Editors’ Note

Andy Busser is responsible for guiding Pitcairn’s client-centric culture and overseeing all of the firm’s operations. Busser’s previous professional positions positioned him to acquire the knowledge, proficiency, and insight needed to steer a 100-year-old family office into its next century. Before becoming CEO in 2023, he served as Pitcairn’s President of Family Office, where he led the firm’s team of relationship managers, analysts, and client communications professionals. Prior to joining Pitcairn in 2015, Busser was a partner at Symphony Capital, a healthcare-focused investment manager of private equity and hedge funds, and a management consultant at The Wilkerson Group/Wilkerson Partners. A steadfast advocate for the importance of helping families become successful stewards of wealth, Busser is an in-demand public speaker and frequently presents at events hosted by industry organizations, such as Family Wealth Alliance, Family Office Exchange, and Family Business Magazine’s Transitions and Family Business Legacy conferences. He is also sought out for his industry perspective by the business media and has been quoted in Barron’s, Bloomberg, Crain Currency, NPR, Family Business Magazine, and elsewhere. He is a regular contributor to Forbes where he writes a column about issues relevant to family office operations. Busser is a member of the Wigmore Association, a global collaboration of chief executive officers and chief investment officers from five leading family offices around the world. Additionally, he has served on multiple boards and is currently on the CEO Council of Family Wealth Alliance and is a trustee of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Busser is a graduate of Colgate University, where he majored in history.

Firm Brief

Pitcairn’s (pitcairn.com) Shared Single-Family Office™ model is designed to provide outstanding integrated service to wealthy families and other family offices. With a heritage dating back to the firm’s founding in 1923, Pitcairn has a long-standing tradition of helping ultra-high-net-worth families navigate the complexities of wealth and plan for the future. The firm’s comprehensive services include investment advisory, wealth planning and administration, tax, trust and estate planning, insurance, and household-level financial services as well as family education and family governance support. The firm is headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, with teams in New York, Baltimore, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Florida.

What are some of the highlights of your career journey?

My career journey has been a bit unconventional, but it’s this very path that has shaped my approach to leadership and wealth management today. I began my career in healthcare, first working at a pharmaceutical company, and then moving into management consulting. It was there that I began working closely with a family that owned a large healthcare business. Over time, my role evolved beyond healthcare into broader financial stewardship, helping the family navigate the complexities of multigenerational wealth. This experience sparked my passion for the family office world, where I saw an opportunity to make a lasting impact. In 2015, I transitioned to Pitcairn where I have been fortunate to have a wide range of opportunities in client service, business development, strategy, and team leadership. The common theme throughout my career has been my interest in solving complex challenges and fostering deep, long-term relationships. These values are at the heart of both family offices and my leadership style. In 2023, I had the honor of becoming Pitcairn’s President and CEO, and I’m more excited than ever about the future of the firm and the families we serve.

What is Pitcairn’s mission?

Pitcairn’s mission is to help families grow across generations – not just financially, but also personally. One of my favorite things about the firm is that we are more than a traditional wealth manager. We’re a true family office partner, supporting our clients across investments, taxes, estate planning, trust services, insurance, and a wide range of family education and engagement. Our Shared Single-Family Office™ model is designed to deliver a fully integrated experience that helps families steward their wealth with intention and purpose across generations.

How is Pitcairn evolving into its next century of growth?

Pitcairn has a proud 100-year history as one of the original American family offices. Our legacy is rooted in disciplined investing, long-term thinking, and deep family relationships. But we’ve never been static. Innovation has always been a part of our DNA. That’s why we recently launched Pitcairn Wealth Advisors and acquired Brightside Partners. Both of these moves were natural parts of our evolution to ensure we’re structured and positioned to meet the needs of ultra-high-net-worth families – today and tomorrow. As a firm, we are constantly innovating and modernizing our platform to stay ahead of the curve, while holding onto what has always made Pitcairn special – our client-first culture and our focus on people and relationships.

How critical is innovation to Pitcairn’s success?

Innovation is absolutely essential. It is one of the reasons we’ve thrived for over a century. We view innovation not as a one-time project, but as a mindset that’s embedded in everything we do, from technology adoption to how we structure client relationships. Our investments in platform modernization, data systems, and client experience tools are all designed to make clients feel great about being a part of Pitcairn. That said, our innovation is always guided by a commitment to our culture and values. We don’t innovate for the sake of being flashy; we innovate to deliver lasting value.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth for Pitcairn?

Our greatest growth opportunities lie in continuing to deliver a truly differentiated client experience, one that combines institutional-quality financial services with highly personalized family engagement. Families are increasingly seeking partners who can support them holistically, across both financial and human capital. We see a growing demand for family education, succession planning, and support for intergenerational transitions. Our integrated model is well positioned to meet those needs. We’ll grow, but we’ll do it carefully, always prioritizing the client and employee experience over rapid scale or M&A.

What do you feel are the keys to effective leadership, and what is your management style?

I believe leadership is fundamentally about listening, empowering others, and staying aligned on behaviors. At Pitcairn, we hire for character first and foster a culture defined by humility, curiosity, and excellence. I hope my management style is collaborative, so people feel empowered to bring ideas to the fore and solve problems as a team. We always try to encourage dialogue and give people room to learn and grow. Leadership also means being visible and present. I make it a point to stay personally connected to our colleagues and our clients.

What advice do you offer to young people beginning their careers?

Be deeply curious. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or explore paths that don’t seem linear. Focus on finding the right culture. Who you work with matters just as much as what you do. Stay humble and open to feedback, and always lead with integrity. And remember, relationships are everything. Build them thoughtfully and nurture them over time. In this industry and in life, success often comes from the quality of the people around you.