Talk to us Meet Alan
What do you enjoy most about wealth management?
Getting to know people. Everyone has their own story, and I enjoy understanding what matters to them, putting decisions into perspective, and uncovering possibilities they may not have considered. I’m also fascinated by financial markets and how they connect with business, the economy and events around the world. Wealth management brings those interests together in a way that’s personal and useful.
What's the biggest challenge?
Investing is as much art as science, and our experiences and emotions shape how we think about money. A particular stock, for example, can carry personal meaning beyond its financial value. I try to understand those connections and help people work through the tradeoffs so they can respond thoughtfully rather than react in the moment.
What do you love most about being part of Aspiriant?
Being 100% employee-owned helps align our interests with our clients, and our independence gives us the freedom to offer advice based on what’s best for them. I also value our team approach. We compare perspectives and draw on one another’s expertise, and clients build relationships with a team that can provide continuity as their lives and needs change.
What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the breadth of my experience. I began my career as an options trader and market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and went on to oversee pension investments, lead global finance teams and serve as the board chair of a credit union. These roles taught me to think in probabilities, help people grow and balance curiosity with skepticism. Transitioning into wealth management has allowed me to bring those lessons to decisions that matter deeply to individuals and families.
What quality of yours makes you best suited to what you do?
Curiosity. I like asking questions, learning how things work and looking at a problem from more than one angle. That applies as much to understanding a person’s priorities as it does to researching an investment. I’m willing to change my mind when I learn something new.
How should people think about their wealth?
Start with what you want it to make possible. That might be more time with family, the freedom to change careers or the ability to help someone else. It’s easy to keep moving the financial goalposts without stopping to ask whether you already have enough to make an important change.
What do you love to do outside of work?
Most of my time outside work is with my wife and our two kids. I’ve coached various sports for both of my children and served as a soccer referee. I also enjoy cooking, hiking, camping and skiing. Our annual trips to Chautauqua in New York are a family tradition. I also enjoy travel and have been fortunate enough to visit six continents through work and personal trips, including spending six months living overseas on a work assignment.
What was the most influential book you've read and why?
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It made me more aware of how easily we can mistake luck for skill and judge a decision solely by its outcome. It’s a useful reminder to stay humble about what we know and recognize that a good decision can turn out badly, just as a poor decision can turn out well.
Bio
Alan is a manager in Investment Advisory at Aspiriant. He works with individuals and families on investment strategy, portfolio implementation and financial planning. He enjoys helping clients put complex decisions into perspective and align their portfolios with what they want their wealth to make possible.
Before joining Aspiriant, Alan held senior finance leadership roles at Chevron Corporation, where he led global teams and worked across financial planning and analysis, treasury and pension investments. He began his career as an options trader and market maker with TD Securities at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. He also serves as board chair of a credit union, a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution.
Alan earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a CFA charterholder, passed the Certified Financial Planner® exam in 2026 and is completing the remaining requirements needed for this certification.
Alan lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children. He has coached various youth sports and served as a soccer referee. He also enjoys cooking, hiking, camping and skiing. Having grown up in the Chicago area, he remains a loyal sports fan of both Chicago and University of Illinois teams.
