Talk to us Meet Helen
What do you enjoy most about wealth management?
Having a real, positive impact with clients, and being part of their lives.
What's the biggest challenge?
Thinking about potential changes in the future that may impact decisions for today.
What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
Being the CEO and shaping Stanford Investment Group into a best-in-class wealth management firm. Being recognized by the industry as a successful woman and receiving the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014 from Trader Magazine and being named among the 2018 Silicon Valley Women of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Being named to the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor and Top Women Wealth Advisors lists in 2022. Earning my Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® designation in 2016.
What quality of yours makes you best suited to what you do?
My caring for people and dedication to making things better.
How should people think about their wealth?
Once you have secured your lifestyle and family needs, how do you keep your wealth fluid and make an impact?
What do you love to do outside of work?
Spending time with my family, running, going on long bike rides, serving on non-profit boards to improve women’s lives through education, getting together with long-time friends, and coming up with another project.
What was the most influential book you've read and why?
“To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. The book describes seeing life through the innocence of youth and the importance of appreciating the good qualities in people and seeing life through others’ perspectives.
What personal accomplishments are you most proud of?
Raising two daughters to become successful women and contributors to society, building and nurturing a family with my husband in parallel with a career and business, keeping old friends and making new ones, staying true to my core values in the face of adversity.
Bio
With over 25 years of experience advising individuals with concentrated stock positions, Helen provides practical financial planning advice, guidance and investment management to entrepreneurs, executives and business start-ups. Her knowledge and experience give her a deep understanding of the challenges, opportunities and choices facing clients in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Helen’s personal motto is, “Show up and follow up. Keep moving. Persevere. And when things get difficult, follow your moral compass.”
Aspiriant gained Helen through the merger with Stanford Investment Group, where she served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2004. At SIG, Helen provided thought leadership and strategic direction in building a wealth management firm that aligned with client objectives. She led a team of talented investment professionals dedicated to planning, managing and helping clients meet real-life goals. Her achievements were recognized when she was named Women in Wall Street’s 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Helen joined SIG in 1987, a time of change in the industry. She was one of the first advisors to work with the Schwab Investment Platform in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before SIG, Helen was a registered advisor and financial planner with the boutique investment banking firm Morgan, Olmstead, Kennedy and Gardner.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and English, with a discipline in Economics, from Rutgers University. In 2016, Helen earned her Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. She’s a member of the Financial Planning Association of San Francisco and of Chief, the only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders.
Helen strives to be a positive role model in the financial industry and for women and the next generation. In her spare time, she is active with several community organizations that educate and empower young people to be successful leaders including the Notre Dame High School Board of Directors; the Daraja Academy, a non-profit high school for girls in Kenya; the Idea Village, a New Orleans-based community of entrepreneurs; and The Creative Coalition, which educates leaders in the arts community on issues of public importance.
Disclosure: Aspiriant did not pay a fee for placement on Trader Magazine rankings, which is determined by the publications. Click here for more information.
Disclosure: Aspiriant did not pay a fee for placement on the Silicon Valley Business Journal ranking, which is determined by the publication. Visit their website for more information.
Disclosure: Aspiriant did not pay a fee for placement on Forbes Top Advisor rankings, which are independently determined by SHOOK Research. Each advisor is chosen based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including in-person interviews, industry experience, compliance records, revenue produced and assets under management. See Forbes for more information.
