Family Office Profiles

For JM Elder, it all started with some questions and a Google search. Today, family office Wellspring Family Group, where he is president and chief investment officer, uses an endowment model to centralize and pool family assets, allowing for more consistent tax planning and unified management, despite the complexity of co-owned assets and multi-family partnerships.

The mission of the Zell Family Office is to "steward well-being" by integrating financial capital into family members' lives, fostering personal growth and community engagement, says Scott Peppet, president of the Chai Trust Company. He warns that failing to do so can lead to dependency or inaction, resulting in lost potential for both the family and society.

The Valkin Group is a single family office and investment holding company with global interests in media, fashion, real estate, private equity, films and trading. It has operations in New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong, employs a staff of 13 people and represents Harishchandra’s immediate family. Chairman and CEO Vishal Harishchandra talks about the formation of — and plans for — the family office.

Josh Miller, the non-family CEO of a multigenerational single-family office, is working to modernize the office for the long term. He highlights challenges like selecting cost-effective tools and staying adaptable to changing family needs and values.

Anthony R. Contrucci leads the family office for the Schrage family, owners of First Bancshares, Inc. and Centier Bank, headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. He talks about how a commitment not to sell the family businesses led to the creation of the family office.