Practice Leader, Family Business Group

Location: Chicago

Northern Trust Wealth Management is seeking to hire an individual to lead its Family Business Group. This individual would report to Northern Trust’s Director of Business Services.

The Family Business Group consists of 16 professionals, including attorneys, accountants and valuation professionals. The team manages approximately 900 interests in closely held businesses held in trusts or estates where Northern Trust has been named trustee or executor, including situations where a trust or estate holds a controlling interest. In addition, team members provide advice and consulting services to clients on a variety of business succession, family governance and pre-transaction planning issues.

Services that the Family Business Group provides to clients with respect to private businesses and closely held entities where Northern Trust serves as fiduciary include:

• Evaluate the business’ performance and overall strategic plan
• Provide recommendations on ownership and management succession best practices
• Oversee and restructure management teams when appropriate
• Evaluate offers to purchase and help manage sale processes
• Oversee the business valuation process for tax, sale or estate planning purposes
• Perform analyses with respect to tax elections and entity conversions
• Serve as officers and directors of entities the team manages, when appropriate
• Monitor the ongoing performance versus plan, benchmarks, etc.

Additionally, the Family Business Group is responsible for providing fiduciary oversight of the portfolio of private business interests, including supporting the Northern Trust’s regulatory compliance (for example, pre-acceptance screening of assets, asset onboarding, post-acceptance reviews, annual reviews and valuation updates).

Role and Responsibilities

As Practice Lead of the Family Business Group, the candidate will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the group’s operations, including:

• Defining the long-term growth strategy and annual business plan for the group
• Supporting new business development by evaluating new business opportunities and playing an active role in prospect and client meetings
• Advising high net worth families on corporate governance and business succession strategies
• Marketing the group both internally to Northern Trust employees and externally to key industry groups, advisors and prospects
• Team staffing, hiring and training
• Operational processes and procedures for managing the group’s portfolio of assets
• Risk management oversight of the portfolio, including interaction with other internal groups (Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, etc.)
• Ensuring consistent client service standards
• Helping with managing vendor relationships
• Serving as one of Northern Trust’s subject matter experts, including opportunities to participate in speaking engagements and writing articles

Knowledge / Experience

• Significant (+10 years) experience in an advisory role to private businesses (for example, accountant, attorney, investment banker, wealth management professional)
• Deep understanding of family governance, corporate governance and business succession strategies and challenges as relates to multi-generational private businesses
• Experience serving and advising sophisticated, high net worth families
• Leadership and management experience overseeing a team, business or division of a business
• Ability to articulate the value proposition of the group to a broad audience with varying levels of sophistication
• Experience negotiating purchase and sale contracts and related agreements for private business entities a plus
• Knowledge of managing closely held entities in the capacity of trustee and executor a plus

Salary Range

$171,700 - 300,500 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.