A full day dedicated to the institutional investment landscape, featuring panel discussions
with leading global financial firms. Monday establishes the macroeconomic and investment
framework that underpins every wealth strategy discussed throughout the rest of the
week. The day concludes with an evening welcome reception and founders talk.
9:00 AM — Welcome Address
Speaker: Anya Coverman, President, Institute for Portfolio Alternatives
The summit opens with a welcome address from Anya Coverman, President of the Institute
for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA). As the leading voice for alternative investments
in the advisor and family office community, President Coverman sets the stage for
the week by framing the current state of private markets, the evolving regulatory
landscape, and why portfolio alternatives have become essential — not optional — for
families seeking to build resilient, multigenerational wealth. Her remarks provide
the context and conviction that will carry through every session that follows.
9:30 AM — Panel: Private Equity
Private equity is the asset class built on the principle of buying, improving, and
selling companies to create value that public markets often cannot. This panel brings
together senior leaders from the world’s most respected private equity firms to demystify
the full spectrum of the asset class — from venture capital funding early-stage startups,
to growth equity backing companies in their expansion phase, to buyout funds acquiring
mature businesses and driving operational transformation, to secondary markets providing
liquidity to existing investors.
The discussion will explore how private equity relates to public equity and why the
two are increasingly intertwined. As companies stay private longer — often well past
the stage where they would have IPO’d a generation ago — the majority of value creation
now occurs in private markets before a company ever reaches the public exchanges.
For family offices, this means that a portfolio allocated solely to public equities
is systematically missing the most significant growth phase of the world’s most innovative
and well-managed companies. The panel will also address fee structures, J-curve dynamics,
vintage year diversification, manager selection, and how families should think about
liquidity trade-offs when committing capital to private equity over long time horizons.
10:30 AM — Panel: Private Credit
Private credit has emerged as one of the fastest-growing asset classes in the world,
and the catalyst for its rise was the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection
Act of 2010. In the wake of the global financial crisis, Dodd-Frank imposed sweeping
regulations on banks — higher capital requirements, stricter lending standards, and
enhanced oversight — that fundamentally constrained their ability to lend to middle-market
companies, real estate projects, and leveraged borrowers. Into that void stepped private
credit managers: non-bank lenders who could offer the flexible, customized financing
that banks were no longer willing or able to provide.
This panel will trace the evolution of private credit from a niche strategy to a multi-trillion-dollar
asset class, exploring the key segments — direct lending, mezzanine debt, distressed
debt, specialty finance, and asset-based lending — and explaining how each serves
a different role in a family’s portfolio. The discussion will also address the trends
and concerns dominating the private credit landscape today: the rapid growth of the
asset class and whether too much capital is chasing too few deals, the compression
of yields and loosening of covenants as competition intensifies, the potential impact
of a recession on default rates and recovery values, and the systemic risk questions
being raised by regulators about the concentration of lending outside the traditional
banking system.
11:30 AM — Panel: Real Estate
Real estate is the oldest and most tangible asset class — and for many family offices,
it is the foundation of the family’s wealth. This panel brings together institutional
real estate leaders to explore the full array of commercial property types and the
distinct investment characteristics of each. The discussion will cover multifamily
housing, industrial and logistics properties, office properties, retail, hospitality,
healthcare, and specialty sectors like data centers, self-storage, and life sciences.
The panel will address how families should think about direct ownership versus fund
investments, the role of leverage in real estate returns, the tax advantages that
make real estate uniquely powerful for multigenerational wealth — including depreciation,
cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, and the step-up in basis — and how interest rates,
cap rate compression, and regional market dynamics are shaping the opportunity set
today.
12:30 PM — Lunch: Macroeconomic Update
Lunch is served on the lakeside terrace alongside a macroeconomic briefing from leading
economists and strategists representing the world’s premier global financial institutions.
The briefing will cover the trajectory of global interest rates and central bank policy,
the implications of persistent fiscal deficits and sovereign debt accumulation, the
ongoing restructuring of global trade and supply chains, the impact of artificial
intelligence on productivity and labor markets, geopolitical flashpoints, currency
dynamics, and the inflation outlook for families whose real cost of living often exceeds
headline CPI by a significant margin.
2:00 PM — The History of Swiss Banking and the Global Banking Environment
There is no more fitting place to explore the history of banking than Switzerland.
This session traces the remarkable history of Swiss banking from its origins in the
medieval trade routes of Geneva and Zürich, through the establishment of banking secrecy
laws in 1934, to the modern era of global regulatory reform, automatic exchange of
information, and the transformation of Switzerland from a haven of secrecy to a center
of transparent, highly regulated, world-class wealth management.
The discussion will then broaden to the current global banking environment, examining
the policies of the world’s most influential central banks — the Federal Reserve,
the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, and the Swiss National
Bank — and how their decisions on interest rates, quantitative tightening, and financial
regulation are reshaping the landscape for depositors, borrowers, and investors.
3:00 PM — The History and Evolution of Insurance
Life insurance is one of the oldest and most misunderstood financial instruments in
the wealth planning toolkit. This session traces its remarkable evolution — from the
simple mutual aid societies of the 18th century, through the rise of whole life and
universal life products in the 20th century, to the sophisticated private placement
life insurance (PPLI) and private placement variable annuity (PPVA) structures that
have transformed how ultra-high-net-worth families invest, protect, and transfer wealth
over the last four decades.
The discussion will explain how PPLI works and why it has become a cornerstone of
advanced wealth planning: assets held inside a PPLI policy grow tax-free, can be accessed
through policy loans without triggering taxable events, and pass to beneficiaries
income-tax-free at death. When a PPLI policy is owned by an irrevocable life insurance
trust (ILIT), the death benefit can also be excluded from the insured’s taxable estate,
achieving both income tax and estate tax efficiency in a single structure. The session
will emphasize the critical importance of trust ownership — when possible, life insurance
should be owned inside an irrevocable trust rather than individually.
The panel will also explore how PPLI has evolved over the past 40 years from a niche
product into a more accessible planning tool, how insurance-dedicated funds have expanded
the investment options available inside policies, the regulatory and compliance requirements
that govern PPLI structures, and how families are using PPLI today to hold alternative
investments, hedge fund allocations, and concentrated stock positions in a tax-advantaged
wrapper.
4:00 PM — Afternoon Intermission & Tour of the Château d’Hauteville
Sessions conclude for the afternoon. Attendees are free to enjoy the Pepperdine campus,
take a lakeside walk, rest, or connect informally with fellow attendees and panelists
before the evening reception. The Château d’Hauteville was built in the 1760’s and
is officially recognized by Switzerland as a Class 1 historic monument, which is the
highest level of cultural protection. The sprawling estate was acquired by Pepperdine
in 2019.
6:00 PM — Welcome Reception and Founders Conversation featuring Henning Strauss
Speaker: Henning Strauss, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Engelbert Strauss Inc
The week begins in earnest with an evening welcome reception on the terrace overlooking
Lake Geneva. Locally sourced Swiss cuisine is served throughout the evening — artisan
cheeses from the surrounding alpine dairies, cured meats from the Valais, freshly
baked breads, seasonal vegetables from Lake Geneva’s market gardens, and Swiss chocolate
from the region’s finest chocolatiers — accompanied by wines from the nearby Lavaux
vineyards and live music that sets a warm, convivial tone for the week ahead.
The centerpiece of the evening is the Founders Talk — an intimate, unscripted conversation
with a family member who has built and sustained a privately owned global brand. This
is not a polished keynote or a corporate presentation. It is a real story, told honestly,
about the ups and the downs — the early sacrifices, the moments of doubt, the failures
that nearly ended everything, the relationships that were tested, the breakthroughs
that changed the trajectory, and the hard-won wisdom that only comes from building
something meaningful over decades.
The Founders Talk is the emotional anchor of the entire summit. It reminds every attendee
why they are here — not just to optimize a portfolio or refine a tax strategy, but
to build something that lasts, to protect what matters most, and to steward their
family’s story with integrity and purpose. The reception concludes at 9:00 PM.
A day to step away from the conference room and into the breathtaking Swiss landscape.
Attendees choose one of three guided excursion groups, each departing by private coach
from the Pepperdine Château at 8:00 AM. The day is designed to foster deeper relationships,
restore the body and mind, and create the kind of shared memories that bond families
and fellow attendees in ways that no workshop can. Each excursion concludes with a
gourmet dinner in small groups at curated local restaurants before returning to the
Château in the evening.
Excursion A — Zermatt: The Matterhorn Experience
Depart: 8:00 AM by private coach from Pepperdine Château
The Zermatt excursion is the crown jewel of the summit experience. Your private coach
takes you through the Swiss countryside to the car-free alpine village of Zermatt,
nestled at the foot of the most iconic mountain in the world — the Matterhorn. Upon
arrival, the group boards the Gornergrat Railway, Europe’s highest open-air cogwheel
railway, for a breathtaking 30-minute ascent to the Gornergrat viewing platform at
over 3,100 meters. From the top, you are surrounded by a panorama of 29 peaks above
4,000 meters, glaciers stretching to the horizon, and the Matterhorn itself rising
like a sentinel over the valley.
After descending, the group has time to explore the charming village of Zermatt —
strolling the Bahnhofstrasse lined with Swiss boutiques, visiting the Matterhorn Museum,
and wandering through the Mountaineer’s Cemetery. For the more adventurous, an optional
visit to the Gorner Gorge offers a walk along wooden catwalks suspended above swirling
glacial waters.
The day concludes with a gourmet dinner in small groups at one of Zermatt’s renowned
mountain restaurants, where traditional Valais cuisine — fondue, raclette, dried meats,
and local wines — is served with the Matterhorn glowing in the evening light.
Excursion B — Grindelwald: Waterfalls, Alpine Beauty, and Paragliding
Depart: 8:00 AM by private coach from Pepperdine Château
The Grindelwald excursion is for those who want to be immersed in the raw, dramatic
beauty of the Bernese Oberland. Grindelwald sits in a lush valley beneath the towering
north face of the Eiger, surrounded by cascading waterfalls, emerald meadows, and
glacier-carved cliffs. The morning begins with a visit to the area’s stunning waterfalls
and gorges, accessed via scenic walkways that wind through misty canyons.
For those seeking an unforgettable adrenaline experience, tandem paragliding is available.
You launch from the alpine meadows above Grindelwald with a certified instructor and
glide silently over the valley, the Eiger’s north face to your left, waterfalls below,
and the patchwork of Swiss farmland stretching to the horizon. For those who prefer
solid ground, scenic gondola rides, hiking trails, and the famous First Cliff Walk
offer equally spectacular views.
The evening concludes with a gourmet dinner in small groups at one of Grindelwald’s
finest restaurants, where hearty Swiss mountain cuisine is served alongside panoramic
views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
Excursion C — Geneva: Culture, Shopping, and Lakeside Elegance
Depart: 8:00 AM by private coach from Pepperdine Château
The Geneva excursion is designed for those who prefer the sophistication of one of
Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities. Geneva’s Rue du Rhône is one of Europe’s premier
luxury shopping streets, home to Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Hermès, Chanel, Louis
Vuitton, and dozens of independent Swiss boutiques. The Old Town offers cobblestone
streets, antique shops, art galleries, and the stunning St. Pierre Cathedral.
After a leisurely lakeside lunch, the afternoon is open for continued exploration
— the Patek Philippe Museum, the Jardin Anglais and its famous flower clock, a boat
cruise on Lake Geneva, or simply enjoying a coffee at a lakeside café.
The day concludes with a gourmet dinner in small groups at one of Geneva’s acclaimed
restaurants, where French-Swiss cuisine is served in settings that reflect the city’s
quiet sophistication.
All excursion groups return to the Pepperdine Château by private coach following dinner.
A morning of inspiration, connection, and celebration to close the summit. Friday
is intentionally lighter — a chance to reflect on everything shared throughout the
week, deepen the relationships formed, and leave Switzerland with renewed purpose
and a network of like-minded families committed to stewarding their wealth, health,
and legacy with wisdom and generosity.
10:00 AM — Live Jazz and Welcome Reception
The morning opens on the lakeside terrace with a local Swiss jazz ensemble providing
a warm, sophisticated soundtrack to the gathering. The music is intentionally understated
— intimate, European jazz with piano, upright bass, a muted trumpet, and a vocalist
weaving through classic standards and continental favorites. The effect is one of
effortless elegance, perfectly suited to the setting and the spirit of the morning.
Attendees enjoy a selection of champagne and rosé sourced from local Swiss and French
producers as they reconnect with the people they’ve met throughout the week, exchange
stories from Wednesday’s excursions, and simply enjoy the beauty of Lake Geneva and
the Alps. The band continues as a backdrop throughout the closing address.
11:00 AM — Closing Address: A Charge to Impact Your Community
Speaker: Jim Gash, President, Pepperdine University
President Jim Gash closes the summit with a charge and encouragement to every family
in attendance: take what you have learned this week — about your family, your health,
and your wealth — and use it to make a tangible, lasting impact in your business community
and beyond. His charge is not a fundraising appeal — there is no ask for donations,
no pledge cards, no pressure of any kind. It is something far more powerful: a personal,
heartfelt call to stewardship, generosity, and the kind of purposeful leadership that
transforms not only families but the communities they touch.
President Gash will remind the room that the families gathered at this summit have
been entrusted with extraordinary resources — not just financial, but intellectual,
relational, and spiritual. The question is not how much you have, but what you do
with what you’ve been given. His encouragement is to go home and lead — in your business,
in your family, in your city, and in the lives of those who have less. Wealth is a
tool. Wisdom is the hand that wields it. And the measure of a life well lived is not
the size of the estate you leave behind, but the depth of the impact you made while
you were here.
12:00 PM — Shalom and Send-Off
The summit closes with a blessing of shalom spoken over every family in the room.
Shalom is far more than a word of farewell — it is the Hebrew declaration of wholeness,
completeness, peace, and flourishing in every dimension of life. It is the prayer
that your family will be whole, that your health will be restored and sustained, that
your wealth will be stewarded with wisdom and generosity, and that your relationships
will be marked by trust, love, and unity for generations to come. As the jazz ensemble
plays its final set and the Alps hold steady across the lake, attendees are sent out
with this ancient blessing resting over them — a reminder that everything discussed
this week, every strategy and every conversation, is in service of something far deeper
than financial performance. It is in service of shalom. Attendees depart by 1:00 PM,
carrying with them not just knowledge and strategies, but renewed relationships, a
clearer sense of purpose, and the quiet confidence that comes from spending a week
in the company of families who understand that true wealth is measured in wholeness,
not dollars.
