Client-facing staff

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Those wealth advisors and their support staff who interact directly with clients rather than provide back-office or other functions that do not involve direct client contact.

Whether an advisor or staff member is client-facing is important for the quality of the client experience and the delivery of services. Those who interact directly with clients must have the communication and relationship skills to do so, beyond their expertise in a particular area of wealth management. In contrast, individuals who are not client-facing may include operational, expert resource, or management staff who help support the firm and their client-facing advisors.

See Also: 

Woodson, William I. and Edward V. Marshall. “Leadership and Staffing.” in The Family Office: A Comprehensive Guide for Advisers, Practitioners, and Students. Columbia Business School: 2021.


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Remember that the Wealthesaurus is only currently available to Institute members, so the public will not be able to look at the source citation. Eventually if the Wealthesaurus is publicly available on the web, others may be able to use the glossary.

Welcome to the Wealthesaurus*

A Glossary of Family Wealth Advising Terms

*pronounced: well-thuh-SAWR’-uhs

The Wealthesaurus provides standardized definitions of common and specialized family wealth advising industry terms. By sharing this glossary, we hope to improve communication across the UHNW community.

How to Use the Wealthesaurus

  • Browse terms by first letter in the alphabet menu or by scrolling down the list. You may also enter a term in the search box to see if it is present.
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For more information on general topics related to finance, law, or investments, see also:
 
Mission:
  • Provide an intellectual framework, understanding and organization of family wealth management content
  • Educate advisors and family offices on how best to support evolving UHNW families
  • Provide thought leadership, insights and resources to advisors and family offices
  • Promote best practices, provide professional development and support sustainable, positive change within our industry
  • Foster an equitable, collaborative and safe learning environment within the wealth management industry