Speaker at a virtual meeting of the Marin County Estate Planning Council. Many groups now enjoy virtual access to speakers that they otherwise could not, without the outlay to reimburse travel expenses. If you are planning a virtual event, let’s hop on a call and explore whether I might be a good speaker for your event!

Speaker on “Family Governance and The Single Family Office: Planning for the Next Generation” at the Opal Virtual Family Office Fall Forum. Here are some short clips from that virtual presentation:

Current Events Present Challenges to Family Governance

Practical Suggestions for Preparing the Next Generation of Wealth

Family Governance – who has a voice and a vote

What and when to Communicate to the Next Generation about Wealth

On August 11, 2020, Susan was a guest speaker, in conversation with with Jane Beddall of Dovetail Resolutions and Michael Palumbos of Family Wealth & Legacy, on The Family Biz Show webinar. The episode was titled “Communication in the Family Business,” and covered such topics as:
* Why discussing the business or the wealth can be tougher than having the “Birds and Bees” talk and what happens if you don’t.
* The good, the bad, and the ugly of family conflict
* How equal and equitable can be a challenge within families and the secrets to navigating them.
* Who would benefit from a facilitated family meeting and why?
Click HERE for a replay!

Or, if you want to watch just the highlights from the 1-hour webinar, here are some short clips from my part of the discussion:
– Communicating about the Wealth
– Prenups
– Sharing Family News and Updates
– The Equal vs Equitable Debate
– Memo of Wishes
– Facilitated Family Meetings

Speaker on “Family Governance: Planning for the Next Generation” at Opal’s Virtual Family Office Planning & Structure Forum.

Through this virtual conference, speakers and attendees explored the methods of structuring a family office with consideration of modern day planning for the next generation.

If you missed it, here are links to 4 video clips from that presentation:
– About Susan
– Involving the Next Gen in Family Governance
– Charitable Foundations
– Three Keys to Raising Children in Atmosphere of Wealth

In today’s turbulent world of ruthless competition in the financial services industry, business can be won or lost on subtle differentiators. The stakes have never been higher. Yet too often, firms approach their prospect and client meetings as nothing more than performance and product reviews, and lead with their pitch books. They are squandering a critical chance to focus on what keeps client families up at night, and risk losing that business to firms who treat clients as families and not just as assets under management.

As a self-described “recovering” Trusts & Estates Attorney and CPA, and former principal at a white-shoe trust company catering to ultra-high net-worth families, then family ambassador to a $600 million single family office, and now consultant to UHNW families and family offices, Susan is an award-winning thought leader who has the “secret sauce” to help you learn to connect with the soft side, the human side, of the client relationship so that you can create a competitive advantage, and win and keep more business.

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE.

And here are links to 3 short clips from that webinar (less than 3 minutes each):

– “Soft” Issues are not so soft!
– Lessons learned from other parents of wealth
– The 3 Jars for Allowances

Susan Schoenfeld was a featured speaker on Managing the Wealth Transfer of the “Business of the Family” in early March 2020 at the Marcus Evans Private Wealth Management Summit in Boston MA. Her message to the family offices, wealth managers and RIAs in attendance was that by learning to focus more on the human side of family wealth, the private wealth managers can learn to be more successful in attracting and retaining ultra-high net worth clients. Delivered through real-life storytelling, she provided valuable concepts and techniques that the audience can use right away to attract and serve wealthy clients.

Speaker at the LionsGate Advisors Inaugural Speaker Series, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis MO.

Speaker on “Family Governance and The Single Family Office: Planning for the Next Generation” at the Opal Family Office Winter Forum in NYC.

Speaker on “GOVERNANCE AND THE SINGLE FAMILY OFFICE: PLANNING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION” at the Opal Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum West 2019, in Napa, CA.

Speaker on “GOVERNANCE AND THE SINGLE FAMILY OFFICE: PLANNING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION” at the Opal Family Office & Private Wealth Forum, in Newport, RI.

Speaker on “Governance and Trusts: Planning for the Next Generation” at the 9th Annual Opal Family Office Winter Forum, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, NYC.

Speaker at a Wine & Wealth event hosted by Wells Fargo, discussing “A Hard Look at the Soft Issues“. The most-asked question from wealthy families is, “How do I raise my children in an atmosphere of wealth and have them turn out to be productive, contributing members of society?” This and similar questions are often referred to as soft issues, but they are actually the hard problems with which we wrestle on a daily basis:

• How old should your children be before they have access to significant sums of money? And at what age do you begin having “The Money Talk” with them? How to prevent entitlement? The three keys to talking to your children about your family’s wealth.

• How to financially treat each of your children fairly, and why just giving money to them equally is not always the most fair solution.

• It’s not always easy for parents to talk to their kids about money. Learn some ways to handle those challenging conversations, and why it’s so important to make sure you actually have those conversations.

Presenter on a webinar on Tips for Giving Smarter for JCF’s Advisor Network on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. Best practices to help guide families in achieving their philanthropic mission, vision, and goals, including:
-Update on charitable giving trends
-Tips for introducing charitable giving into the planning conversation
-How to help your clients identify the values that drive their planning
-Assessing clients’ needs, personal goals and tax considerations
-How to formulate strategies to help clients realize their philanthropic goals
-Pros and cons of using Donor Advised Funds and Private Foundations
-Effective ways to organize your client’s giving and maximize their tax deduction

Speaker on “For the Love of Prenuptials”, a discussion of the “human side” of prenups, for the Family Office Committee of the NYS Society of CPAs.

Speaker on “GOVERNANCE AND TRUSTS: PLANNING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION” at the 8th Annual Opal Family Office & Private Wealth West Forum, in Napa, CA.

-Why are Governance and Trusts important to planning for the next generation
-Communication – what do you tell the next gens; when and how
-Trustee – Beyond the duty… Role as mentor & wise counsel
-Key Guidance Documents for Success
-Family Banks – how can they help you raise empowered and enlightened vs entitled children
-Education – who, what, when and how

Speaker at the Marcum Wealth Dimensions meeting on October 5, 2018  in NYC on: “A Hard Look at the Soft Issues,” to provide them with tools on serving the UHNW market.

Presentation to the Relationship Management team of a $15 billion RIA on “A Hard Look at the Soft Issues,” to provide them with tools on serving the UHNW market.

Speaker on “GOVERNANCE AND TRUSTS: PLANNING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION” at the Opal Family Office & Private Wealth Forum, in Newport, RI.
–The Flexible Family – Structures, processes and documents which facilitate family communications and create and preserve harmonious personal and working relationships
–Shifting Currents – Issues important to women and next gen
–Growing into Greatness – Helping next gen family members become great beneficiaries, trustees and people

Speaker at the Handler Thayer Family Office Forum in Chicago, IL on “The Family Office Meeting Agenda: Family Council & Governance Committee”
-Mission, Vision, Values
-Engaging the Family
-Engaging Others

Speaker for the Westchester County Estate Planning Council Annual Dinner Meeting on “Family Wealth — A Hard Look at the “Soft” Issues” — a discussion of the “soft issues” of estate planning, covering topics such as:
– How much to give, and when? How much to tell, and when?
– The equal vs. equitable debate
– Communication is Everything
– Prenuptial Agreements
– Family Governance / Family Meetings
– Family Philanthropy

Speaker on “Planning in Today’s Brave New World: A discussion of the “soft issues” of estate planning” at the NYS Society of CPAs Annual Estate Planning Conference on May 24, 2018 in NYC.

Speaker on “Family Business Succession Planning” at Tiger 21 Circle of Influence Meeting in NYC.

Engaged by a Private Bank to present to senior team members on the value of Strategic Communication between team members and the client family, communication within the client service team, and communication within the client family itself.

Speaker at the Marcum Wealth Dimensions meeting on May 11, 2018  in NYC on: “Top 10 Tips and Traps for Trustees”
There is much guidance to those creating a trust on who they should select to be trustee, but there is very little advice to those named as trustee to help them determine whether to accept the appointment, and how to manage their fiduciary relationship with the trust beneficiaries.

Speaker at TIGER 21 on “Family Wealth — A Hard Look at the “Soft” Issues“.