HONORED TO BE SPEAKING AT CAMPDEN WEALTH'S ANNUAL FAMILY OFFICE CONFERENCE ALONG WITH PHILANTHROPIST BOBBY SAGAR, FORMER PRESIDENT OF GORDON BROTHERS

Over the next two decades, UHNW families will hand over $2.1 trillion to their heirs. This represents a significant challenge and opportunity for families, since wealth transfer is not just the transfer of assets from the current generation to the next; it is a much more involved process that includes education, values and leadership — and families know it. In 2016, succession planning topped family offices’ list of priorities, and this year, under half of family offices globally have a succession plan in place. With this in mind, Campden Wealth’s 2017 North American Family Office Conference focuses on wealth transfer and the tools and strategies needed to build a multi-generational legacy.

The 12th annual North American Family Office Conference will guide families through the different aspects of wealth transfer — from transforming an investment portfolio and structuring a family unit that is based on multi-family leadership, to educating and interacting with the next generation. You will hear from leading next generation leaders including Ken Natori and Robert Pasin.

As always, this conference will provide leading US and global multi-generational family offices the opportunity to network, benchmark best practices, and learn from thought-leaders in a private and congenial setting.

Each year, Campden Wealth brings together more than 100 heads of families from around the world. Through a series of family-led interactive panel discussions, small group roundtables, and intimate, closed-door sessions, this prestigious conference is designed to be thought-provoking and to provide actionable insights to help families determine their future agendas.     

conference chairmen:

patricia saputo ? Chief Financial Officer, Placements Italcan Inc., Canada

Patricia is the daughter of Francesco and Lia Saputo and has been managing her immediate family’s family office in her role as the chief financial officer of Placements Italcan Inc., a diversified investment holding company. Saputo Inc. produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality and is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world.

irma wang ? Managing Director, Romar Capital, IL, USA

Irma Wang serves as the managing director of Romar Capital, a Chicago-based family office established since 1996. Irma started her career in a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm with a focus on venture-backed biotech startups. In 2008, she joined Credit Suisse Private Bank in Singapore where she advised on portfolio allocation strategies for high net worth clients. Irma graduated from the Northwestern University with a major in chemical engineering and later obtained her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

family members and family office speakers:

ian smith ? Third-Generation Family Member and Vice President, Hillcrest Holdings, IA, USA

Ian joined the family trucking business, CRST International, after getting an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business. He worked on the company’s M&A efforts as well as sitting on the board of directors. Currently, he and his brother-in-law, Jonathan Howgate, have begun to work for the parent holding company with a mission to diversify the family’s holdings primarily by acquiring unrelated operating businesses. Ian also has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wesleyan University and has served on the board of the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater.

bobby sager ? Founder, Sager Family Traveling Foundation & Roadshow, MA, USA

Bobby is a tough-minded businessman who made a fortune by seeing opportunity where others have not. He was a driving force behind the spectacular growth of Gordon Brothers Group, a preeminent global financial services business that now conducts over $20 billion of transactions annually with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. In 2000, Bobby, his wife Elaine, daughter Tess and son Shane, founded the Sager Family Travelling Foundation and Roadshow. Now, more than three-dozen trips later, the Sagers have established their own special brand of hands-on, eye-ball to eye-ball philanthropy. For an overview on the initiatives please visit www.teamsager.org.

James k. cornell ? Seventh-Generation Owner, Cornell Door Solutions (Founded 1828), & Managing Partner, Fiduciary Wealth Partners, MA, USA

James Cornell is a founder and managing partner of Fiduciary Wealth Partners, an investment advisory and consulting firm to family businesses and family offices. He serves on the boards of several for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations and related family businesses and family offices. James is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization where he serves as chairman of the YPO Family Office Principals’ Group and member of the YPO Family Business Group.

bryn mars ? Director on the Board, Foster Holdings, Inc., NY, USA

Bryn Mars is thrilled to pair her knowledge of business operations and the challenges of family enterprise, in a meaningful way. She focuses on the intersection of business and family, providing structure for governance, leadership, and education, particularly as it relates to succession and the skills required to be a good steward of wealth. After earning her degree in psychology from Skidmore College, Bryn went on to serve as a high-level operations manager in the fitness industry, including chief operations officer for a boutique wellness company in the NYC area. Though business operations was her first career, Bryn was introduced to her family office at the age of 18, and quickly found an interest and love of the fine line of business and family. Bryn is an active member of the Board of Directors of her family office, and of their newest entity, FAM Legacy Solutions, an MFO Consulting Service. Previously, she served as chair of 5/4ths, a fourth-generation Foster Family Investment Group.

wanda ortwine ? Chief Family Officer, Luck Companies, VA, USA

As chief family officer, Wanda Ortwine leads the family office, which supports a multi-generational family and Luck Companies in achieving their vision for the next generation. One of her key objectives is to preserve the Lucks’ values and business interests from generation to generation and build for the future by counseling, educating, and preparing the next generation of Lucks for ownership and leadership. Wanda began her career with Luck Companies in 2007. Luck Companies is one of the largest producers of crushed stone in the nation. She has over 25 years of experience in working with high net worth families and family-owned businesses.

vincent valeri ? Managing Director - Family Business & Legacy Advisor, Vedaera, Canada

Vincent BA, MBM is a family business advisor. He provides strategic guidance and advice in areas of generational succession, wealth preservation, family dynamics and relationships. As a result of having grown up in and worked in a family business himself, Mr. Valeri brings his own personal experiences, struggles, learnings and insights to the families he serves. Following the sales of his family business, Vincent joined the wealth management industry where he witnessed a significant gap in how a family’s wealth was being managed in relation to the management of the familial relationships and dynamics.

dr. pramodita sharma ? Professor & Daniel Clark Sanders Chair, University of Vermont Grossman School of Business, VT, USA

PramoDITA Sharma is a professor & Daniel Clark Sanders Chair in Entrepreneurship & Family Business at the Grossman School of Business, University of Vermont. She is a visiting professor at the Kellogg School of Management’s Center for Family Enterprises, Northwestern University. Her research on succession processes, governance, innovation, next generation commitment and entrepreneurial leadership in family enterprises has been honored with several international awards. Her recent book entitled Entrepreneurial Family Firms (w. Hoy) is being used in family business courses around the world and has been translated into Mandarin.

caleb white ? Sixth-Generation Owner, Ensign-Bickford Industries (Founded 1836) & Partner, CFAR, Inc., MA, USA

Caleb White specializes in the complex strategic and operational issues facing today’s organizations. He draws on his experience as a high impact leader in both privately-held and large public companies, at different stages of development and across multiple industries. This includes leading his sixth-generation family business, Ensign- Bickford Industries, Inc. Prior to joining CFAR, Caleb was president and CEO of Ensign-Bickford, a privately- held portfolio of diversified manufacturing companies, where he furthered expansion and spearheaded nearly ten acquisitions helping transform the portfolio into new areas. He is now a member of its Board of Directors. Caleb also serves as a director of Axiam Inc. and Brokers International, and has been a member of numerous not- for-profit boards throughout his career, including St. Mark’s School of Southboro, MA and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, which was founded by his father.