Windward...experienced...responsive...reliable
Windward Advisory Group is the preeminent advisor for Wealth Management, Financial Advisory and Family Office technology and operations. Our team of veteran, innovative professionals brings a unique blend of experience, technical expertise and operational management skills to help you build or improve your operational environment.
We specialize in bringing best practices, practical operational solutions and right-scale technology to wealth managers - whether you are an RIA, a Family Office or a financial services firm - for short term problem solving or re-engineering of your operations and technology.
We understand the complex issues that wealth management executives face in providing the best quality service to their clients. Our common-sense approach and depth of financial services knowledge make us the premier solution provider in the business for efficient, cost effective operations and superior technology solutions. Our exceptional combination of knowledge and skills enables us to help our clients enhance and broaden capabilities and efficiencies. Windward's partners and associates have well rounded experience in domains supporting Wealth Management organizations:
-
Wealth management clients include Family Offices (SFOs and MFOs), Financial Advisors, RIAs, Custodians and all related supporting businesses.
-
Applications and business expertise includes: portfolio accounting, performance measurement, aggregation, portfolio modeling, client relationship manager, general ledger, trust and partnership accounting, compliance,etc.
-
Technology capabilities: we understand the solution providers and where they may fit within your strategy to solve common problems such as including data aggregation, applications integration, external interfaces (custodians, managers etc), client acquisition and client reporting.
-
Operations optimization: including risk management, process improvements, security and control.
We offer basic Consulting Services as well as a complementary suite of Focused Programs to target specific areas of concern.
The Wealth Managers' dilemma is to aggregate and manage information from disparate sources to meet all the financial, tax, investment, estate planning and personal lifestyle needs of the clients in an orderly, cost effective manner. Using our structured consulting methodology, we work to understand the specifics of your business needs and challenges, and identify the best approach and solution to meet your needs.
Windward principles...professionalism and results
We are committed to delivering a professional solution for our clients. The reputation of our partners and consultants is paramount and we strive for professionalism, accountability and integrity at every step of every engagement.
- We stand behind our work. We seek to provide the same level of service to our clients as we would if one of us was sitting in his or her chair.
- We are 100% objective on every assignment and always keep the client's best interest in the forefront.
- Our loyalty is to our client. We have no loyalties or business arrangements with service providers to recommend their products or services. We will always evaluate impartially and seek to deliver the best solution to the client's problems.
- We respect the privacy of our clients. We will never divulge information to service providers, other clients or anyone else without the specific knowledge and approval of our client.
Windward Partners..experienced in the Wealth Management industry
Hugh Bagatelle Hugh.Bagatelle@WindwardAdvisory.com
Before joining Windward, Hugh was a partner in Family Office Metrics. Before that he worked in private practice as a business consultant to family offices and high net worth families. From 1974 until 2003, he was Chief Technology Officer at Bessemer Trust Company, where he was responsible for all information services and products, including in-house developed trust applications as well as external products and services.
As key application architect at Bessemer, Hugh designed and oversaw the development of complex banking and portfolio management applications. Specific applications developed included Trust Accounting, Portfolio Accounting, Portfolio Management and Trade Order Entry, Performance Measurement, and Tax Compliance.
Hugh is a graduate of the State University of New York, Binghamton, (BA, Mathematics), New York University (MA, Mathematics), and Rutgers University (MBA).
Ritch Gaiti Ritch.Gaiti@WindwardAdvisory.com
Before joining Windward, Ritch spent thirty years developing technology in the financial industry. As a Senior Director responsible for the Advanced Office Technology Group at Merrill Lynch, Ritch has been responsible for many innovative and breakthrough solutions which are common in the industry today. He spearheaded the technology and applications for the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management branch office platform and Financial Advisors. He delivered unique and effective solutions for sales, marketing, operations and management including the innovative Merrill Lynch branch platform and award-winning internet offering. He built a cutting edge technology team of over five hundred developers and an annual budget of over $100 million. Recently, he partnered and consulted with Family Office Metrics in upgrading the technology for Family Offices.
Ritch has also journeyed into several private ventures in the arts and entertainment and is a recognized artist and published author. Ritch is a graduate of Long Island University, BA Psychology.
Elaine Spang, CPA Elaine.Spang@WindwardAdvisory.com
Elaine is a specialist in accounting and operations systems integration, internal control, and successful business process improvements. Prior to joining Windward, Elaine co-founded Family Office Metrics and was an independent operations and technology consultant with a nationwide clientele of private wealth offices and financial services firms.
Elaine draws upon over twenty years of practical experience in accounting, financial service, and operations management. She was a family office financial and operations executive with both a single family and a multi-family office. As a senior manager with a software developer, she supervised customization and implementation of integrated software solutions for hedge funds, investment managers, and family offices. Her experience also includes serving as the chief operations, financial and compliance officer of a boutique investment banking company and related registered investment advisor from inception of the companies. Elaine began her career in the audit division of Arthur Andersen & Co.
Elaine is a graduate of the University of South Florida (BA, Accounting). She is a certified Public Accountant in Florida and a member of the Florida Institute of CPAs, the Arizona Society of CPAs, and the American Institute of CPAs.
Bob Shepro, CPA Bob.Shepro@WindwardAdvisory.com
Bob has a distinguished career of over 30 years experience in consulting, software design and business management. In 1984, Bob founded Shepro Braun Systems and through 1998 when the company was acquired, was CEO and chief software architect for several software products that were used extensively within the family office, hedge fund and investment advisor markets. Chief among these was Total Return ? the first integrated portfolio management, financial accounting, trust and partnership system. His foresight and expertise in integrated systems also led to the creation of Antares ? a real-time multi-product trading platform.
Since 1998 Bob has served in several leadership and advisory capacities, as Senior VP of Product Strategy for SS&C Technologies, as CEO and founder of Wealthmetrics, Inc and as a project consultant to leaders in the financial industry. Prior to 1984, Bob was a manager in the consulting division of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he managed a broad range of projects including technology strategy, system selection, application design, technology effectiveness reviews and financial modeling.
Bob is a graduate of the University of Iowa (BBA Accounting/Economics) and DePaul University (MBA, cum laude, Finance), and is a Certified Public Accountant.
