The Family Office Sherpa

How can family offices of vastly different sizes improve by learning from one another? This discussion explores complexity versus assets, written governance, family-centered decision-making, key-person risk, generalists and fractional expertise, technology choices, counterparty selection, and preserving trust as operations grow.

One of the biggest investment governance risks turns up when people don't ask questions. In every successful investment office, the ability to ask "why" is the paramount. And the best way to get family members and executives comfortable with that, is to provide education. Hall Road's objectives is to help clients become self sufficient, and providing education modules within the Investment Committee cadence is a great way to increase engagement. Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.

Shaun provides some easy wins for family offices that are seeking to improve the structure and process of their investment office. He covers the IPS, Counterparties, Governance and Staffing. Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.

Jess Parker, founder of Jay Parker Advisory and a family office finance and operations specialist, joins Shaun Parkin for a candid fireside chat. They explore designing the right family office, hiring adaptable finance professionals, governance at any asset level, investment reporting technology, AI’s impact, licensing, supplier selection, and the evolving role of fractional CFO and COO support.

What makes a family office CIO truly effective? This practical discussion explores designing the role around a family’s needs, communicating beyond spreadsheets, building external networks, and adapting institutional discipline without bureaucracy. It also examines customized mandates, the surprising relationship between time and capital, decision documentation, capability building, investment bias, and the autonomy of a family office career.

Family offices are increasingly turning to ETFs and index funds for simplicity, control, and streamlined implementation. But indexing is no autopilot: rebalancing, risk oversight, allocation choices, tracking error, liquidity, fees, and counterparty selection still demand careful attention. The discussion also explores how investment teams and processes may need to evolve, especially where alternative structures remain essential.

What started as an episode on change management, ended up into a dive into some specific examples of how offices build with the wrong objectives. From reporting (it's an output not a goal) to dashboards (a good dashboard doesn't mean your office is being run efficiently). I call out two asset classes that often confuse these objectives - Commercial Property and Private Markets. A lot of this was off the back of this article from Amin Naj (linked below) called "The Dashboard is not the Office". Because a lot of offices are confusing dashboards and digital transformation with efficiency and governance. https://www.networth.pro/the-dashboard-is-not-the-office/?ref=net-worth-newsletter Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.

Shaun has assisted a lot of family offices with establishing their Investment Committee Charter. The document that details the roles, responsibilities, and workings of the Investment Committee. As a member of these groups, he has seen what good looks like. This is another practical guide episode for anyone looking to write one themselves (without AI). Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.

Shaun digs into one of his favourite topics (investment reporting) and how offices are increasingly using AI tools like Claude & ChatGPT to assist in the visualisation of their investment data. He goes through some of the governance challenges that this decision can produce and the ways the established players are seeking provide this services within their offerings. Remember - don't let the convenience of these new tools eat you family's privacy for breakfast. Here's the link to the Presage Global Report - https://www.presageglobal.com/the-state-of-family-office-estate-security Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.

Shaun chats with Craig Dandurand on how the Tuckwell Family Office is set up, the differences between big insto and family office investing, the $100M Tuckwell Scholarship Program, what does a "fractional" role vs full time, how he got the gig, the need for a mind shift when it comes to investing, managing time vs other roles and life and focussing on what matters to the family. He also gives some insight into how the investing talent is moving to family office and the need to think like a generalist to be successful. Here's the Future Fund mandate Craig refers to: https://www.futurefund.gov.au/news-room/20241211--Future-Funds-New-Investment-Mandate Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd ACN 621 299 269 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No. 001279456) of Non Correlated Advisors Pty Ltd (AFSL No.430126). Shaun Parkin is an Authorised Representative (AR No 001279458) of Hall Road Investments Pty Ltd (CAR No. 001279456) and is authorised to provide general advice to wholesale investors. Nothing in this podcast (Communication) constitutes an investment offering of any kind. This Communication is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment or financial advice.