In this episode of the Global Investment Leaders podcast, Rosemont CEO Chas Burkhart is joined by Kristen Bauer, CEO of Laird Norton Wealth Management, an independent Seattle-based wealth management firm. Founded in 1967 as a single-family office, Laird Norton now manages approximately $15 billion in assets* for nearly 1,500 prominent families, individuals, foundations and endowments.
A CPA with more than 20 years of experience in holistic wealth management, Kristen originally started her career as a trusted advisor and CFO for George Russell and his family. Prior to joining Laird Norton, she went on to become president at Threshold Group, helping transition that single-family office into a multi-client office, developing and leading the national family office practice and ultimately merging the company into Tiedemann Advisors.
During their conversation, Bauer and Burkhart discuss:
- Bauer’s tenure as CEO of Laird Norton, which started just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic began making headlines, and the workplace changes she has navigated in the years since
- Laird Norton’s unique position as a registered investment advisor and a trust company and how that structure better enables the firm to partner with clients for multiple generations
- How the client experience is the first consideration when it comes to inorganic growth, with employees, clients and the community as key stakeholders in M&A decision making
- Laird Norton’s approach to ESG and impact – both on behalf of the clients they serve and within the four walls of their company
- The ownership of Laird Norton and the recent introduction of employee equity to ensure the sustainability of the firm for years to come
Regarding the future of Laird Norton, Bauer tells Burkhart that she is focused on the long-term. “We’re feeling like we are in the J-curve of an investment and we are really thinking about what the next 10 years look like – not what the next year looks like,” Bauer says “When you look at it from that approach, decisions become a little bit easier in the organization.”
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* Approximate AUM for Laird Norton Wealth Management at time of recording