The Rising Role of Women in Family Offices and Family Businesses is a perceptive and timely Special Report that explores the growing role of women in leadership positions within family offices and family-owned businesses. It highlights the historical context, current trends and key factors driving this shift, providing valuable insights into how women are shaping the future of these organisations. The report includes contributions from global experts who offer practical advice on a range of topics, including:

• impact investing;
• balancing professional and personal roles;
• navigating succession planning; and
• integrating state-of-the-art technology.

Readers will benefit from real-life case studies, strategic guidance and in-depth analysis designed to inspire and empower female leaders and their advisers alike. With chapters covering diverse issues such as reputation management, philanthropy, mentorship and the unique challenges faced by women in family offices, this report is an essential resource for professionals in the family office space who want to adapt before they miss out on a big opportunity.

Targeted at family business leaders, family office executives, advisers and other professionals interested in the advancement of women in the industry, this report offers a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges that women face today.

Elizabeth Bagger
Founder and director, Avanti Family Business Advisory LLC
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-bagger-3b91453/

Elizabeth Bagger is a passionate supporter of, and advocate for, family-owned businesses. She is the founder of Avanti Family Business Advisory, a boutique advisory firm that helps families strengthen their family dynamics, family governance and next-generation engagement. Before starting Avanti in 2021, Elizabeth was the director general of the Institute for Family Business, a UK-based membership organisation that lobbies government on behalf of the family business sector and brings together family businesses for the purpose of learning and networking. Prior to that she worked in corporate governance and in her own family business where she now serves as a non-executive director.
Elizabeth holds a certificate in family business advising from the Family Firm Institute and is a certified facilitator. She lives between the United States and Mexico and works globally.

Donzelina A Barroso
Principal, DA Barroso Consulting LLC
[email protected]

Donzelina A Barroso has 25 years of experience in philanthropic advisory services, working with individual, family, corporate and institutional donors from across the globe to implement their philanthropic strategies. She has led engagements in such topics as education, health and human services, economic mobility, the arts, environmental issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She has worked with families and individuals to establish new philanthropic entities, including establishing philanthropic strategies and processes, and planning for inclusion of next-generation family members. Prior to a return to consulting, Donzelina served as senior director of global philanthropy at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, a master’s in public administration from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in Medieval and Renaissance history from Barnard College at Columbia University. A dual citizen of the United States and Portugal, Donzie is fluent in English, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Kate Bright
Founder and CEO, UMBRA International Group
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katevbright/

Kate Bright (CSyP, FRSA) is a security industry leader, chartered security professional and former family office executive. She has spent almost three decades protecting clients, initially in her family office executive role, and then from 2015 as the founder and CEO of UMBRA International. She saw firsthand during her family office career that there was a gap in the global risk/crisis management and private security sector; specifically the provision of proactive and reactive security advisory services catering for the exacting needs and lifestyles of international private clients and single family offices.
Working alongside Kate are team UMBRA, drawn from top-tier specialist ex-military, law enforcement, public and private sector. Kate pioneered the first ‘security as a service’ subscription model for private clients and their families (UMBRA+). She also introduced the concept of the ‘4 pillars of secure lifestyle’, enabling clients to understand the importance of investing in a ‘human first’ holistic physical, digital, reputational and emotional security methodology. She is a sought-after speaker on the topic of security, and her approach to proactive longterm high-performance risk resilience is widely quoted in the media (eg, The Telegraph, Forbes, Times Luxx, Business Insider).
Kate serves as a trustee for both a gender impact foundation and the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals’ Charitable Trust, and is also a member of the British Army Gender Advisory Committee. She has lived in London for 30 years.

Anne Bucciarelli
Senior national director, Family Engagement Strategies, Bernstein Private Wealth Management
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-bucciarelli-cfa-64ab646/

Anne Bucciarelli is an SVP and senior national director at Bernstein, leading their Family Engagement Institute, which helps families explore the transfer of wealth-related values and knowledge. She provides customised advice on complex financial issues for private clients and their advisers, including family governance, wealth transfer strategies and philanthropic planning. Anne joined Bernstein in 2004, became a wealth strategies analyst in 2006, headed the personal philanthropy team in 2017 and assumed her current position in 2018.
Anne earned her BA with honours, magna cum laude in finance and information systems from Loyola University of Chicago. A chartered financial analyst charterholder since 2011, she is also a member of the CFA Society New York. She holds certificates from the Family Firm Institute in advanced family business advising and advanced family wealth advising and is a 21/64 Certified Advisor.

Mindy Kalinowski Earley
Founder and president, Family Wealth Factor; Chief learning officer, Family Office Exchange (FOX)
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-kalinowski-earley-65a063295/

Mindy Kalinowski Earley has extensive experience working with ultrahigh- net-worth (UHNW) families, family offices and advisers. Her previous experience working in two single family offices equipped her to bring that expertise to FOX, working with the entire family office and UNHW ecosystem on educational programmes, consulting projects and initiatives focused on family learning, rising generation preparation and similar projects. Her professional career has afforded her the opportunity to work with some of the leading families in the United States and internationally. She has been invited into families’ most intimate conversations and been entrusted with guiding and supporting their children, the next generation. Mindy enjoys helping families and rising generation members navigate the unique world of family enterprise and family relationships by understanding that responsibility and intention pave a path to personal achievement. She has been featured in The New York Times, Family Business magazine and the Successful Generations podcast, and is a regular speaker and facilitator.

Miranda Fisher
Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-fisher-lawyer/

Miranda Fisher has been a specialist family lawyer for over 25 years. She is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and The Legal 500, and as one of the Spear’s 500 ‘Top Flight’ family lawyers in the United Kingdom. She won Family Lawyer of the Year at the Spear’s Awards in 2018. She is equally adept at dealing with complex financial disputes on divorce and arrangements for children when parents separate. Her financial cases often involve trusts, inherited wealth, family businesses, offshore asset structures and the protection of family wealth through pre- and postnuptial agreements. Miranda has extensive experience in international family law cases involving financial issues and the relocation of children, applications to the English Court for financial settlement following divorce proceedings overseas, and jurisdiction disputes. She is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.

Friedrich Kammerlander
Co-founder and CEO, digitalisation and AI specialist, Zebracorn GmbH
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/friedrichkammerlander/

Friedrich Kammerlander is an IT professional and entrepreneur specialising in digital transformations, artificial intelligence and innovation. He is the co-founder and CEO of Zebracorn GmbH, a company focused on driving innovation and transformation in organisations.
Holding his master’s degree in computer science from the Technical University of Munich, Friedrich worked as an IT consultant in the telecommunications, automotive and education industries, managing distributed and local projects. He later became an agile coach and product owner in Switzerland, focusing on product development and team performance. In 2016 he led an IT team, aligning IT strategies with business goals while also fostering diversity. Since 2021, Friedrich has advised German SMEs on agile methodologies, digital transformation and AI integration. During this time he also served as interim digitalisation manager for a family-owned company. Friedrich holds an executive MBA from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, where his thesis was on agile methods and team performance in SMEs.

Nadine Kammerlander
Institute of Family Business and Mittelstand; Professor and chair of Family Business, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Business
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadinekammerlander/

Nadine Kammerlander leads the Institute of Family Business and Mittelstand and is chair of Family Business at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. She also holds the role of associate dean for diversity and sustainability.
Nadine is associate editor of the journals Family Business Review and Journal of Management and serves on the review board of several others. Nadine’s research has been published in top-tier international journals and her research has received numerous national and international awards. She is also on the board of the Research Institute of the Association of German Economists and Business Economists, and is a member of the Innovation Advisory Committee of DESY and of the Commission for the Revision of the Governance Code for Family Businesses. She is chairwoman of the Future Council for Sustainable Development in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Nadine was recognised as a Top 10 Business Researcher by Wirtschaftswoche in 2022 and as a Top 100 Global Family Influencer by Family Capital.

Sasha Lund
Founder and managing director, Core Values Consulting
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashalund/

Sasha Lund is a multilingual and multicultural Schulze Award-winning, Forbes-featured author, whose work has appeared in publications globally. Through her company Core Values Consulting, she advises high-net-worth individuals and business families on their succession planning to create lasting legacies. She is also a sought-after keynote speaker and chairperson and regularly speaks at conferences globally. Sasha is the host of the podcast Legacy Talks with Sasha Lund, where she has intimate conversations with leading members from multigenerational family businesses. She and her guests explore the successes and pitfalls that make or break a legacy.

Jessica McGawley
Principal and founder, Dallington Associates
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamcgawley/

Jessica McGawley, a qualified psychological consultant and mediator, has spent over 15 years assisting affluent families in navigating the complexities of wealth and success. In 2016, after leading next-gen services at a wealth consultancy, she founded Dallington, a specialist mentorship practice for young individuals from prominent families. Dallington provides tailored mentoring programmes and workshops for 16–30-year-olds, complemented by family sessions designed to nurture healthy, happy relationships while navigating the unique challenges and opportunities of wealth.
Jessica established UN Women UK’s first mentoring scheme in 2012, and served as the special educational needs (SEN) governor of Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA). Dallington offers a bursary mentorship programme to a student from MVPA every year.

Larisa B Miller
CEO, Phoenix Global Group Holdings
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larisamiller/

Larisa B Miller is the CEO of Phoenix Global Group Holdings Inc, headquartered in Miami and Abu Dhabi. Phoenix Global operates across key sectors including cybersecurity, technology, transportation infrastructure, agriculture, ESG and sustainability. One of its subsidiary holdings, Phoenix Global Media Group, recently launched AIR – The Future of Radio, a global streaming platform offering innovative content and cultural experiences. Larisa has extensive experience working with governments and businesses globally, particularly in the UAE and Africa, and focuses on business expansion and development. An accomplished author and speaker, she addresses topics such as business model transformation, disruptive technologies and leadership.
Larisa is also a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, regularly addressing women’s groups worldwide to promote leadership and opportunities for women in business.

Maia Monell
President, MALIAM
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maia-monell-6a2b7555/

Maia Monell is the president of MALIAM, a multi-generational family office focused on the future of human flourishing. Maia is also a leader in health technology. She is co-founder and CRO of Nav.it, the financial health app, and was a founding team member of BridgeAthletic, the performance technology leveraging prescriptive artificial intelligence to bring the highest calibre training programmes to athletes everywhere. Having seen the detrimental effects of poor financial and mental health on physical performance outcomes, Maia cofounded Nav.it in 2019 to leverage finance as a tool to improve overall health. Committed to making preventative healthcare more accessible, Maia helped her family become prominent investors in healthcare, sustainability and economic development. She is the founding partner of MoDa Partners, a venture vehicle committed to closing the gender wealth gap, and co-founder of the Asteri Collective, a community for women leaders in asset allocation and family offices.

Natasha Müller
Founder, Kokoro; Founder, NM Impact
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-muller/

Natasha Müller is an active impact investor with a focus on health,
climate and food systems, and gender. She is also a philanthropist
and mental health activist. Natasha founded NM Impact, through which
she supports a global ecosystem of local changemakers, and Kokoro,
which mobilises action and capital towards creating a mentally healthy
world.
Natasha is a UNICEF NextGen Global Principal and is on various
advisory committees and boards, including The Valuable 500, the
Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth at the University
of Zurich and the Empower initiative with Harvard Medical School.
Natasha holds a BA in geography, and an MSc in the political economy
of violence, conflict and development from SOAS University, and is an
alumna of the Impact Investing for the Next Generation course at
Harvard Kennedy School.
Outside of her work, Natasha used to compete in show jumping and is currently an avid weightlifter, sports enthusiast and contemporary art collector.

Kate Nevin
President, TSWII Capital Advisors; Portfolio Manager, TSWII and TSWS
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-nevin-2690a1221/

Kate Nevin is a seasoned portfolio manager, engaged community advocate and optimistic mother of three. At the intersection of those titles is a deep sense of awareness and purpose, along with the recognition that when we are living in alignment with our values, our actions have the potential for exponential impact. Kate is focused on innovating her slice of the financial industry with access to diverse talent. She is president of TSWII Capital Advisors and portfolio manager for both TSWII and TSWS, focused on investments in hedge funds, venture capital and other alternative strategies. Kate is a member of multiple industry groups. She serves as an LPAC member of ReThink Food, Hannah Grey and New Earth Ventures. She is an anchor partner in the Diverse Investing Collective.
Kate has received the CAIA designation. She gained a BA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 and completed The Executive Program of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in June 2004. She was a 2014 Diversity Leadership Fellow at the Riley Institute of Furman University.

Ann Priftis
Art adviser, Krause Group; Principal, CP/Art
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-priftis/

Ann Priftis is the art adviser for the Krause Collection, a private, blue chip contemporary art collection based in the United States and Italy. Her former posts include principal and senior business development manager of Amazon Art; director of the Over the Influence gallery in Los Angeles; VP and director of GINA Gallery of International Naïve Art (New York/Tel Aviv); head of art for the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt (New York), and head of the contemporary art department at Weschler’s Auction House (DC). In 2005, Ann established Clark Priftis Art (CP/Art), a comprehensive art advisory firm specialising in USPAPcompliant appraisals, corporate collection management, blue chip art acquisition and artist estate/business advisory.
With over 25 years of fine art knowledge, Ann holds a BA in art history from the University of Maryland and a Certificate in Fine and Decorative Arts Appraisal from George Washington University. She is a personal property/fine arts appraiser through the American Society of Appraisers and an international keynote speaker who has been featured across multiple media outlets including WeWealth, BNN and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Doris Sommavilla
Director, Stonehage Fleming
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sommavilladoris/

Doris Sommavilla is a director at Stonehage Fleming within the family office division, leveraging her experience in succession planning and family governance. As a third-generation entrepreneur, she inherited her family’s hospitality and real estate business over a decade ago. Despite the abrupt transition, she earned credibility with family and stakeholders. Today, she manages one of their hotels and actively invests in real estate and private debt lending.
With over a decade of experience in alternative investments, Doris began at Allianz Global Investors in Italy and then moved to PIMCO in Germany, managing fixed-income institutional mandates. She later became principal at Blu Family Office in the United Kingdom, focusing on private debt lending.
Doris is a seasoned family officer and investment manager. She is a CISI, CAIA, and CFA charterholder, and a STEP member. She is passionate about mentoring aspiring female leaders in their family business.

Brian Thompson
Director, Ducere Advisory
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-thompson-ducere/

Brian Thompson is a highly experienced certified family business coach and mediator and is the founder of Ducere Advisory, a family business consultancy that develops programmes to maintain family cohesion and family governance structures, and smooths the path of succession.
Brian focuses on the human side of family business, in line with his belief that external success is impossible without internal family harmony. Brian also believes that another key to long-term success is training business advisers to be more aware of their clients’ human needs.
Brian brings unique perspectives gained from his own position in a family enterprise, as well as extensive experience advising other business families and their advisers globally.
He is based in the United Kingdom and works internationally.

Rolf Wilmes
PhD student, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolf-wilmes-59b5b5151/

Rolf Wilmes is a doctoral student at the Chair of Family Business at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. His research deals with succession and legacy transmission in family businesses. One focus of his work is the intergenerational exchange between seniors and juniors.

Jennifer Wines
Founder, Invisible Wealth Consulting
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferwines/

Jennifer Wines has worked at some of the top private wealth management institutions, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Fidelity. She holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor© designation from Booth Business School in Chicago.
With over a decade of experience working with ultra-high-networth individuals and families, and through thousands of client conversations, Jennifer noticed something: people are increasingly interested in wealth beyond the dollar. Inspired by this shift, Jennifer left the wealth management adviser seat in 2022 to research the axioms of wealth through a future-forward lens. It was through this exploration that she wrote the book Invisible Wealth, which offers a timely, yet timeless, redefinition of wealth.
Now, through Invisible Wealth Consulting, Jennifer is supporting the next generation in navigating the rich complexities of wealth. Jennifer is a frequent speaker on Invisible Wealth and her 5 Principle framework. She has spoken at organisations such as The FTWeekend Festival, JPMorgan Private Bank, Bernstein Private Wealth, YPO and Microsoft. She has been featured in, and written for, publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, INC. and Kiplinger Wealth.

India Wooldridge
Founder, Catalyst
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiawooldridge/

India Wooldridge founded Catalyst on the premise that brand is one of the most under-leveraged assets in many companies. She brings a unique perspective to family offices on how to harness their brand and profile to build a cohesive vision that unifies generations with a purposeful wealth story: a story that can transcend individuals and create long-lasting legacies.
Throughout the brand creation process, India partners with families and their teams to create a clear strategic centre of gravity that proactively supports succession planning, aids reputational security and informs philanthropic and foundation-led efforts to ensure meaningful impact in the world.
India is an innovative strategic leader with nearly 20 years of experience across brand strategy, consumer intelligence and innovation leadership roles. She has advised over 200 clients in more than 50 countries including leading brands such as Microsoft, MasterCard and Meta. Her expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Inc. magazine and SXSW.