Matthew Wesley is the Founder of Ascend Family Advisory. Matt is an internationally recognized practitioner, thought leader, and speaker on the issues facing financially successful families. Matt works with some of the most prominent families in the world as they seek to realize the full promise of intergenerational wealth in their individual and collective lives. With a career that spans 35 years as a minister, estate planning attorney, family advisor, facilitator, and consultant, he helps families, family offices, and family advisors address the complex issues of enterprise, legacy wealth, and collective philanthropy.

His work with families is grounded in applied theory, proven models, and innovative approaches, all designed to effect rapid and sustained cultural change. Matt helps families break through the assumptions that bind individual and group effectiveness and designs and implements approaches that enhance family dynamics, decision-making, learning, and performance. He empowers individuals and families by developing the capacities and capabilities they need to address today’s problems and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Matt has helped family offices, ranging in size and stage of development from founder’s offices to large family offices serving multiple generations. His goal is to create whole ecosystems that support all of the stakeholders within the orbit of the office. He brings a keen understanding of the central mission of a family office – to serve the well-being of the family – and of the myriad challenges that cause offices to lose focus and alignment in ways that challenge the consistent execution of that central mission.

Matt’s guidance of a team within a large financial services firm fundamentally altered the way many of the top private wealth advisors in that firm served clients and differentiated themselves in the market, leading to substantial economic growth and enduring client and advisor retention.