FOXcast

Today, it is my pleasure to speak with Alicia Fritz, Founder and Principal Designer of A Day in May Events, an event production firm sought after for mastering the art of entertaining. With a mission to preserve the unique history and life experiences of her clients and their families, Alicia and her team have been entrusted as strategic partners for their private, legacy clients for close to two decades. Since 2007, Alicia has built a dedicated staff of event specialists and creative thinkers who operate with a methodical and intuitive system that prioritizes collaboration with their clients, respectful partnership with their creative teams and an unwavering commitment to a flawless event. Alicia has been recognized as one of the country's top event planners by VOGUE and Martha Stewart Weddings to name a few. From the serene, idyllic coastline of Northern Michigan to the exquisite landscape of the South of France, Alicia and her team rarely create in the same place twice and welcome the challenge of producing these exceptional moments for beloved clients in unchartered territory. Alicia describes the world of events for UHNH families and their family offices, and highlights the occasions, formats, and experiences for which families most commonly turn to a professional, experiential event production specialist. She walks us through some of the unique aspects of events in the family wealth space and talks about the unique challenges, opportunities, and needs that family offices must understand and manage when overseeing such events. Alicia offers her tips for engaging family members – especially the rising gen – during family events and gatherings organized by the family office or the family leadership. Producing elaborate, experiential events takes a village of service providers. Alicia provides practical suggestions for families and their family offices on how to work with the universe of specialized vendors to make their events special and memorable. Enjoy this illuminating conversation with one of the leading professionals in the UHNW events production space.

Today, I am pleased to welcome Paul Boutros, Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Americas for Phillip, the leading auction house dedicated to collector's watches. Based in New York City, he helped establish and build the watch department since its launch in 2014. In October 2017, he led Phillips's inaugural New York watch auction, Winning Icons, where Paul Newman's legendary Rolex "Paul Newman" Daytona sold for $17.8 million - the highest result ever for a vintage wristwatch sold at auction. Under his leadership, the Phillips New York team as sold many legendary pieces, including a Heuer Monaco wristwatch gifted by Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando's Rolex GMT-Master worn in "Apocalypse Now", Jack Nicklaus' Rolex Day-Date, and Paul Newman's Rolex "Big Red" Daytona, to mention just a few. In December 2021, his team's fifth annual flagship watch auction achieved $35.9 million, breaking the record for the highest watch auction total in U.S. history. A collector of wristwatches since childhood, Paul is a specialist in their authentication and valuation. Frequently appearing on television programs sharing tips on watch collecting, he has hosted talks for investment banks, luxury brands, and magazines. As the former watch columnist for Barron's PENTA, Paul has been published or cited in numerous publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, and Robb Report. Paul serves as a Trustee for the Horological Society of New York, an Honorary Committee Member of the Gerald Genta Heritage Association, and as an Academy Member of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Paul also serves as a strategy consultant to luxury brands through his firm, Boutros Group. To start off, Paul tells us about the exotic world of luxury time pieces. He tells the story of how the luxury watch landscape has evolved and how UHNW individuals and families are viewing watches today as a component of their portfolio's alternative assets allocation. We then talk about what sets unique time pieces apart from the "mere mortal" expensive watches. Paul helps us understand and define what makes a luxury watch a collectible piece.>/p> Paul offers some tips for families and family offices on how to get started, especially if they are new to luxury watch investing and collecting. He goes into detail on how one can find the right watch for their needs and goals. An important consideration in this specialized segment of alternative investments is protecting against fraud and other unique threats. Paul provides invaluable pointers into what UHNW families need to know about how to avoid the risks inherent in the world of luxury watches and how to protect against being taken advantage of. Finally, he describes the important role the family office can and should play in this process. Do not miss this fascinating and deeply insightful conversation with one of the world's leading experts on luxury time pieces and collectible watches.

Today, I am excited to speak with Dr. Carl Robinson, Founding Partner at Vantage Leadership Consulting. Carl is a licensed clinical psychologist who has spent the better part of the last 35 years assisting executives and families in preparing for and navigating career-defining moments. His clientele is broad and far-reaching, ranging from non-profit organizations to the Fortune 100, and includes names such as the Federal Reserve System, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Whirlpool, Steel Dynamics, The Hyatt Corporation, and many more. Carl is a highly regarded public speaker, who has authored a number of articles and has frequently been interviewed by various business publications, including the Wall Street Journal. He is a longtime friend, collaborator, and former member of the Advisory Board of FOX. Succession is arguably the most important evergreen topic on the minds of enterprise families and their family offices. Carl shares his views on what is required for success in successions among UHNW families and family offices and talks about the importance of talent assessment as families undertake leadership and ownership succession journeys. Carl offers practical advice for the older generation and those in leadership who are looking to transition control, responsibility, and ownership to the next generation. He also provides invaluable tips and suggestions for the rising gen and those who are poised to step into leadership and fill the shoes of their parents and predecessors. Don't miss this highly instructive conversation with one of the longest-serving, deeply experienced advisor and coach to multigenerational enterprises and family leaders.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Marina Margarucci, Managing Director at CBIZ, a consulting, tax, and financial services firm. Marina is the national leader of the Private Client Services practice at CBIZ, and she played an instrumental role in the organization and institutionalization of the practice. Marina's career has been concentrated on supporting robust, complex families heavily invested in the Alternative Investment space, which enables her to deliver essential insights when analyzing financial statements and investment portfolios. She specialized in building out and setting up Family Office structures and Private Foundations, and routinely speaks at conferences, discussing the intricacies of Family Office structure and governance. Marina and her company, CBIZ, are an Advisor Member of FOX, and we are happy to have her expertise and thought leadership within our membership community. Today, we cover a topic that comes up more and more frequently among family offices – sustainability. Marina offers her definition of what sustainability of a family office means and shares her views on what it takes for a family office to achieve longevity and enduring relevance across generations of family principals. One important dimension of ensuring sustainability is the rising trend of institutionalizing and professionalizing the family office. Marina talks about this trend and how families can approach the process of formalizing and professionalizing their family office. An increasingly critical practical implication for UHNW families is the role of technology when institutionalizing the family office. Marina provides her insights and suggestions on how best to understand, select, and deploy technology to enhance the capabilities of the family office. Another important pillar of family office sustainability is to assemble and manage an ecosystem of mission-critical service providers. Marina and CBIZ have developed the "4 pillar approach" to creating a web of specialized vendors. She introduces this framework and explains how family offices can apply it. Don't miss this highly relevant and instructive conversation with one of the leading practitioners and professional service providers in the UHNW family wealth and family office space.

Today, I am pleased to welcome Ross Butler, a podcaster, strategy consultant and author and the host of Fund Shack, a leading private capital channel. Ross also advises private capital firms on their go-to-market and communications strategies and ethical policies. He has been a business journalist, Editor of Real Deals, and has won Private Equity journalist of the year three times. He was Director of Communications at Invest Europe and has worked with various listed private capital firms on their public market outreach. Our conversation today is about private capital markets. Ross shares his observations on why private markets work well, delving into their history, distinguishing economics, and unique workings. Private equity often gets a bad rap due to its perceived short-term profit focus, high-risk debt loading, and negative effect on companies and workers. But that's not the full picture of private capital. Ross shares his view of the social impact of private markets and their importance for the long-term health of the economy and society. Ross provides a practical context for the current state of private markets and explains the causes of the "indigestion", as he puts it, that is afflicting private markets. He describes some of the niche tools and unique deal structures that allow private investors and fund managers to be innovative and create value in excess of what public markets can achieve. Enjoy this instructive conversation with a leading commentator and observer of global private capital markets.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Jane Beddall, founder and principal of Dovetail Resolutions. Jane is a seasoned mediator, facilitator, and consultant, as well as a certified CINERGY® Conflict Management Coach and a Conflict Dynamics Profile® Certified Practitioner. She works with legacy families, family enterprises, and family offices to help individuals and families handle communication and conflict better. Jane is the host of the weekly podcast Crafting Solutions to Conflict, providing a practical and positive perspective on conflict. In 2014, she received The Honorable Robert C. Zampano Award for Excellence in Mediation, which recognizes and celebrates leadership, initiative, and creativity in mediation in Connecticut. The word "conflict" comes up often in our work with UHNW families and few people misunderstand its meaning, so Jane provides some useful foundational definitions. She defines what conflict is, both in general as well as in the context of family enterprises and family wealth situations and describes the different manifestations of conflict that are common among families of wealth. Jane zeros in on conflict within families and explains how families generally deal with different kinds of conflict and highlights the best ways for them to manage and cope with conflict in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for the family. Dealing with conflict is a sensitive subject, and many families are not familiar with the kind of resources that are available to them in this field. Jane describes the conflict resolution landscape and the different professionals out there, pointing out how families can decide whom to work with or whether to deal with the conflict on their own. Family advisors and service providers – even those who are not experts in conflict management – can get caught up in the middle of tense family situations. Jane offers her practical advice on how professional family advisors should deal with conflict in the family when they encounter it or get drawn into it. Enjoy this practical discussion with one of the most experienced and recognized practitioners in the field of UHNWE family conflict management.

Today, I am pleased to welcome The Honorable Stuart Nash, CEO and Founder of Nash Kelly Global, a bespoke consultancy that specializes in facilitating New Zealand permanent residency and resettlement through the country's Golden Visa program. Stuart was a senior Cabinet Minister for 5.5 years in the Ardern Administration and launched New Zealand's Golden Visa (or as it is titled: the Active Investor Plus Visa) in September 2022 as Minister of Economic Development. His portfolios included Minister of Police, Economic Development, Small Business, Tourism, Revenue, Forestry, and Fisheries. Before politics, Stuart worked in senior and general management roles in both the private and public sector. For those in our audience who have not kept close tabs, Stuart updates us on the latest developments in New Zealand and describes how the social, economic, and political environment has developed in recent years. Stuart led the team that created and launched New Zealand's Golden Visa program – the Active Investor Plus Visa. He describes the program and its unique features and attractions, commenting on what makes New Zealand an attractive destination for wealthy individuals and families looking for alternative residence jurisdictions. Stuart offers some practical tips for families and family offices that are looking at New Zealand as a jurisdiction, providing useful pointers on some of the basics on how to set up their life there, including things like housing, education, health insurance, and others. For those who are interested to explore residency or citizenship in New Zealand, Stuart has a number of suggestions on how to get started and paints a picture of the different services and options available, including those offered by his firm, Nash Kelly. Enjoy this insightful conversation with one of the pioneers of the golden visa programs that are attracting families and their family offices to New Zealand.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Brian Weiner and Lisa Castro of Family Office Growth Partners. Brian is the firm's Founder & CEO, and for nearly 25 years, he has served as a trusted advisor to successful entrepreneurs and family enterprises in the areas of investment, tax, governance, and philanthropy. Brian began his career in 1996 as the Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Government of Israel, where he facilitated joint ventures/strategic partnerships on behalf of U.S. and Israeli companies. Brian is a serial entrepreneur and a trailblazer in the family office space, with diverse experience at firms including Smith Barney, Allied Advisors, BNY Mellon. Lisa is President of Family Office Services at Family Office Growth Partners. She brings over 30 years of experience serving high-net-worth families, C-suite executives, and influential leaders. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of working with distinguished families to establish independent family offices, supporting CEOs and former government officials in her role as a proactive Chief of Staff. Lisa played a key role in the founding and conceptual development of The Paulson Institute, established by former U.S. Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson. Brian and Lisa, and their firm Family Office Resource Group, are Advisor members of FOX and we are privileged to have their expertise within our membership community. Outsourcing is a big, and increasingly relevant, topic in our space. Brian and Lisa share their perspectives on outsourcing by families and family offices and highlight some of the prevailing practices in the sector. One of the most common and evergreen questions in this realm is what to outsource and what to build and operate in house. Brian and Lisa shine a light on this question and describe some of the frameworks and criteria family offices and their principles should apply when trying to make this crucial decision. Once the decision to outsource has been made, the key challenge is to figure out how to vet and select the providers who will take over the critical functions for the family office. Brian and Lisa offer practical tips for family office leaders and wealth owners who are in this important early stage of their outsourcing journey. They also provide suggestions for family offices on the ongoing management of their outsourcing relationships, explaining how they should optimally oversee, coordinate, evaluate, and renegotiate these vendor relationships to achieve the best results for the family and the family office operation. Don't miss this highly insightful conversation with two of the most experienced, recognized, and well-connected thought leaders and practitioners in the family office outsourcing space.

Today, I'm excited to speak with Justin Papadakis, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Real Estate Officer at the United Soccer League (USL). Justin joined the USL in 2014 and has held various roles including President of Commercial Ventures and Chief Operating Officer and has led its expansion efforts across the USL Championship, League One, and Super League, and most recently, the announcement of USL's plans to launch a Division One men's professional league in 2027-2028. Prior to the USL, Justin served as leasing director, and later business development director, at DDR Corp, now called SITE Centers. While earning his dual degree in Public Policy and Economics at Duke University, Justin also played four seasons for the Blue Devils' Men's Soccer program. He has been recognized on America's Power List and Florida Trend's Florida 500, a list of 500 most influential business leaders in Florida. With Justin's help we delve into the world of soccer. He describes how the sport – and the business of soccer – has evolved in recent years and points out what sets soccer apart from other major sports. He also paints a picture for our audience of the soccer landscape today and how the USL fits in that landscape. We then take a look at soccer as an asset class in the broader category of sports and entertainment investment properties. Justin provides an educational overview of the unique investment attributes of soccer and soccer teams, highlighting how they are distinct from other major-league sports and what makes soccer franchises particularly attractive right now. Justin talks about the purpose and the mission of the United Soccer League (or USL) and explains how his organization helps UHNW clients and their family offices invest in and operate soccer franchises. Finally, he shares some practical considerations and risks family offices need to consider when they contemplate investing in sports in general and in soccer in particular. He offers valuable tips on how families and family offices should educate themselves and what resources exist for them to lean on in this growing and specialized segment of sports investing. Don't miss this educational conversation with a leading expert and experienced practitioner in sports franchise investing and operations.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Emily Bouchard, founder of Bouchard Bespoke Consulting. Emily is an author and speaker with over 20 years of experience coaching multigenerational families, with a focus on blended family dynamics and family business succession. As a coach and consultant assists clients in effectively communicating about complex situations and building, maintaining, and repairing trust across generations. As a fractional Chief Learning Officer, she designs personalized learning experiences that focus on lifelong growth, emotional intelligence, and financial acumen. In the world of family wealth, and more generally wealth and money, trust – building trust, earning trust, inspiring trust – is of paramount importance. Emily shines a light on why there is such an inextricable connection between trust and money, and talks about this fundamental, yet contentious, relationship between trust and wealth. Emily suggests that trust is multi-layered, and there are four dimensions to trustworthiness. She describes this framework and the four assessments that can establish the different ingredients of trust and trustworthiness. One common area within family wealth where trust and money collide is in relationships and marriages – and the controversial realm of prenuptial agreements. Emily specializes in this space and has coined the term "purposeful prenup". She shares a definition of this term and offers her tips on how couples can navigate the treacherous terrain of prenups while still earning and keeping each other's trust. Another context where trust and money clash is in the world of blended families. Emily describes the dynamics of blended families and provides her suggestions for how best to earn trust and build harmony in these complex situations. Please enjoy this highly practical conversation with a highly recognized strategic advisor to enterprise families and family offices.