We provide a Global Perspective with Local Capability
OUR ALLIANCES
A unique international alliance of independent multi-family offices.
With over 100 professionals based across multiple jurisdictions, serving more than 150 clients with a combined net worth of $15 billion, our perspective is truly global.
NEW YORK | MIAMI
WE Family Offices
WE Family is an independent, fee only fiduciary firm based in the US. WE Family Offices was founded in 2000 and prides itself on a management team with 70 years of combined investment and wealth management experience.
MADRID | BARCELONA
MdF Family Partners
MdF Family Partners is an independent wealth management firm focused on providing ultra-high net worth families conflict-free advice. MdF Family Partners, founded in 2008, focuses on providing ultra-high net worth families independent, conflict-free wealth management and family office services.
US LEADERSHIP
Mel Lagomasino
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Maria Elena (Mel) Lagomasino is CEO and managing partner of WE Family Offices, a global family office serving ultra-high net worth families, and is a Senior Advisor of Wren Investment Office. She is a recognised leader in the wealth management industry, and is a founder of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.
Before founding WE, Mel served as CEO of GenSpring Family Offices, a wealth management firm. Prior to that, she served as chairman and chief executive officer of JP Morgan Private Bank, an institution with more than $300 billion in client assets under supervision. Her career in banking began in 1977 at Citibank. She joined the Chase Manhattan Private Bank in 1983 and was named head of Chase’s worldwide private banking business in 1997. Following the Chase-JP Morgan merger, she became chairman and chief executive officer of JP Morgan Private Bank.
Mel serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, The Coca-Cola Company, and the Americas Society. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
In August 2015, Mel was named one of the 50 most influential women in Wealth management by Private Asset Management. In 2012, she was named one of the Directorship 100 by the National Association of Corporate Directors and was named by American Banker one of 2012’s Top 25 Women in Finance.
A graduate of Manhattanville College (B.A.), Mel also earned graduate degrees at Columbia University (M.S.) and Fordham University (M.B.A).
Michael Zeuner
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Michael Zeuner is a director and one of three managing partners of WE Family Offices, and is a Senior Advisor of Wren Investment Office. He oversees the firm’s US business strategy. Michael is a nationally recognized leader in the family office industry having served wealthy families for over 20 years. He is a co-founder of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard.
Prior to his role at WE Family Offices he served as senior executive partner of GenSpring Family Offices where he had responsibility for the leadership and management of GenSpring’s network of 10 family offices in the United States. In addition, he was a member of the firm’s Operating Committee.
Before joining GenSpring, Michael was managing director and global head of Wealth Solutions at JP Morgan Private Bank. As a member of the executive team, he had responsibility for strategic planning, branding, marketing and specialized advisory services (family governance, philanthropy and fine art wealth management) for the worldwide private bank.
A management consultant by training, Michael led projects in the financial services area for both Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Booz, Allen & Hamilton. He joined Chase Manhattan in 1995 as vice president at the investment bank, and moved to the private bank in 1997 to head up strategy and marketing worldwide. JP Morgan and Chase merged in January 2002.
Michael graduated from Brandeis University, (B.A.) and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Santiago Ulloa
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Santiago Ulloa has been working with wealthy families for more than two decades. As founder and one of WE’s three managing partners, Santiago is responsible for the firm’s overall international business strategy. In 2000, Mr. Ulloa founded the firm’s predecessor company, TBK Investments, Inc., to counsel and advise international high net worth families. Since that time, as one of the world’s foremost leaders in the family office industry, Santiago works with client families to enhance the overall function of their wealth enterprises.
In August of 2007, TBK joined forces with GenSpring Family Offices and he served as president of GenSpring Family Offices International. In January 2013, the firm once again became independent as WE Family Offices.
Prior to founding TBK, Mr. Ulloa was with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, where he led Private Banking for all of Latin America as well as product development and regional distribution for the Americas. He was an active member of the Council Board of Banco Provincial Overseas in Curazao (BBVA Group) and of the “BBVA American Fund Managers Limited” (BBVA’s asset management firm). Previously, he was with Argentaria in Argentina and was a member of the Directive Council of Banco Exterior of Argentina. Formerly, he was with Banco Banif de Gestion Privada (BSCH Group) in Spain, where he was part of the international team managing private banking assets abroad and international clients within Spain.
For two consecutive years, he was ranked by Barron’s as one of the Top 20 Independent Financial Advisors in the United States and named by Poder Magazine in 2010 as one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States. Mr. Ulloa is a frequent guest speaker on CNN Espanol and he is a regular contributor to financial magazines such as Dinero, America Economia, Semana Economica, Poder, and other business publications.
He attended the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain, where he received an advanced degree in International Economics, and has completed the Advanced Executive MBA Program at IESE in Barcelona, Spain.
SPANISH LEADERSHIP
Daniel de Fernando
José María Michavila
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Founding and Managing Partner of MdF Family Partners; José María Michavila graduated with honours in Law from Universidad Complutense, where he also received a degree in Contemporary History. He also obtained a PhD with honours in Banking Law with a thesis about “The Bank of Spain control in the constitution of financial entities”. He has spent periods of time at Harvard University and the London School of Economics. He received a fellowship from the Japanese Government due to having one of the best curriculums in the European Union, he also was the recipient of two other fellowships from the French Government and the United States Government. In 1998 he sat the public examinations for the “Conseille dÉtat”, which he entered at the top of his class, joining the Treasury Department. Afterwards he obtained through public competition the position of Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the Universidad Complutense.
José María has practiced as a lawyer for his own firm, and as an expertise in Banking and Finance Law, from 1984 to 1991, and from 2004 until today. With 29 years he became the General Secretary to the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, position that he held until 1993 when he joined as Secretary of Studies and Programs to the Partido Popular. He was one of the founders of the Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles (IEB) and of the Real Colegio Juan Carlos I at Harvard University. José María was a Deputy in Parliament between 1993 and 2009 and a member of the National Executive Committee for the Partido Popular, first as Secretary of State for the Relations with Parliament (working directly with the President of the Government), then as the Secretary of State of Justice, and finally working as a Minister of Justice.
Born into an entrepreneurial family, he is a member of the Real Academia de Legislación y Jurisprudencia, he is the author of numerous professional publications and is used to participate writing articles in national press. He is Founding Member of the law firm MA Abogados and an International Trustee of the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation and a Board Member of the Norman Foster Foundation. José María is the General Secretary to the Fundación Mencia (www.fundacionmencia.org), and of the Fundación Contemplare (www.asociacioncontemplare.org). He is also member of the Advisory Board of RCC Executive Program, held at Harvard, where he has given an annual lecture since 2016.
Daniel Gómez
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Founding Partner and Managing Partner of MdF, Daniel Gómez holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Barcelona, and has also completed a General Management Program at IESE (University of Navarra). He is a member of the IEAF (Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts). He is married, and has three children.
He started his professional career at La Seda de Barcelona, a chemical company listed on the Madrid stock exchange. After two years there, he started working in the family group. Initially in Invergest SA Securities Agency as a financial analyst, until in 1992 he became the CEO of Gestefín SA SGIIC. During those years, he partnered with some other family to turn Gestefín into a multi-family office.
In 1998, he also became CEO of Norvo, SL (the holding company of the family group) and of Inmobiliaria Alhambra. Currently, he is in charge of the entire family group, which makes financial, real estate and private equity investments.
Daniel Gómez is a board member of several companies and president of a hotel group with hotels in the Canary Islands.
Javier Muguiro
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Managing Partner of MdF Family Partners, Javier Muguiro has a degree in Business Law from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE E-1) and a Superior Course in the Social Communication Institute.
Javier worked at Chase Manhattan (MHT) from 1980 to 1986 where he collaborated in the creation of the fixed income capital market for which he was responsible since its inception.
In 1986, he joined JP Morgan as head of origination and distribution of Private Fixed Income.
Subsequently, he created the Private Banking group for Spain and Portugal for JP Morgan, which he directed until 2002. Between 1997 and 2001, he was also responsible for the London and Northern Europe office, where he worked with the largest European family offices. He was a member of the Board of Directors of JP Morgan International.
From 2002 he was a consultant or advisor to several companies until in 2004 he created Achievers Family Office advising family groups in their global strategy.
Maite Lacasa
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Managing Partner of MdF Family Partners, Maite Lacasa joined the company since its foundation in 2009 and is responsible for illiquid investments, private equity and real estate.
Before joining MdF, Maite worked for ICG (Intermediate Capital Group), European leader in subordinated debt operations and co-investments of capital with private equity clients.
Previously, she worked at Bank of Scotland, participating in leveraged private equity (LBO) operations for private equity groups.
Maite began her professional career at Deloitte & Touche in the Corporate Finance area where she carried out various debt and equity origination transactions.
Maite holds a degree in International Business Administration and Management from Icade (E4) and Lancaster University.