Please join us in congratulating Sarah Norris, Jennifer Ray, Justin Peterson, and Sarah Rumph on becoming Partners at BBR.  We are thrilled to welcome them to the partnership which has expanded to twenty-one equity partners.

Sarah E. Norris Biography 

Sarah joined BBR Partners in 2015 and is a Director of Portfolio & Wealth Advisory and Head of BBR Chicago. Sarah works with clients to develop their overall financial strategy, manage their investments, and integrate their investment, tax and estate planning into a cohesive wealth management plan. Sarah is also a member of BBR’s Investment Committee and BBR Connect.

Prior to joining BBR, Sarah was an Executive Director in the Private Bank at JP Morgan where she worked with wealthy families, individuals and single family offices creating solutions for their complex financial needs. Prior to working in the Private Bank, Sarah was selected as a First Chicago First Scholar where she rotated through various departments at the bank which included the fixed income trading desk and mortgage banking.

Sarah holds an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a BA from Brown University with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Economics. Sarah serves on the board of trustees for the Latin School of Chicago and is Chair of the school’s Investment Committee. She also is a member of the Investment Committee for the Jewish United Fund.

Sarah lives in Chicago with her husband and four children. She enjoys traveling with her family and always having a next adventure to plan.

Jennifer N. Ray Biography

Jennifer joined BBR Partners in 2007 and is Head of Innovation. Jennifer’s responsibilities include working closely with the Managing Partners to identify, develop, and execute strategies that continuously enhance BBR’s superior service for our client families. Prior to leading the innovation efforts of the firm, Jennifer was a Director of Portfolio & Wealth Advisory working with clients to develop their overall financial strategy, manage their investments, and integrate their investment, tax and estate planning into a cohesive wealth management plan. Jennifer is also a member of BBR’s Operating and Innovation Committees.

Previously, Jennifer was a Project Analyst at Legg Mason Capital Management, supporting the CFO and CEO on research projects and market analysis.

Jennifer received a BA in English from Duke University. She volunteers for the Bryn Mawr School’s annual alumnae giving campaign, is a member of the Young Women’s League of New Canaan and is the former Co-Chair of the Newcomers Club of Canaan Working Women’s group.

Jennifer lives in New Canaan with her husband, Ryan, and sons, George, Henry and Teddy. She is an avid reader, loves crossword puzzles, and has completed two half marathons.

Justin R. Peterson Biography

Justin joined BBR Partners in 2005 and worked in our New York office before opening our San Francisco location in 2011. Now Justin resides in Austin, Texas where he is a Director of Portfolio & Wealth Advisory, working with clients to develop their overall financial strategy and integrate their investment, tax and estate planning into a cohesive plan. Justin has extensive experience working with entrepreneurs during pre- and post-liquidity planning, as well as the management of single stock and concentrated positions. Justin is also a member of BBR’s Investment Committee.

Prior to joining BBR, Justin worked at JPMorgan, where he performed manager due diligence and worked on an investor relations team for traditional asset managers within JPMorgan Private Bank.

Justin graduated cum laude from the University of Nebraska and was previously a member of the San Francisco Foundation’s Professional Advisors Council.

Justin enjoys golfing, fishing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and son, particularly on the family farm in his home state of Colorado.

Sarah N. Rumph Biography

Sarah joined BBR Partners in 2009 and is a Director of Investment Research. Her responsibilities include sourcing new investments across all asset classes and performing ongoing due diligence on clients’ existing investments, as well as working with the Portfolio & Wealth Advisory team to analyze the risk and return characteristics of client portfolios. In addition, Sarah oversees our firm’s ESG investment efforts. Sarah is also a member of BBR’s Investment Committee and BBR Connect.

Prior to joining BBR, Sarah was an Associate at Tremont Capital Management, where she performed due diligence on Relative Value and Emerging Market Credit funds. She also served as an Analyst at Offit Capital Advisors, where she worked with the Client Service and Research teams, conducting analysis, serving as a point of contact for clients and assisting with manager due diligence.

Sarah graduated from Skidmore College with a BA in Business and Economics. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

When not in the office, Sarah enjoys baking, reading a good book, and spending time with her husband, daughter and their extended families.

Evan Roth mentioned in WSJ article- Financial Advisers Now Help With College Plans, Family Counseling, Cremains Read Article >

Speaking Topic:

Family Wealth: The Value of Family Governance

The definition of family wealth extends beyond the monetary assets a family has generated. Understanding the components of family wealth and the structure needed to support and develop it is essential. Learning the who, what, why of family governance will provide families a framework for building and sustaining generational success.

Firms Reassess Involvement in Gun Industry in Wake of Florida Shooting Investing giant Blackstone Group LP asked outside fund managers over the weekend to detail their ownership in companies that make or sell guns, according to people familiar with the matter. The urgent request-Blackstone gave the managers about a day to answer-reflects the snowballing pressure […]

We are thrilled to announce that Marc Koslowsky has been named Partner at BBR.

Since joining BBR in 2014, Marc has distinguished himself as a leader in our investment approach and our business. His experience and expertise as an investor, coupled with his understanding of client needs, make him indispensable to the firm, our investment process and our clients. Marc also demonstrates the characteristics that are key to our culture including intellectual curiosity, service, teamwork and respect. We are excited for his impact to continue to grow and evolve in his new capacity as a Partner.

Please join us in congratulating Marc and celebrating his contributions.

Marc Koslowsky Biography

Marc joined BBR Partners in 2014 and is a Director of Investment Research. Marc’s responsibilities include sourcing new investments across all asset classes and performing ongoing due diligence on clients’ existing investments, as well as working with the Portfolio & Wealth Advisory team to analyze the risk and return characteristics of client portfolios. He has extensive experience in manager due diligence, portfolio management, asset allocation, and client engagement. Marc is also a member of BBR’s Investment Committee.

Prior to BBR, Marc was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Hermes BPK, a company that is majority owned by Hermes Fund Managers. At Hermes, he oversaw investments across a host of hedge fund strategies, and also was involved in building a seed and acceleration business. Before Hermes, Marc served as a Portfolio Manager at Optimal Investments, and previously at SPI and Battersby Capital; he worked closely with the CIO at each firm to construct hedge fund portfolios. Earlier in his career, Marc was an Analyst at Adair Capital, and earlier, IAM, where he performed manager due diligence.

Marc holds a BA in Economics from Middlebury College.

Marc’s favorite activities outside the office include basketball, skiing, and cooking. As the father of the three daughters, he also enjoys coaching youth sports.

Brett Barth, one of BBR’s founders, had the pleasure of being a guest on Ted Seides’ podcast station Capital Allocators, which interviews investors to learn about their investing practices and their employed processes.

Brett and Ted’s discussion ranged from the personal (Brett as a twin, raising twins) to the professional (the early days of BBR). Brett detailed his journey from BBR’s beginning, when it was five people working out of Brett’s apartment, to where they are today, with three offices and over 100 employees. He provided insights into BBR’s investment philosophy and approach to working with wealthy families.

A variety of topics were highlighted throughout the conversation, including the unique structure of BBR’s Investment Research team, the role of active and passive mangers in today’s environment, and the unconventional investments BBR is sourcing for our client portfolios.

We hope that you enjoy this dialogue, and as always, we look forward to any comments or questions you may have.

Podcast Important Disclosure: This podcast contains general information, and no portion of the content is intended to apply to any specific individual’s situation.  No portion of the podcast content serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized individual advice from BBR Partners.  Nothing herein constitutes or is intended to constitute legal or tax advice, or any other client specific advice.  The information may not reflect current legal/tax developments or otherwise be applicable to an individual’s circumstance.  With respect to investment-related content, please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy made reference to directly or indirectly in this podcast will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance levels(s), or be suitable for your portfolio. We conduct manager due diligence processes which address qualitative, quantitative and operational issues.  We assess each manager according to its specific investment strategies, its stated return objectives, expected volatility and associated risks.  The type of due diligence we perform on a manager varies according to investment type and size.  Manager meetings may be held in person, as well as held telephonically through a conference call.  We will not have control over the day-to-day operations of any of the managers that we select.  To the extent that an individual has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue to their individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisors of his/her choosing.  A copy of BBR Partners’ current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services is available for review upon request.

We are thrilled to announce that Ryan Preston has been promoted to Partner at BBR.

Ryan has been an integral part of BBR for almost a decade and has made an invaluable impact on the families with whom he works.  He exemplifies our culture of intellectual curiosity, accountability and excellence. We are thrilled that he will continue to serve a vital role across our client base as a Partner at BBR.

High quality service is the core of the BBR client experience, fostering both trust and long lasting relationships. Our team is the key to delivering this level of service, and we pride ourselves on promoting from within to retain and reward our talented team members. Assessing and rewarding employees is what allows us to have an unparalleled group of people who are smart, motivated, and client focused.

Please join us in congratulating Ryan and celebrating his contributions.

Ryan Preston Biography

Ryan, who has been with BBR since 2008, is a Director of Portfolio and Wealth Advisory, working with clients to develop an overall financial strategy, managing their investments and executing their wealth management plans. Ryan is experienced with global asset allocation, and the integration of related disciplines such as tax, estate planning, philanthropy and family governance.

He works closely with families to form a cohesive long term wealth management plan that reflects their evolving needs over time.  Previously, Ryan was an investment advisor to high net worth families at Convergent Wealth Advisors (formerly Lydian Wealth Management) in Washington DC and New York. Prior to Convergent, Ryan was a Consultant at KPMG Consulting in Washington DC.

Ryan holds an MBA from The George Washington University with a concentration in Finance & Investments, and a BS from Mary Washington College. He is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation.