Laird Norton Wealth Management Taps Carla C. Wigen to Lead Client Experiences

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SEATTLE (July 16, 2020) – Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM) named Carla C. Wigen as managing director of Client Services, a key position focused on enriching the experience of families, individuals, foundations and nonprofits working with the Pacific Northwest’s premier independent wealth management firm. Wigen joined LNWM in 2018 as managing director of Fiduciary Strategy.

“Carla excels at creating connections between the families we serve and the wealth of resources LNWM can bring to their lives,” said Kristen Bauer, LNWM’s CEO. “Finding new ways to help our clients thrive will continue to set Laird Norton Wealth Management apart and we’re fortunate to have Carla’s expertise shaping the LNWM client experience.”

In her new role, Wigen will focus on building a suite of experiences for the firm’s clients of more than 750 individuals, families, foundations and nonprofit organizations. This includes enhancing how LNWM’s financial planning, investment management and trust and estate services work together and identifying new programs and resources that clients can call upon to advance their goals.

“When clients come to LNWM, they want to know we can simplify complexity and put their wealth to work,” continued Bauer. “With her range of experience across all aspects of our business, and her unique ability to bring the right voices to the table, there’s nobody better than Carla to lead our efforts and use the full strength of our firm to support our clients’ futures.”

Wigen brings 25 years expertise in comprehensive wealth management, trusts and estate planning, relationship management, tax and law to the job. For the past two years, she has been a critical catalyst for strengthening LNWM’s fiduciary operations, including new client acquisition and retention, analyzing new market segments and opportunities and ensuring high quality fiduciary services to the firm’s clients. In addition, she is the lead advisor on a number of trusts managed and administered by LNWM. 

Before joining LNWM, Wigen was regional manager of investment and fiduciary services at Wells Fargo Bank and the market leader for Bellevue and Alaska. Previously, she was a regional wealth manager at Washington Trust Bank and served as a senior trust officer at Northwestern Trust, now The Harris Trust. Wigen started her career as an associate attorney at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C., specializing in business, tax and real estate law.

Currently, Wigen is a fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), immediate past-chair and member of the University of Washington Foundation’s Estate and Gift Planning Council, and a past-president and member of the Estate Planning Council of Seattle. She is a board member of the Seattle Aquarium and a member of Washington Women in Tax. Wigen is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), earned a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) at the Seattle University School of Law and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the University of Washington School of Law.

About Laird Norton Wealth Management

With more than $5 billion in assets under advisement, Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM) is the Northwest’s premier wealth management and trust company. Originally founded to serve the financial management needs of the Laird and Norton families, the firm now provides investment management, wealth planning and trust services for more than 750 individuals, families, private foundations and nonprofit organizations. For more than 50 years, Laird Norton Wealth Management has been devoted to helping its clients and their families achieve security, find happiness and thrive in every aspect of their lives. LNWM is relentless in the pursuit of client satisfaction and is committed to never fail at making each client’s best interest its number one priority.