Michael Zeuner

Michael Zeuner has been serving wealthy families for more than two decades. As one of three managing partners of WE Family Offices, he oversees the firm’s US business strategy. Michael is a nationally recognized leader in the family office industry and has dedicated his professional career to empowering financially successful families to manage their wealth. In addition, Michael is a co-founder of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.

In his early consulting career, Michael learned the value of delivering “pure” advice – disconnected from any other agenda than the client’s need. He developed a deep competency in the art of listening to decision makers who face a challenge, helping them frame and synthesize it, bringing data analytics and best practices to frame the choices available, and then working with them to decide the right path forward. Nowhere in the mix did an agenda to sell a product cloud the advice or advisory process.

He believes the same holds true for wealth management – families have a right to receive pure, conflict-free advice, disconnected from the sale of investment or other products. The role of an adviser, and advisory firm, is to serve and empower families – not sell to them.

Prior to his role at WE Family Offices he served as senior executive partner of GenSpring Family Offices. In this capacity, he had responsibility for the leadership and management of GenSpring’s network of 10 family offices in the United States, that firm’s key advisory practices, and its delivery of a high quality client experience. In addition, he was a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Before joining GenSpring, Michael was managing director and global head of Wealth Solutions at JP Morgan Private Bank. As a member of the executive team, he had responsibility for strategic planning, branding, marketing and specialized advisory services (family governance, philanthropy and fine art wealth management) for the worldwide private bank.

A management consultant by training, Michael led projects in the financial services area for both Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Booz, Allen & Hamilton. He joined Chase Manhattan in 1995 as vice president at the investment bank, and moved to the private bank in 1997 to head up strategy and marketing worldwide. JP Morgan and Chase merged in January 2002.