Is a Family Office Right For you?

Join Alison Norris, Director, Family Office, The Biltmore Company, and Charlie Carr and Belinda Sneddon of PwC’s Family Enterprise Advisory Services, for the answers to your family office questions.

You’ve found that your family business has now grown and prospered beyond your dreams, your wealth is growing, and friends are telling you it is time to start a family office. You are confused, recognizing very well that you aren’t the Rockefeller, Walton or Gates family, and wonder if a family office is really right for your needs.

Alison Norris

Family Office Director, The Biltmore Company

Alison Norris is the Director of the Family Office for The Biltmore Company, which owns and operates Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. A national historic landmark, Biltmore is the private home of the late George W. Vanderbilt, now owned by members of the Cecil and Pickering families. The property, which has been open to the public since 1930, is completely self-sufficient and receives no outside funding.  Biltmore includes America’s largest private residence, Biltmore House, designed by renowned 19th century architect Richard Morris Hunt, and the surrounding 8,000 acres of gardens and forests, landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted.  Today, Biltmore has grown to include Antler Hill Village, which features the award-winning Winery and Antler Hill Farm; the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate; the Village Hotel; Equestrian Center; numerous restaurants; event and meeting venues; and Biltmore For Your Home, the company’s licensed products division.

Alison works with Generations 4 and 5 to plan the bi-annual Family Council Meetings which focus on educational programming, policy development, and fun!  Alison received her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Western Carolina University and is an Asheville native.  Biltmore’s Family Office also oversees the Company’s philanthropy programs. Alison Chairs the Biltmore Community Benefit that raises money to support local charities with a specific project need that aligns with Biltmore’s social, economic, and environmental goals.

Charlie Carr

Managing Director, US Family Enterprise Advisory Services, PwC

Charlie Carr inspires families to achieve their legacy for the next 100 years. He leads the firm’s family enterprise advisory offerings, which includes solutions for families, their family business and family office. He leads projects in family and business governance, succession planning, setting up family offices, and performing diagnostic reviews of existing family offices to ensure they most effectively support the family and its desired legacy.

Charlie has worked in professional services for over 25 years, as a consultant, banker and wealth advisor. For the last 15 years, he has worked exclusively with very wealthy families, their businesses and their family offices.

He is a frequent speaker and contributor on family office and succession topics, including working with Family Business Magazine in 2016 to produce five videos discussing family business basics.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management from Baylor University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, with a Six Sigma green belt for process design.

Charlie coached youth baseball for 15 years and has developed and taught a personal finance class for high school students. He lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife and three sons.

Belinda Sneddon

Managing Director, Family Enterprise Advisory Services, PwC

Belinda is a Managing Director at PwC’s family enterprise advisory practice, which includes solutions for families, their family business and family office. She leads projects in family and business governance, succession planning, establishing family offices, and performing diagnostic reviews of existing family offices.

Belinda has over 25 years of experience as a consultant, multi-family office executive, and investment professional. For the last 15 years, she has focused exclusively on advising and supporting wealthy families on issues of wealth transfer, governance, succession, investment policy and philanthropic initiatives as the Group Executive and National Practice Executive for U.S. Trust’s family office.  She has significant experience in the management of family office functions including; fiduciary administration, investment oversight, operations and financial metrics.  Belinda is a frequent national speaker on family office and impact investing topics.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the University at Albany – SUNY.

Barbara Spector

Editor-in-Chief, Family Business Magazine

Barbara Spector, who grew up in a family business, has served on the editorial staff of Family Business since 2000. She has been editor-in-chief since 2004 and became associate publisher in 2011. She has compiled and edited seven volumes of the acclaimed Family Business Handbook series. Previously, she was the managing editor of Jewelers’ Circular Keystone, a trade magazine for the jewelry industry, which is primarily composed of family businesses. She is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.