Wealth Strategist – Washington D.C. Metro Market

Emerald Advisory Services is M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust’s top-tier wealth planning offering employed to attract, deepen, and broaden relationships with qualified wealth clients and prospects. We seek a seasoned attorney or CPA with dedicated experience in estate planning to join our national team to serve as a Director of Wealth Strategies for the Washington D.C. region. The Director of Wealth Strategies represents Emerald Advisory Services in the market and collaborates with other wealth management team members and partners to identify, evaluate, and implement wealth management strategies, tactics and solutions that include trustee services, investment management, private banking, insurance, estate settlement and family office services. The Director of Wealth Strategies serves as the lead planning expert for fiduciary, tax, private banking, insurance, cash flow analysis and family office with qualified wealth clients and prospects. The Director of Wealth Strategies is the primary point of contact between Emerald Advisory Services, the Bank and Wealth Advisory division and may serve as the primary point of contact for the client or prospect at times during the relationship.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead and deliver a strategic, consultative problem-solving planning engagement process and experience that aligns and integrates the intersection of wealth, family, and business readiness planning experienced by our clients and prospects.
• Assess and then implement clients’ and prospects’ estate, fiduciary, tax, philanthropic, family governance, insurance, lending, multigenerational planning and other wealth management needs through the Emerald Advisory Services process.
• Partner with Emerald Advisory Services national experts in the areas of advanced financial planning, estate settlement, income tax, philanthropy, insurance, family governance and engagement, personal trust design and implementation, and business transition/exit strategies as part of the engagement process.
• Participates in new business opportunities by working closely with a team of wealth and banking partners to fully understand a client or prospect’s unique situation and recommend qualitative and quantitative strategies to address these issues.
• Consult with and work closely with clients’ and prospects’ other advisors in the development, implementation and ongoing administration of their wealth management plan.
• Develop relationships with attorneys, accountants and other centers of influence to drive new wealth and banking business opportunities and provide our clients with professional referrals to meet their unique planning needs.
• Participate in and/or lead internal and/or external workshops and seminars in a range of wealth management and fiduciary topics such as estate and trust planning, philanthropy, taxation, asset protection, Delaware Trust, family governance, multi-generational planning and other relevant topics.
• Develop and maintain a high level of knowledge of a full range of wealth management and fiduciary issues such as estate and trust planning, philanthropy, taxation, asset protection and Delaware Trusts as well as basic investment disciplines used by the firm and general knowledge of credit and insurance disciplines.
• Periodically author articles and speak on relevant and timely topics of interest for clients, including but not limited to, estate and trust planning, income and transfer tax, philanthropy, business succession, Delaware Trust, changes to tax law, insurance planning, executive planning strategies, family governance and multigenerational planning, asset protection and family wealth issues related to divorce.
• Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite. Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management
• Promote an environment that supports diversity and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
• Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable
• Complete other related duties as assigned

Scope of Responsibilities:

• Clients supported by the position have liquid net worth of $3 mm and above.

Education and Experience Required:

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years’ relevant industry experience and knowledge working with high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, including closely-held business owners, in estate and trust planning, wealth management/financial services, Federal transfer and/or income tax, business succession planning, fiduciary practice, insurance and charitable planning. Or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 9 years’ higher education and/or work experience, including a minimum of 5 years’ relevant industry experience and knowledge working with high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, including closely-held business owners, in estate and trust planning, wealth management/financial services, Federal transfer and/or income tax, business succession/exit planning, fiduciary practice, insurance and charitable planning.

Strong interpersonal skills and thrive in in a team and collaborative environment.

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent research skills regarding estate planning, trust and fiduciary issues, fiduciary income tax, Federal and state income taxes, and transfer taxes.

Detail-oriented.

Experience driving a client/prospect matter, or project, from inception to completion.

Availability to travel regionally and occasionally nationally including some overnight stays. Proficiency with personal computers as well as pertinent word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.

Demonstrate ability to rapidly learn new software applications.

Education and Experience Preferred:

JD (Juris Doctor) or Master of Laws (LLM) degree and/or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with focus in Federal Taxation or Estate Planning.

Admission to practice law in any state, preferably Washington D.C., Maryland or Virginia; if CPA, licensed in any state.

Minimum of 8 years of experience in wealth management and planning for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and families with specific experience in the areas of estate, tax, fiduciary, charitable, family engagement and governance issues, multigenerational planning concepts and strategies

Significant experience working with individuals with 20MM or more in net worth.

Strong knowledge of business succession and exit planning strategies.

Established community presence in wealth management and with high net worth clientele.

Demonstrated successful external-focused business development experience.

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Location

Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America