Aligning the Investment Function and Mandate with the Family's Needs With Karen Harding & Stacey Flier

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Karen Harding and Stacey Flier of NEPC, a full-service investment consulting firm serving governments, institutions, families, and individuals. Karen is a Partner and Team Leader of NEPC's Private Wealth Team and serves on the firm's Governance Board and Women's Leadership Forum. Prior to joining NEPC, she spent twenty-one years at CTC | myCFO and its predecessor companies in a variety of leadership roles, and previously worked as a Senior Analyst and Investment Manager Specialist at R.V.K. Stacey is a Principal and Senior Consultant at NEPC with more than 25 years of experience advising private wealth clients and family foundations on investment portfolio strategy. Before joining NEPC, she served as Director of Investment Advisory Services at CTC | myCFO and earlier worked as an Employee Benefits Analyst at U.S. Bank. Stacey is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is actively involved in several professional and community organizations focused on investment management and governance. Karen and Stacey share their perspectives on how the investment needs, preferences, and expectations of families and family offices have evolved over the years. Drawing on decades of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, they discuss the growing complexity of the investment function and the increasingly sophisticated approaches families are taking to achieve their objectives. A key theme of our conversation is the institutionalization of investment management within family offices. Karen and Stacey explain how this trend is reshaping the way families organize their investment activities and evaluate the outsourced CIO, or O-CIO, model. They discuss the benefits, challenges, and considerations involved in determining whether to build investment capabilities internally or leverage external expertise. The discussion also explores the impact of family dynamics and generational change on investment strategy and governance. Karen and Stacey describe how the values, priorities, and expectations of rising-generation family members are influencing investment philosophies, organizational structures, and decision-making processes across family offices. Enjoy this insightful conversation with two experienced investment advisors on how families can align their investment function, governance, and mandate with their long-term goals and evolving needs.