Global Family Office Summit 2026

Chief Executive Officer, STRAUSS  |  Pepperdine Seaver College Distinguished Alumnus 2025–26

Henning Strauss is the CEO and co-owner of STRAUSS, Europe’s leading workwear and lifestyle brand, which he leads alongside his brother Steffen as the third generation at the helm of the family company. Founded in 1948 by their grandfather Engelbert Strauss in Biebergemünd, Germany, the company has grown from a small broom and workwear business into a global powerhouse with annual revenues exceeding €1.4 billion and operations spanning 28 countries. Under Henning’s leadership, STRAUSS has transformed from a traditional workwear supplier into a globally recognized cult brand, earning partnerships with UEFA, the NFL, and Major League Baseball — including the highly visible helmet advertisements seen during the most recent MLB World Series. The company’s iconic ostrich logo, reflecting the family name (Strauss means ostrich in German), has become a symbol of quality, innovation, and authenticity for tradespeople and lifestyle consumers worldwide.

Henning left Germany as a teenager to pursue his education at Pepperdine University, graduating from Seaver College in 2001 — a decision he credits with shaping his leadership philosophy and values. In October 2025, he was named Seaver College’s Distinguished Alumnus for the 2025–26 academic year, a role in which he has served as a mentor to the graduating class and an embedded presence in campus life. A recipient of the 2025 BOA® Pioneer Award for innovation in workwear footwear and the German Brand Award’s Brand Manager of the Year, Henning is a sought-after speaker on family business leadership, brand management, and the intersection of heritage and innovation. He embodies Pepperdine’s motto — “Freely ye received, freely give” — and is deeply committed to investing in the next generation of business leaders.

Vice President for Advancement and Chief Development Officer, Pepperdine University

Lauren Cosentino is the Vice President for Advancement and Chief Development Officer at Pepperdine University, where she leads the university’s efforts to engage friends, donors, and alumni and to develop and implement major fundraising campaigns and strategies. She works closely with Pepperdine’s leadership on major fundraising initiatives and oversees the advancement team responsible for propelling the university’s philanthropic mission forward. Lauren began her career with Pepperdine the year she graduated from Seaver College and has continuously served the university for over 25 years across a remarkable range of leadership roles.

Before assuming her current position in January 2021, Lauren served as Vice President for Campus Operations and Human Resources, where she chaired the university’s threat assessment team and served as vice chair of the Emergency Operations Committee. She has also led departments including Human Resources, Insurance and Risk, the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, and the Boone Center for the Family. A lifelong member of the Church of Christ and a double alumna of Pepperdine (B.A. ’97, MBA ’12), Lauren embodies the university’s values of faith, service, and purpose-driven leadership. She and her husband Marco, also a Pepperdine alumnus (JD ’93), are deeply committed to the Pepperdine community and its mission.

Real Estate Professional  |  Pepperdine Associate

Marco Cosentino is a Pepperdine double alumnus who graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Seaver College, following his time at the Caruso School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor and graduated magna cum laude. After practicing law for many years, Marco transitioned into real estate in 2002 and has since served buyers and sellers across Malibu, the west side of Los Angeles, and the Conejo Valley.

Born in New York City and raised in Malibu, Marco grew up working alongside his siblings and parents in the family’s renowned flower and nursery business, Cosentino’s. He is a longtime member of the Pepperdine Associates — the university’s distinguished circle of annual supporters — and together with his wife Lauren is deeply embedded in the life and mission of Pepperdine University. Marco brings a unique combination of legal training, entrepreneurial experience, and deep Pepperdine roots to everything he does.

Partner, Tax and Legal — Private Clients and Family Offices, PwC Switzerland  |  Zurich

Lisa Cornwell is a Partner in PwC Switzerland’s Tax and Legal practice, where she leads the firm’s International Private Clients and Family Offices advisory offering from Zurich. With more than 20 years of experience advising international families, family offices, banks, wealth managers, and trust companies, Lisa brings a rare combination of industry and professional services expertise to her practice. She works with complex, multi-jurisdictional families on tax advisory, succession planning, governance, and wealth structuring, always with a focus on finding the most practical, forward-looking solutions for her clients in an increasingly transparent regulatory environment.

Before joining PwC, Lisa held senior roles in the private banking industry, including Head of Tax Assurance at HSBC Private Bank, where she was responsible for wealth planning across the European and African markets. She previously worked at Kleinwort Benson and began her career with Deloitte’s private client tax team in 2003. A Chartered Tax Adviser and member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Lisa also holds a Diploma in Investment Management from the Chartered Insurance Institute and a B.A. (Hons) in History and English from the University of York. She is a recognized thought leader at the intersection of tax transparency, regulatory compliance, and international wealth planning, and regularly speaks at STEP conferences and private wealth forums across Europe and the Middle East. Lisa also leads PwC Switzerland’s Women in International Private Wealth Network, fostering connection and leadership among women in the industry.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Portfolio Alternatives

Anya Coverman serves as President and CEO of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), the leading advocacy organization for the portfolio diversifying investment industry. In this role, she leads the organization’s efforts to bring together top asset managers, product distribution partners, and service providers to advance access to alternative investments for retail and institutional investors. She oversees the IPA’s legislative, regulatory, and legal initiatives, networking and education programs, and the organization’s political action committee.

Prior to being named CEO in September 2022, Anya served as the IPA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel, where she was the primary liaison and senior policy representative before Congress, the executive branch, and regulators. Before joining the IPA in 2017, she served as Deputy Director of Policy and Associate General Counsel at the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the national association representing state financial regulators. She has also practiced corporate and securities law at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP in Washington, D.C. Anya received her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and her B.A. from the University of Miami, and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Virginia, New York, and Texas.

Founder, Trusted Governance  |  Vice President UHNWIs & Family Offices, Crown Global Insurance Group  |  Zurich

Laura Nanette Gambineri-Giese is the founder of Trusted Governance, a Zurich-based advisory firm focused on helping families find their shared purpose and build governance structures that endure across generations. She is also a Vice President for UHNWIs and Family Offices at VivaInsurance Services, a tied intermediary to the Crown Global Life Insurance Group, where her primary expertise lies in assisting ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their professional advisors in structuring estate plans enhanced by Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI), with particular focus on U.S. and U.K. planning.

Laura holds a Bachelor’s in International Business Management from the Euro-Business College in Hamburg and a Master of Laws (with Distinction) in International Banking and Finance Law from the University of Liverpool. She is a TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) at STEP and has earned Advanced Certificates with Distinction in both Advising the Family Business and Family Business Governance, as well as the STEP Excellence Award for the highest-scoring students worldwide. She and her father Riccardo have worked professionally together for over a decade, bringing a unique father-daughter dynamic to their shared passion for helping families navigate the intersection of governance, legacy, and wealth protection.

President, UHNWIs & Family Offices, Crown Global Insurance Group  |  Zurich

Riccardo Gambineri is the President for UHNWIs and Family Offices at VivaInsurance Services, a tied intermediary to the Crown Global Life Insurance Group, where he is responsible for developing and promoting Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) solutions. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Riccardo collaborates closely with clients and their advisors to enhance asset protection, investment strategies, and wealth management through tax-compliant insurance solutions, with particular specialization in U.S. and U.K. planning.

Prior to joining Crown Global, Riccardo served as Head of Private Banking Insurance Solutions at Zurich Insurance Group, where he was responsible for developing and distributing tailored solutions across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Northern and Eastern European countries. He has also held senior executive positions at SWIFT, Clearstream Banking, Deutsche Börse AG, Capco, and Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Riccardo holds a Master of Laws with Distinction, a Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advising, and is a certified STEP Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). He co-founded Trusted Governance with his daughter Laura and is a frequent speaker at STEP conferences and private wealth forums worldwide.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Pepperdine University

Jim Gash began his term as the eighth president and chief executive officer of Pepperdine University on August 1, 2019, becoming the first alumnus to lead the university as president. A renowned legal scholar, global justice advocate, and attorney, Gash served the university in a professional capacity since 1999, including 20 years as a professor at the Caruso School of Law teaching evidence, torts, and international human rights, and as associate dean for strategic planning and external relations. He graduated summa cum laude from Pepperdine’s School of Law in 1993, finishing first in his class and serving as editor-in-chief of the Pepperdine Law Review. Prior to joining the faculty, he practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis and clerked for the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Recognized globally for his transformative work in international justice reform, President Gash has visited Uganda nearly 30 times since 2010, working with Pepperdine students and alumni to support the country’s judiciary and reform its criminal justice system. He became the first American lawyer to argue a case before the Ugandan Court of Appeals, has served as a specialist advisor to the High Court of Uganda since 2012, and was named chancellor of LivingStone International University in Mbale, Uganda, in 2018. His 2016 book, Divine Collision, chronicles how meeting a wrongfully imprisoned Ugandan teenager changed his life’s trajectory. A recipient of the Warren Christopher Award as California’s international lawyer of the year and the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for mentoring excellence, President Gash holds a B.A. in finance, summa cum laude, from Abilene Christian University.

Head of Macro Research and Strategy, Schwab Center for Financial Research, Charles Schwab

Kevin Gordon is the Head of Macro Research and Strategy for the Schwab Center for Financial Research at Charles Schwab. He oversees macroeconomic research and works closely with the company’s asset class strategists, researchers, and trading team to generate insights on the economy and markets for Schwab’s clients. In addition to providing analysis on global macro developments, Kevin develops deep-dive research projects and content for Schwab’s public website, internal business partners, and social media outlets.

Kevin is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Yahoo Finance, and is regularly quoted in Bloomberg, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and MarketWatch. He joined Schwab in 2019 as the research associate to the company’s Chief Investment Strategist, Liz Ann Sonders. Prior to Schwab, he gained experience in asset allocation research at an investment advisory firm and worked for a U.S. senator in Washington, D.C. A Pepperdine alumnus, Kevin graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science, where he co-managed a student-run investment fund and co-authored academic publications. He also holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Joseph Knight is an investment professional at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, part of one of the world’s most storied financial institutions with more than 200 years of history serving clients. J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank and Asset Management divisions collectively manage trillions of dollars on behalf of families, institutions, governments, and endowments worldwide, and are recognized for their deep expertise in portfolio construction, alternative investments, and multigenerational wealth planning.

At J.P. Morgan, Joseph works at the intersection of portfolio management and client engagement, helping families and institutional investors navigate the complexities of global markets. His work encompasses asset allocation, private markets strategy, and the kind of bespoke advisory that J.P. Morgan is known for delivering to its most sophisticated clients. Joseph brings a combination of analytical rigor and relationship-driven service that aligns with the summit’s emphasis on thoughtful, long-term wealth stewardship.

Chairperson, Withersworldwide  |  Partner, Private Client and Tax  |  Geneva

Justine Markovitz is the global Chairperson of Withersworldwide and a partner in the firm’s Private Client and Tax practice based in Geneva, Switzerland. She founded Withers’ Swiss Practice in Geneva in 2005 and has led it since that date, building it into one of the most respected cross-border private client advisory practices in Europe. She co-headed the firm’s Global Private Client and Tax team from 2016–2019 before being elected Chairperson of the entire firm in July 2019 — a role that reflects her standing as one of the most influential trust and estate practitioners in the world.

Justine focuses on advising international families, their family offices, and their trustees on generational transition, family governance, succession planning, and the structuring of personal assets and business interests. She is recognized as a leading authority on cross-border tax, trusts, and estate planning, with particular expertise in planning for UK-resident non-domiciliaries and international families with complex, multi-jurisdictional structures. A World Economic Forum Agenda Contributor and a Vice President of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Suisse-Romande branch, Justine has been ranked by Chambers and Partners as a top practitioner in High Net Worth advisory. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Manchester and a law degree from London Guildhall University, and is admitted to practice in England and Wales.

University Chaplain, Pepperdine University  |  DMin, LCSW

Dr. Dee Dee Mayer is the University Chaplain at Pepperdine University, appointed to the role in May 2026 after serving as interim chaplain since September 2024. In this role, she ministers to the Pepperdine community through pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and programs that nurture faith and spiritual formation. She also serves as a liaison to local church communities and supports faculty, staff, and students in their spiritual growth.

A licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience, Dee Dee previously served as Senior Director of RelateStrong at Pepperdine’s Boone Center for the Family, where she helped couples and individuals address conflict and build healthy relationships grounded in faith. Before joining Pepperdine, she spent 12 years at Oaks Christian School in roles including Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life. She also served as co-host of Movieguide TV. Dee Dee holds a Doctor of Ministry from Azusa Pacific University and a Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. She is a published author, sought-after speaker, and is passionate about supporting leaders and families in developing strong, healthy, Christ-centered relationships.

Principal, Winged Keel Group | New York

Matt Phillips is a principal at Winged Keel Group, one of the most respected independent life insurance brokerage firms in the United States, where he has been a central force in the firm’s growth and client service for over two decades. Founded in 1989 and inspired by the innovation behind the 1983 America’s Cup yacht race, Winged Keel specializes in the structuring and long-term administration of large life insurance portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients. Today, the firm administers more than $105 billion of life insurance, manages more than $10 billion of separate account assets inside private placement policies, and places more than $5 billion of new life insurance annually. In January 2025, GTCR, a leading private equity firm, made a strategic investment in Winged Keel — the company’s first outside investor — to fuel continued growth, with Matt serving as one of four key principals alongside CEO Eric Naison-Phillips, Michael Mingolelli Jr., and Chelsea Maeda-Wiegand in leading the firm’s next chapter.

Matt is a recognized expert in Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) and Private Placement Variable Annuities (PPVA) — sophisticated, tax-advantaged structures that allow ultra-high-net-worth families to hold diversified private equity, hedge fund allocations, and other alternative investments inside insurance wrappers that compound on a tax-deferred or tax-free basis. He has co-authored published articles on PPLI strategy and regularly participates in industry roundtables and forums, including discussions hosted by KKR on private equity allocation within insurance structures. Named among Forbes’ Top Financial Security Professionals in 2023 alongside his Winged Keel partners, Matt brings deep technical knowledge in estate planning, wealth accumulation, business continuation insurance, and intergenerational wealth transfer. He is a graduate of Bard College and a founding member of Finseca, the financial security industry’s leading advocacy organization. Matt’s combination of institutional-caliber structuring expertise and a genuine commitment to long-term client relationships makes him one of the most trusted voices in the life insurance and PPLI space serving family offices today.

Director, Private Equity Product Strategies, Global Client Solutions, KKR

Emily Pollock is a Director in the Private Equity Product Strategies team within Global Client Solutions at KKR, one of the world’s leading investment firms with approximately $638 billion in assets under management. Her primary focus is as a product specialist for KKR’s open-ended private equity vehicles designed for individual investors and the wealth management channel, helping to bridge the gap between institutional-quality private markets strategies and the family office and advisory community.

Based in London, Emily joined KKR in 2025 and brings extensive experience in private markets distribution and product strategy. She works closely with wealth advisors, family offices, and institutional partners to communicate KKR’s investment philosophy, market outlook, and portfolio construction insights. Emily holds a degree from Brown University and is a frequent participant in industry forums on the democratization of private markets and the evolution of alternative investment access for individual investors.

Independent Director, Willow Street Trust Company of Wyoming  |  CEO and Founder, Gallatin Wealth Management

 

Laurent Roux has worked with families and family offices worldwide for over 40 years, with a focus on strategic wealth management, family wealth advising, family office construction and operations, and international asset management. He serves as an Independent Director and Principal of the Willow Street Group and Willow Street Trust Company of Wyoming in Jackson, WY, and is the Chair of its Investment Committee. He is also the CEO and founder of Gallatin Wealth Management, an independent wealth advisory and consulting firm that serves as a trusted advisor to families, family offices, and multi-family offices.

Prior to founding Gallatin in 2005, Laurent spent 25 years as a Director and Managing Director at Pictet & Cie, one of the world’s most prestigious private banks, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, where he served a global clientele across multiple generations. He holds numerous board and advisory positions, including with the Family Firm Institute, the East-West Institute, the UHNW Institute, and the Family Office Association. Laurent is a designated Fellow of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), has spoken at forums across Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States, and regularly lectures and writes on family wealth advising, private banking, and trust structures. He is also a STEP member and brings a rare combination of Swiss private banking heritage and American trust expertise to his advisory practice.

New York Times Bestselling Author, The Maker’s Diet and The Biblio Diet  |  Founder, Garden of Life, Beyond Organic, and Ancient Nutrition

Jordan Rubin is one of America’s most recognized natural health experts and the New York Times bestselling author of more than 31 books, including The Maker’s Diet and his latest work, The Biblio Diet: Live Long, Master Metabolism, Reduce Pain, Fight Depression, and Conquer Cancer with Healing Secrets from the Bible. Known as America’s Biblical Health Coach, Jordan has shared his message of faith-based health and nutrition across five continents and 46 U.S. states. He is the founder of Garden of Life, Beyond Organic, and Ancient Nutrition — companies that have collectively transformed the natural health industry.

Jordan’s journey began at age 19, when he was battling Crohn’s disease and weighed just 111 pounds. After visiting over 70 doctors and exhausting both conventional and alternative treatments, he discovered a biblically based approach to nutrition and health that ultimately saved his life. That experience became the foundation for his life’s work. With degrees in Naturopathic Medicine and Nutrition, Jordan has formulated nearly 1,000 dietary supplements, functional foods, and beverages, and holds multiple patents in nutritional science, biomedical applications, and regenerative agriculture. He also owns and operates Heal the Planet Farm and Beyond Organic Ranch — Regenerative Organic Certified farms in Tennessee and Missouri. Jordan and his wife Nicki are the parents of six children.

Partner, Head of Private Clients, Family Offices and Privately-Owned Groups, KPMG Switzerland  |  Geneva

Hugues Salomé is a Partner at KPMG Switzerland and Head of the firm’s Private Clients, Family Offices, and Privately-Owned Groups practice in Geneva. He is also a member of KPMG’s Global Family Office and Private Clients leadership team. For more than 25 years, Hugues has worked at top-tier international audit and law firms, advising multinational groups, private clients, fund managers, and family offices on Swiss and international tax matters.

Hugues started his career with the Swiss tax authorities in the Canton of Vaud before transitioning to consulting. He became a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland in 2009, where he led tax consulting for private clients and family-owned businesses. In 2017, he founded his own tax firm, Danon & Salomé, before joining KPMG as a partner in 2019 to build its Family Office and Private Clients practice in Western Switzerland. His areas of focus include advising families and family offices on estate planning, cross-border investment structuring, relocation to and from Switzerland, and compensation structures for entrepreneurs and fund managers. Hugues holds an LL.M. in International Taxation and teaches in the Master of Advanced Studies in International Taxation at the University of Lausanne. He is a frequent speaker at international tax conferences and a prolific author on Swiss and international tax matters.

Partner, Head of Private Clients, Family Offices and Privately-Owned Groups, KPMG Switzerland  |  Geneva

From a century-old American family farm to advising the world's most influential family offices, Brandon Schaefer has built four companies and a global reputation as the strategist who helps families preserve not just with their wealth but all "7 Essentials of Generational Flourishing" including: succession planning, directed trust strategies, family identity, conflict-resolution, global impact–and more–while keeping purpose and values at the forefront. Brandon Schaefer is a four-time founder and global legacy strategist who has built his career at the intersection of entrepreneurial excellence and multi-generational family stewardship. As a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Tekton Global Solutions, he has built, scaled, and sustained successful ventures across diverse industries, while his Fortune 500 leadership experience with Motorola and Eli Lilly and Company gave him deep expertise in international business operations across multiple continents.

Today, Brandon advises family offices, high-net-worth families, and multi-generational enterprises worldwide on succession planning, governance structures, and leadership development. Through proprietary frameworks like “The 7 Essentials of Generational Flourishing,” he helps families navigate the complex technicalities of wealth preservation, family harmony, and business continuity—ensuring legacy extends beyond financial capital to encompass values, purpose, and sustainable impact. A sought-after international speaker, Brandon has engaged thousands of CEOs, family office principals, and next-generation leaders on global platforms. He holds degrees in International Business, Agricultural Business, and Spanish from Iowa State University, along with master’s degrees in Leadership and Biblical Studies, combining analytical rigor with deep insight into human systems and organizational culture.

Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel, South Dakota Trust Company LLC

Matt Tobin is the Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Legal Counsel of South Dakota Trust Company LLC (SDTC), a nationally recognized trust boutique based in Sioux Falls that administers more than $165 billion in assets and serves over 120 billionaire and 430 centimillionaire clients worldwide. He is also President of SDTC Services LLC, which provides consulting services for the setup, operation, compliance, and administration of Private Family Trust Companies across South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nevada.

Before joining SDTC in 2008, Matt worked as an attorney in private practice for ten years at Siegel, Barnett & Shultz, LLC, focusing on general and business litigation. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger Wollman, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and worked for U.S. Senator Tom Daschle in both Washington, D.C. and Sioux Falls. Matt serves as a board member and committee member for several private and public trust companies, as Director of the SDTC Foundation, and as a board member of the South Dakota Trust Association. He holds a J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law and is a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of South Dakota.

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.

Time	Family Track	Health Track	Wealth Track
9:00 – 9:45	Family Office Philosophy Cross-generational unity to support family, health, and wealth	Homeostasis as a Framework for Health The body’s self-regulation as the foundation for wellness and longevity	Private Markets 101 and Alternative Investments The role of private equity, credit, real estate, and alternatives in a portfolio
9:50 – 10:35	Why Building Trust and Communication Within the Family Is Important How the failure to invest in human capital drives the “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves” cycle	Executive Health Screenings and Early Detection Best-Practices Full-body MRI, coronary calcium scoring, GRAIL liquid biopsies, and advanced bloodwork	The Family Balance Sheet and Timeless Asset Allocation Principles Asset allocation, asset location, liquidity, and Modern Portfolio Theory
10:35 – 10:55	Morning Break — Guided Breathing Exercises Lakeside terrace overlooking Lake Geneva
10:55 – 11:40	What Is a Family Office: The How and Why to Set One Up Structure, operations, staffing, technology, and choosing single vs. multi-family models	Exercise as Medicine Zone 2 cardio, VO2 max, resistance training, and mobility for maximum healthspan	Global Citizenship and Jurisdictional Planning for Families Multi-jurisdictional tax, legal, and regulatory strategy for international families
11:45 – 12:30	Concern: Will My Children Be Entitled or Lose Their Drive and Ambition? Discussion on wealth, purpose, entitlement, and raising resilient heirs	Concern: Am I Trading My Health for My Wealth? Discussion on stress, self-care, and the toll of building an empire	Concern: Am I Paying More in Taxes Than I Should Be? Income tax optimization, missed opportunities, and proactive advisor coordination
12:30 – 1:30	Lunch — Overlooking Lake Geneva
1:30 – 2:15	Family Governance: Building an Effective Family Private Trust Company or Council Giving every branch and generation a voice in family affairs and fiduciary oversight	Plants, Herbs, Vitamins, Oils, and Minerals 101 Natural compounds for preventative medicine and healthy aging	Trust Planning Techniques in Common Law Jurisdictions Dynasty Trust, ILIT, SLAT, GRAT, and Revocable Trust structures for tax savings, privacy, and protection
2:15 – 2:35	Afternoon Break — Guided Gentle Stretching Lakeside terrace overlooking Lake Geneva
2:35 – 3:20	Generational Waterfall and Family Bank Concepts Planning with dynasty trusts for structured wealth deployment across generations	The Science of Sleep and Restoration Optimizing sleep architecture for cognitive performance, recovery, and longevity	Tax Summary for Business Owners A comprehensive overview of federal, state, county, and city tax exposure across all entity types

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.

Time	Family Track	Health Track	Wealth Track
9:00 – 9:45	Managing Difficult Family Conversations Towards Forgiveness and Reconciliation Creating safe spaces for dialogue, healing, and resolution	Stress Resilience and Nervous System Regulation Breathwork, cold exposure, meditation, neurofeedback, and vagus nerve stimulation	Estate Planning with Trusts and Basis Step-Up Foundational Knowledge Irrevocable trusts, basis planning, and optimizing after-tax wealth transfer
9:50 – 10:35	Bridging Generations Through Aligned Purpose, Shared Experiences, and Philanthropy Vacations, foundations, meaningful projects, and building shared family identity	Food as Medicine and Gut Health Anti-inflammatory nutrition, the microbiome, and gut-healing protocols	Real Estate: Comprehensive Tax Strategies and Tool for Multi-Generational Wealth Cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, real estate professional status, and depreciation
10:35 – 10:55	Morning Break — Guided Breathing Exercises Lakeside terrace overlooking Lake Geneva
10:55 – 11:40	Family-Owned Real Estate and Family Dynamics: The Benefits and Challenges Governance, scheduling, financial contributions, exit strategies, and step-up implications	Concern: Will Chronic Stress Eventually Break Down My Body? Discussion on cortisol, inflammation, cardiovascular strain, and the autonomic nervous system	Dynasty Trust Planning and Perpetual Tax-Free Growth Structuring trusts in Wyoming, South Dakota, or Nevada for centuries of tax-protected compounding
11:45 – 12:30	Workshop: Beneficiary Designations Optimized and Mapped Hands-on review of life insurance, retirement accounts, trusts, and annuities	Workshop: Wellness Plans for Each Family Member Bespoke wellness plans, special needs support, and personalized care	Workshop: Financial Wellness Checklist for All Family Members Savings discipline, balance sheet organization, and financial simulations
12:30 – 1:30	Lunch — Overlooking Lake Geneva
1:30 – 2:15	Preparing Children and Age-Appropriate Wealth Education and Generosity Concepts A progressive curriculum from childhood values to full governance engagement	Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in Wealthy Families Isolation, identity, substance abuse, and creating a culture of psychological safety	Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selling a Business and QSBS Election Maximizing value, managing family dynamics, and Section 1202 planning
2:15 – 2:35	Afternoon Break — Guided Gentle Stretching Lakeside terrace overlooking Lake Geneva
2:35 – 3:20	Succession Planning and Adapting Governance with Family Businesses and Operating Companies Leadership transitions, growing families, and keeping governance relevant	Integrating Naturopathic and Conventional Medicine Building a collaborative care team that draws on the best of both worlds	Philanthropic Toolkit and the Reverse Endowment Model Foundations, DAFs, CLATs, life insurance, and tax-optimized giving strategies

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.