When Andrew Busser was named CEO of Pitcairn in 2023, the famed family office was commemorating its 100th year in operation, a milestone anniversary few businesses even come close to reaching. The decision at the time to tap Busser as the executive to lead Pitcairn into its second century of existence came with the expectation that he would carry on the firm’s long-standing culture while simultaneously evolving its client experience to meet the needs of modern multi-generational families.
That’s no small task, considering preserving tradition and promoting change are essentially conflicting forces. Then again, Busser is not the type of person who shies away from challenges – big, small or diametrically opposed.
“We've always been an innovative organization, which is a key reason we’ve lasted 100 years,” Busser said. “Innovation is at the core of our tradition. We’ve been investing in technology, training, and platform modernization for decades, ensuring our clients feel confident in the experience they receive today, while also knowing that our culture remains durable.”
Oh yeah – and he also led the purchase of Brightside Partners earlier this year and established a new RIA entity, Pitcairn Wealth Advisors.
Wait a second. An up-and-coming RIA and an old-school family office? Isn’t that a mismatch, too?
Nope. There’s no clash whatsoever in Busser’s eyes.
“This move is part of our evolution. It modernizes our regulatory structure and makes sense given our size and scope today. Pitcairn Wealth Advisors operates under the Pitcairn umbrella, complementing our trust company, which will continue to be an important part of our services,” Busser said of the combined $9 billion AUM wealth management company.
Before becoming Pitcairn’s CEO, Busser served as the suburban Philadelphia-based firm’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, he was a partner at Symphony Capital, a healthcare-focused investment manager of private equity and hedge funds, and before that a management consultant at The Wilkerson Group.
Busser admits it took him a long time (although maybe not by Pitcairn standards) to finally make the jump from the healthcare arena into the wealth management business. Once he arrived, however, the fit was seamless.
“For me, it came down to a few key factors. First, I was very attracted to the culture at Pitcairn—it's highly collaborative, creative, and deeply curious. Our people are humble, while our exceptional track record speaks for itself. There's often an expectation of a sales-driven, sharp-elbows culture in our industry, but that’s not the case here. Second, Pitcairn’s 100-year history as a true family office brings a unique level of client-focus and stability that I found incredibly appealing,” Busser said.
Pitcairn focuses exclusively on serving wealthy families, not institutions. This sets them apart from many wealth management firms. They also offer a comprehensive family office experience across investments, tax services, trust and estate planning, trustee services, budgeting, bill payments, household staff payroll, insurance, family engagement, and more. And they do these things with dedicated teams for accounting, bookkeeping, and family engagement and education.
The goal, according to Busser, is not just to keep it all in the family, but to grow it as well, all the while helping to keep the family peace.
“We’ve been diversified, disciplined investors for decades. We have maintained discipline through investment cycles, political shifts, times of uncertainty and unrest, and more. That long-term focus has been key in earning – and continuing to earn – the trust of our clients, both decades ago and today,” Busser said.
He adds, “We also place a major emphasis on family dynamics, engagement, and education. People who feel informed and empowered are much more likely to be great stewards of their family’s wealth. They are also more likely to be happy in life.”
Despite the industry shock at Pitcairn’s recent purchase of Brightside Partners, Busser played down the move into the RIA arena as a natural extension of the business.
Still, even the firm’s eponymous chairman, Rick Pitcairn, emphasized the expansion as a decisive move by Busser in the firm’s long-term strategy during the deal’s announcement.
“As we’ve evolved from a small Pennsylvania family office into a national firm, our growth has surpassed our historical regulatory structure,” Pitcairn said at the time. “The launch of Pitcairn Wealth Advisors and the addition of the Brightside team marks a pivotal moment, enabling us to preserve our legacy while offering broader investment opportunities.”
Whether it will be Busser’s final purchase in the current PE-driven, M&A-crazed RIA arena remains to be seen. Busser maintains he will “selectively pursue acquisitions” from time to time, but acquisitions will not be a core part of his strategy.
Put simply, Pitcairn is not taking private equity money and all the financial targets that come with it – at least not yet. And it doesn’t matter anyway, because Busser is not a roll-up kind of guy in the first place.
“We are focused on maintaining a measured growth strategy, with an emphasis on client experience and employee experience as our top two priorities,” Busser said.
Pitcairn may be over 100 years old, but it’s far from staid, said Busser. In fact, he believes the toughest part of his job is keeping up with all the activity.
“There’s always a lot going on, and ensuring that each task gets the right attention requires careful time management. That said, I really value spending time with our employees and clients – and leading the great culture we’ve built here,” said Busser.
He is also 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, Busser has served on multiple boards and is currently on the CEO council of the Family Wealth Alliance and is a trustee of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy.
And when Busser is not in the office leading the Pitcairn charge, the former Colgate University history major likes to travel with his wife and two sons, usually taking an economics or history book along for the ride. Whenever possible, the family heads out west to ski in the Rockies, or sometimes heads north for fishing in the waters off Cape Cod.
Still, it’s not easy finding time to be a family guy when you run one of the country’s preeminent family offices. But Busser is making it work.
“As a CEO, I’m fortunate to have a significant impact on many people’s lives, and that’s both a huge responsibility and a privilege. Being able to make a positive difference in so many lives is definitely my favorite part of the job,” he said.
From outstanding individuals to innovative organizations, find out who made the final shortlist for top honors at the IN awards, now in its second year.
Cresset's Susie Cranston is expecting an economic recession, but says her $65 billion RIA sees "great opportunity" to keep investing in a down market.
“There’s a big pull to alternative investments right now because of volatility of the stock market,” Kevin Gannon, CEO of Robert A. Stanger & Co., said.
Sellers shift focus: It's not about succession anymore.
Platform being adopted by independent-minded advisors who see insurance as a core pillar of their business.
RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.
As inheritances are set to reshape client portfolios and next-gen heirs demand digital-first experiences, firms are retooling their wealth tech stacks and succession models in real time.
