-
Who We Are
Who We Are
For the last century, we’ve dedicated ourselves to empowering families like yours to prosper and endure. Like many of the leading families we serve, we have been through our own wealth journey.
Discover Pitcairn -
What We Do
Wealth Momentum®
The families we serve and the relationships we have with them are at the center of everything we do. Our proprietary Wealth Momentum® model harnesses powerful drivers of financial and family dynamics, maximizing the impact that sustains and grows wealth for generations to come.
Explore - Insights & News
When John Pitcairn Jr. co-founded PPG Industries in the late 19th century, he faced a challenge that still resonates with many entrepreneurs today: transforming operating business success into enduring family prosperity. The decision by his three sons to establish a family office more than 100 years ago became the foundation of what is now one of the longest-standing shared family offices in America.
The questions the Pitcairn family asked then — how to preserve wealth, pass on values, and invest wisely — are the same questions ultra-high-net-worth families wrestle with today.
As I learned in the U.S. Marine Corps, survival in complex environments requires discipline, preparation, and the ability to adapt and overcome. Those same principles have guided Pitcairn’s approach to helping families build and sustain resilience across generations.
Five Lessons for Multi-Generational Resilience
1. Build for Multiple Generations, Not One
Thriving families think beyond a single generational time horizon. They design structures that allow capital to compound and decisions to be made collaboratively over decades.
2. Align on Governance Early
Governance is not bureaucracy — it is clarity. Families that put decision-making processes, councils, and charters in place early avoid confusion and conflict later.
3. Institutionalize Values Alongside Wealth
Shared wealth without shared purpose is fragile. Families who weave philanthropy, education, and storytelling into their legacy foster deeper connections and greater alignment.
4. Professionalize Wealth Management
Complexity grows with wealth. Families who partner with experts — from tax and legal to investment management — free themselves to focus on vision and values.
5. Stay Agile
Economic cycles shift, tax regimes evolve, and family members disperse across geographies. Resilient families revisit their strategies regularly and are willing to adapt.
Why These Lessons Matter Today
The modern wealth landscape is even more complex. Private equity opportunities abound, global tax regimes are in flux, and family members often live across multiple states or countries. In this environment, disciplined governance and professional management are not luxuries — they are necessities.
Pitcairn’s century of experience demonstrates that these lessons are durable. They have guided families through wars, recessions, liquidity events, and generational transitions — not just in theory but in practice.
Building Your Family’s Next Chapter
If your family is approaching a new chapter — whether a liquidity event, a generational handoff, or simply the desire to bring greater clarity and strategy to wealth management — now is the time to apply these lessons. The structures you put in place today can set the stage for resilience tomorrow.
Disclaimer: Pitcairn Wealth Advisors LLC (“PWA”) is a registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about PWA, including our registration status, fees, and services is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. This material was prepared solely for informational, illustrative, and convenience purposes only and all users should be guided accordingly. All information, opinions, and estimates contained herein are given as of the date hereof and are subject to change without notice. PWA and its affiliates (jointly referred to as “Pitcairn”) do not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether referenced or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility thereof. As Pitcairn does not provide legal services, all users are advised to seek the advice of independent legal and tax counsel prior to relying upon or acting upon any information contained herein. The performance numbers displayed to the user may have been adversely or favorably impacted by events and economic conditions that will not prevail in the future. Past investment performance is not indicative of future results. The indices discussed are unmanaged and do not incur management fees, transaction costs, or other expenses associated with investable products. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Projections are based on models that assume normally distributed outcomes which may not reflect actual experience. Consistent with its obligation to obtain “best execution,” Pitcairn, in exercising its investment discretion over advisory or fiduciary assets in client accounts, may allocate orders for the purchase, sale, or exchange of securities for the account to such brokers and dealers for execution on such markets, at such prices, and at such commission rates as, in the good faith judgment of Pitcairn, will be in the best interest of the account, taking into consideration in the selection of such broker and dealer, not only the available prices and rates of brokerage commissions, but also other relevant factors (such as, without limitation, execution capabilities, products, research or services provided by such brokers or dealers which are expected to provide lawful and appropriate assistance to Pitcairn in the performance of its investment decision making responsibilities). This material should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. This material is provided for information purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest or any other security or financial instrument.