Setting the Course. Enabling the Future.

The Laird Norton Wealth Management Board of Directors ushers possibility into reality for the company and our clients. Members pull from their exemplary financial and business experience to provide strategic oversight and policies informed by the latest best practices in corporate governance and wealth planning. And because each director stands for re-election annually, our leadership sustains the highest levels of expertise, fluidity, and fresh energy. This drives Laird Norton Wealth Management to its consistent position as a leader in wealth management.

Find out more about our Services.

Kristen Bauer

Chief Executive Officer, Laird Norton Wealth Management

Kristen Bauer is the CEO of Laird Norton Wealth Management. With more than two decades of experience in private wealth management, financial services, and business management, she is passionate about working closely with multiple generations within successful families to help them navigate challenges, change, and generational transitions. Kristen currently serves as a trustee of the Nature Conservancy Washington Chapter and is president of the board of the Wilderness Awareness School.

Lisa Brummel

Retired Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Microsoft and Co-Owner, Seattle Storm

Lisa Brummel is a co-owner of the WNBA franchise Seattle Storm. She serves as board chair of Laird Norton Wealth Management and is active in charitable ventures associated with Hopelink community services, the University of Washington Medical Center, Yale University, and the Women’s Funding Alliance.

Scott Butterfield

Chief Client Strategy Officer

Scott Butterfield is chief client strategy officer at Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM). A CPA with more than 25 years of experience in financial services, Scott was a co-founder of Filament LLC, a wealth advisory firm that merged with LNWM in December 2020. Prior to that, Scott held senior leadership positions at the Quellos Group and Arthur Andersen’s Private Client Services group. He is actively involved in local nonprofits focused on mentoring and coaching and is a former board member of Friends of the Children Seattle.

John Goodwin

Chief Legacy Strategist

John Goodwin is chief legacy strategist at Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM). A member of the Washington State Bar, John was a co-founder and managing member of Filament LLC, a wealth advisory firm that merged with LNWM in December 2020. John is a founding board member of the Seattle Philanthropic Advisors Network (SPAN), currently chairs the Seattle University Planned Giving Advisory Committee, and is a past trustee of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Christopher Hauswirth

Chief Business Development Officer

Chris Hauswirth joined Wetherby in 1998 and, in addition to his role as LNWM’s chief business development officer, is currently a senior wealth manager at Wetherby, which merged with Laird Norton Wealth Management at the end of 2021. Prior to Wetherby, Chris co-founded and ran Hauswirth & Dunn Investment Management and was vice president and head of the financial advisor division at Robertson Stephens & Co. in San Francisco. He has participated in numerous community organizations in the San Francisco area, including serving on the Board of Trustees and Investment Committee at the Katherine Delmar Burke School.

Laura Jennings

Retired Vice President, Microsoft and Founder & CEO of Knack

Laura Jennings has 20+ years of experience as a global technology leader, innovator, and venture capitalist. During her 12-year career with Microsoft, she led the strategic direction of some of Microsoft’s most well-known products, including MSN and Exchange, and was responsible for the launch of the original Microsoft Office product. Post Microsoft, Laura served as principal with global venture capital firm Atlas Ventures, managing their offices in Silicon Valley and Seattle. She has a Master’s in Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. in Business from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Brian McGuigan

Chief Executive Officer, Laird Norton Company

Brian McGuigan was named CEO of the Laird Norton Company (LNC) in January 2023. Prior to that, Brian led LNC’s corporate development initiatives, including direct investments in operating companies, and the development of corporate strategy. Before joining LNC in 2012, Brian was president and chief compliance officer of Stonnington Group, a wealth management firm in Los Angeles, and worked in technology consulting in the UK and Europe. Brian has a BSc in chemical engineering from the University of Cape Town, an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

C. Kirk Peacock

Co-Founder of Workzones and Regional Developer for Massage Envy Spa

Kirk Peacock is a senior executive with over 20 years of diversified international experience in growing domestic/global markets, merger/acquisitions, turnarounds, integration, and cash optimization. He co-founded California-based Workzones and is regional developer for Massage Envy Spa. From 2004 to 2011, Kirk was the CFO of ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. He has a B.S. in Economics from Claremont McKenna College.

Julia W. Sze

Impact Investor

Julia Sze has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in financial services as a portfolio manager, hedge fund manager, wealth advisor, and CIO. Since 2008, she has been at the forefront of the impact investing field, working to build better environmental, social, and corporate governance standards in businesses at all stages. Currently, Julia also serves on the Boards of Cavco Industries and Tern Bicycles and volunteers on the NDI NM Investment Committee, which serves over 7,000 New Mexican children through dance and music every year, and on the University of New Mexico’s Finance Advisory Board.

Jeff Vincent

Board Advisor, Laird Norton Company

Jeff Vincent is advisor to the board of the Laird Norton Company (LNC). Jeff was CEO & president of LNC for over 20 years, leading the transformation of the company into an enterprise that focuses on real estate and direct investments in operating companies. Jeff is also Chairman of the J.M. Huber Corporation, a fifth-generation family enterprise, and is actively involved with regional education initiatives, including as Chair of the Washington Roundtable’s Education Committee, Chair of the Washington Student Achievement Council, and a former Chair of the Washington State Board of Education. Jeff has a BSBA from Drake University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jason Wernli

President, AllyDVM

Jason Wernli is president of AllyDVM, a software company he co-founded in 2011 to provide veterinary data and electronic communications solutions, which was acquired by Amerisource Bergen in 2018.  Prior to that, he founded Veterinary Innovations, a tech consulting firm focused on improving efficiencies within animal hospitals. Since 2003, Jason has done extensive volunteer work overseas, including a two-year stint in Latin America. Currently, he is the Chief Stewardship Officer of Daybreak Vision Project, a nonprofit focused on restoring sight to the needlessly blind in Africa.

Debra Wetherby

Managing Partner

Deb Wetherby founded Wetherby Asset Management in 1990 to serve clients with objectivity, integrity, and thoughtfulness and continues as the firm’s managing partner after its merger with Laird Norton Wealth Management at the end of 2021. Deb’s community and board work has included the Marin Community Foundation; the Advisory Board for the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Haas School at the University of California, Berkeley; BRAC USA, working to improve the well-being of the poorest people in Africa and Asia; the National Endowment for Financial Education; and the UC San Francisco Foundation.

Board Observers

Conrad Gehrmann

Chief Financial Officer, Laird Norton Wealth Management

Conrad Gehrmann is chief financial officer at Laird Norton Wealth Management (LNWM). He was a co-founder of the wealth advisory firm Filament LLC, which merged with LNWM in December 2020. A CPA, Conrad co-led Arthur Andersen’s Northwest Private Client Services group and held senior leadership positions at the Quellos Group. He is past chair of the Lupus Foundation of America and a long-time member of the Board of Trustees of Ashesi University Foundation in Ghana.

Stephen Janowsky

Chief of Staff and Chief Transformation Officer

As chief of staff and chief transformation officer, Steve is responsible for guidance and oversight in multiple areas, including client services, internal operations, finance, human resources and business planning. Steve served in several different roles at Wetherby Asset Management, which merged with Laird Norton Wealth Management at the end of 2021. Prior to joining Wetherby in 2005, Steve led North American operations at Proxicom and worked at Ernst & Young. He has served as president of the Larkspur Schools Foundation and honorary director on the board of Larkin Street Youth Services. He has also served as guest lecturer at Dominican University for the course Leadership and Change Management and is an enthusiastic youth rugby coach.