialing program, CEPAs holistically plan for an owner’s life outside of their business while successfully building significant value in their organization prior to their exit. Todd serves on the Advisory Board for Center Cross Academy. He is also an active supporter of many local and national nonprofits, including For His Glory Ministries, Focus on the Family, Elevate St. Louis and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also serves as a mentor in the EO Elumni Mentorship Program and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. Outside of business, Todd speaks on the topics of leadership, marriage, faith and family along with his wife, Holly L. Brand, PhD.
Senior Director, Wealth Solutions
CAPTRUST
Nick DeCenso is Senior Director of Wealth Management Solutions at CAPTRUST, where he is responsible for growing the firm's private wealth assets through building practice and experience. He and his teams are focused on delivering personalized solutions to meet the firm's mission to enrich the lives of its clients.
Regional President
MAI Capital Management LLC
Joe Lum is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional who joined MAI in 2022 as a result of the acquisition of Intersect Capital, where he was named the youngest partner in firm history. He advises uniquely successful individuals and families throughout the sports, technology, and business world, designing and implementing comprehensive wealth planning and investment strategies. He oversaw the growth of the Intersect family office practice, guiding clients on cash flow management, private and public investment opportunities, as well as estate planning and charitable giving. As an advisor and angel investor, Joe has guided some of the most influential CEOs of consumer, health, and technology companies with the integration of sports and entertainment icons within their businesses. Outside of MAI, he serves as an Advisory Board member of the Thompson Family Foundation, The Gordon Family Giving Foundation, and the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation. Joe earned a BS in Natural Science from Loyola Marymount University.
Partner, Head of Solutions & Advisory
Trove
Robin Mirianthopoulos leads the Solutions & Advisory division of our organization, focusing on corporate, strategic, and business development initiatives and the continued development of our team. She works directly with families and their advisors on strategic initiatives and generational planning, ensuring a proactive, high-touch experience for families.
Partner, Director of Family Office Services & Advisor
Gresham Partners
As Director of Family Office Services & Advisor, Steve Czocher delivers integrated wealth management solutions to families and single-family offices.
Steve’s role is to assist clients reach their goals and objectives by building long-term sustainable plans that evolve as their families grow. He assists clients with needs beyond the scope of traditional financial services by sourcing and performing due diligence on high-quality service providers in the areas of risk management, household management, personal financial management, and private travel.
Prior to Gresham in 2007, Stephen worked at several large financial institutions both advising clients, back-office administration, investments, and operations.
Steve and his wife live in a western suburb of Chicago with their two children and golden retriever. He enjoys live music from every genre, playing games with his children, and traveling to new places. Steve reviews applications and attends panel interviews as an active Greenhouse Scholars volunteer where he meets inspiring Chicagoland students who have overcome incredible challenges.
Managing Partner
Cathexis Group
Dr. Charles Eckhart is the founder and managing partner of Cathexis Group, a family dynamics and governance consulting firm based in Santa Barbara, California. Charles consults with global families, couples, and family offices on the qualitative side of wealth to build innovative and forward looking family legacies and support engaged generational leaders to actualize family mission. Charles and his team facilitate family engagements to elevate family purpose and communication, cultivate strong family culture, and build customized governance strategies to support collaborative decision making. Prior to the founding of Cathexis Group, Charles had a career as a Clinical Psychologist in clinical practice and academia that now informs his expertise in complex family dynamics, leadership development, and decision making in multigenerational families.
Head of Independent Wealth Group, Americas
Apollo Global Management
Daniel Flynn is Managing Director, Head of Independent Wealth Group in the Client and Product Solutions group at Apollo. He leads the team responsible for US RIAs, Independent Broker Dealers, US Super Regional/Regional Banks, Canadian Wealth firms, Latin American & Offshore clients and DC and Enterprise platforms. Prior to joining in 2021, Daniel was Managing Director and Head of US Field Distribution at Barings, and Co-Head of Institutional Services at Gold Bullion International before that. Previously, Daniel was Vice President at Eaton Vance.
Chief Market Strategist
BMO Private Wealth
Carol Schleif is the Chief Market Strategist for BMO Private Wealth, the North American Wealth Management Business of BMO Financial Group. In this role, Carol leads several key initiatives aimed at amplifying BMOPW’s research and investment expertise, including authoring the firm’s Weekly Strategy Perspectives. Decades in the industry as a strategist, thought leader and portfolio manager position Carol as a sought-after speaker, writer and media commentator. Carol is a member of key asset allocation, strategy and governance working groups from across the bank as well as leading the Senior Investment Advisory Council. Carol is an active member and contributor to BMO’s Women & Wealth group.
Prior to her current role, Carol was the Chief Investment Officer for BMO Family Office, the Ultra High Net Worth money management group within BMO Private Wealth. As CIO, Carol led a team of 35 front line investment professionals, managed portfolios, and oversaw development and compliance activities for the team.
Prior to BMO, Carol spent over 25 years in the HNW and UHNW space of Wells Fargo, managing portfolios and client relationships, leading teams and participating in research, strategy and portfolio construction. Prior to that, Carol spent a decade on the sell side as a Market Strategist, Senior Research Analyst and Director of Fundamental Research.
Carol serves on the joint board of trustees for the College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University where she chairs CSB’s investment committee. She earned her MBA from Hamline University and undergraduate degrees in both business administration and equestrian science from William Woods College, where she graduated salutatorian and summa cum laude. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) and has also earned the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA).
Global Head of Alternative Investments
CIBC Private Wealth
Ohm Srinivasan is the Global Head of Alternative Investments across CIBC Private Wealth Management (US) and CIBC Global Asset Management. He is based in Boston. With 25 years of alternative investment management experience, he is responsible for the platform across private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real assets, alternative solutions, and external US mutual funds & ETFs.
Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Ohm was vice president of investments for Battersby Capital Management, where he was co-head of hedge fund research and a cross asset volatility portfolio manager for a systemic hedge book trading equity options and credit swaptions to complement the portfolio during the GFC in 2007-08.
Ohm began his career as a senior trader at Cornerstone Trading, where he managed multiple proprietary portfolios employing event-driven, volatility arbitrage, options market-making, and quantitative equity market-neutral hedge fund strategies. He earned a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in economics from the University of Michigan and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Principal & Senior Consultant
Fiducient Advisors
Christine Jordan provides investment consulting services to family offices and trusts, nonprofit organizations, corporate executives, and other substantial investors. She services clients by offering advice and expertise on asset allocation, portfolio design, investment policy statements, manager search process and overall investment management.
Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Christine was Vice President and Financial Advisor at Rappaport Reiches Capital Management, LLC and held various positions with Fidelity Investments. Christine earned a BBA in Finance from James Madison University and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). Christine is a past member of the Neighborhood Parents Network, Treasurer of the Board for Girls Supporting Girls, Advisory Board Member of St. Clement School & Church in Lincoln Park. In her free time, Christine enjoys traveling, reading, cycling classes and attending her children’s sporting events.
CEO
The Ensemble Practice LLC
Philip Palaveev is an industry expert, consultant and author focused on working with the top wealth management firms in the country and helping them achieve sustained growth, profitability and lasting value. As the CEO of The Ensemble Practice LLC, Philip Palaveev leads the G2 Leadership and Business Development programs working with hundreds of emerging leaders throughout to industry.