A $1.8B Goldman Team Joined Cresset. The Real Story Is Family Office Advice

Cresset’s recruitment of a $1.8 billion Goldman Sachs advisory team is not just another large advisor move. It is a signal that the ultra-high-net-worth recruiting race is becoming more specialized, more family-office-driven and more focused on what wealthy families need after the money has already been made.

The team is led by Jamie Gilbert, Jean Wright and Max Ripans. They previously managed more than $1.8 billion in assets at Goldman Sachs and will join Cresset’s Atlanta office while helping establish the firm’s presence in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Those locations matter. Atlanta gives Cresset more reach in a major Southern wealth market. Jackson Hole gives it a foothold in a destination that has become closely associated with wealthy families, entrepreneurs, investors and tax-sensitive legacy planning.

But the geography is only part of the story.

The bigger point is that Cresset is recruiting advisors who work with ultra-high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs and C-suite executives. These clients are not looking only for portfolio management. They often need tax planning, estate coordination, family governance, private market access, liquidity-event planning, philanthropy, trust structures and help turning business wealth into multigenerational wealth.

That is why this move matters. Cresset is not only trying to add assets. It is trying to add advisor talent that fits the family office race.

TL;DR

• Cresset added a major Goldman Sachs team: Jamie Gilbert, Jean Wright and Max Ripans joined Cresset after overseeing more than $1.8 billion in assets at Goldman Sachs.

• The team expands two markets: The group will be based in Atlanta and will help establish Cresset’s presence in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

• The client niche is the real story: The team focuses on ultra-high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, tax planning and estate planning.

• Cresset is building a recruiting machine: The move came one day after Cresset named Albert Leshinsky managing director and head of corporate development.

• Goldman remains a powerful brand: That makes the move more notable because Cresset had to compete against one of the strongest wealth management names in the market.

• The family office promise must be proven: Cresset now has to show that its independent, multi-family-office platform gives the team more flexibility and better client delivery.

• Clients should ask practical questions: UHNW families should understand how the move affects portfolio access, private investments, estate planning coordination, reporting and advisor continuity.

The Asset Number Gets Attention, But The Client Type Explains The Move

InvestmentNews reported that Cresset drew a $1.8 billion ultra-high-net-worth team from Goldman Sachs, led by Jamie Gilbert, Jean Wright and Max Ripans.

The asset number is impressive, but it is not the most important part of the move.

A $1.8 billion book serving ultra-high-net-worth families is different from a $1.8 billion book built around mass-affluent retirement accounts. UHNW families usually have more complex balance sheets. Their wealth may include operating businesses, real estate, private investments, concentrated stock, trust assets, philanthropic vehicles, art, aircraft, liquidity reserves and next-generation planning needs.

That makes the advisor’s platform choice more important.

The advisor does not need only investment products. The advisor needs a platform that can coordinate several parts of a wealthy family’s financial life. That includes investments, planning, taxes, estate strategy, governance and family communication.

Cresset’s win should be read through that lens. It is not simply adding three advisors from Goldman. It is adding a team that fits the type of client Cresset wants to serve.

Goldman Sachs Is A Hard Platform To Leave

The team’s former firm matters because Goldman Sachs carries weight with ultra-wealthy clients.

Goldman has a long-standing brand in investment banking, asset management and private wealth. For many entrepreneurs, founders and executives, Goldman is familiar because it may already touch their business life through transactions, capital markets or investment relationships.

That means a team leaving Goldman must have a strong explanation.

Clients may ask why the advisors are moving away from such a recognized institution. They may want to know whether investment access changes, whether reporting changes, whether private market opportunities change, whether lending options change and whether the same people remain responsible for the relationship.

Cresset must make the answer clear.

The likely pitch is not that Goldman lacks resources. It is that Cresset offers a more independent, holistic and entrepreneurial family office experience. That is a different argument. It does not attack Goldman’s strength. It says the client’s needs may be better served in a platform designed specifically around wealthy families and long-term legacy planning.

The Family Office Race Is Different From Traditional Advisor Recruiting

Traditional advisor recruiting often focuses on payout, platform support, technology, transition money, product access and culture. Those factors still matter for UHNW advisors, but the family office race adds another layer.

UHNW advisors are asking whether the platform can support family governance, private investments, trust and estate work, tax-aware planning, philanthropy, consolidated reporting, next-generation education and direct access to specialists.

That is a different test.

A family worth hundreds of millions of dollars may not need another model portfolio. It may need help deciding how to manage liquidity after selling a business, how to prepare heirs for responsibility, how to structure giving, how to coordinate attorneys and accountants, and how to invest across public and private markets without losing sight of liquidity.

That is why Cresset’s family office positioning matters.

The firm’s pitch is built around serving entrepreneurs, founders and multigenerational families. A Goldman team with UHNW and entrepreneur experience fits that strategy naturally.

Atlanta Gives Cresset A Southern Wealth Platform

The team will join Cresset’s Atlanta office, and that is strategically useful.

Atlanta is a major business, technology, logistics, health care, entertainment and private-company market. It has founders, executives, family businesses, professional wealth and an expanding high-net-worth client base. For a multi-family office, Atlanta offers more than regional coverage. It offers access to entrepreneurs and business owners who may need sophisticated planning before and after liquidity events.

That matters because founder wealth is often complicated.

An entrepreneur may have most of their wealth tied to a company before a sale. After a sale, the family may suddenly face investable assets, taxes, estate planning decisions, charitable opportunities, liquidity questions and family governance issues. That transition can be emotionally and financially difficult.

A team with experience advising entrepreneurs can be valuable in that moment.

Cresset’s Atlanta expansion gives the firm another way to reach clients who may be moving from operating wealth to family wealth.

Jackson Hole Changes The Map

The Jackson Hole presence may be even more interesting than the Atlanta expansion.

Jackson Hole has become a notable wealth destination because of its natural appeal, tax environment, lifestyle draw and concentration of affluent residents, investors and business owners. For firms serving ultra-high-net-worth families, a Jackson Hole presence can help support clients who live there full time, maintain second homes or spend meaningful time in the region.

But Jackson Hole is not just a lifestyle market. It can be a relationship market.

Families who spend time there may prefer advisors who understand the local community, privacy expectations and planning complexity around multi-state living. A family with homes in Georgia, Wyoming, Florida, New York or California may face residence, tax, estate and liquidity questions that require coordinated advice.

Cresset’s move suggests it sees Jackson Hole as a serious UHNW market, not simply a scenic office location.

Cresset Is Recruiting Advisors Around A Clear Identity

Cresset’s official announcement said the team brings experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs and C-suite executives, with a specific focus on tax and estate planning.

That wording fits Cresset’s identity closely.

Cresset describes itself as an independent multi-family office and private investment firm. It promotes personalized advice, entrepreneurial thinking, long-term relationships and access to investment opportunities often associated with large single-family offices and institutions.

The Goldman team strengthens that positioning.

A firm trying to build a family office platform cannot rely only on marketing language. It needs advisors who have actually served complex families. It needs people who can sit across from founders, executives and heirs and discuss more than asset allocation.

That is why this hire is strategically useful. It adds human credibility to the platform story.

The Timing With Albert Leshinsky Was Not Random

One day before the Goldman team announcement,Cresset appointed Albert Leshinsky as managing director and head of corporate development. His role is to lead Cresset’s national strategy for engaging and integrating top-performing advisory teams.

That timing makes the Goldman move feel less like an isolated hire and more like part of a deliberate recruiting push.

A firm can add one major team through relationships and timing. But building a national advisor recruiting strategy requires a repeatable process. Cresset needs to identify culturally aligned teams, convince them the platform is better for clients, manage transitions carefully and integrate the advisors without weakening what made them successful.

That is exactly where a corporate development leader matters.

For Cresset, the Goldman hire provides proof of demand. Leshinsky’s appointment suggests the firm wants more of those opportunities.

What “Unconflicted Alignment” Is Trying To Say

Jamie Gilbert said in Cresset’s announcement that he was drawn to the firm’s vision, team and deep alignment between advisors, leadership and client families.

That language deserves attention because alignment is one of the biggest issues in UHNW advice.

Ultra-wealthy families often worry about conflicts. They may wonder whether a firm is pushing proprietary products, whether advisors are paid to recommend certain investments, whether private market access is truly suitable, whether fees are clear and whether the institution’s goals match the family’s goals.

Cresset appears to be leaning into that concern.

Its client- and employee-owned messaging gives it a way to argue that advisors, leadership and clients are economically and culturally aligned. That does not automatically eliminate all conflicts. No platform is conflict-free by default. But it gives Cresset a cleaner story than firms that rely heavily on proprietary product manufacturing or bank-owned distribution.

For UHNW families, the alignment promise must be backed by disclosure, transparency and advisor behavior.

Tax And Estate Planning Are Not Add-Ons

The team’s tax and estate planning focus is central to the story.

For ultra-high-net-worth families, taxes and estate planning are not side conversations. They can shape almost every major financial decision. Selling a business, exercising equity, funding a trust, making gifts, donating appreciated assets, investing in private markets, buying real estate and transferring wealth to heirs all involve tax and estate implications.

Advisors do not replace attorneys or CPAs, but they often coordinate the planning ecosystem.

That coordination is valuable. A family may have an estate attorney, tax advisor, insurance specialist, investment manager, trustee, banker and family office staff. Without coordination, decisions can become fragmented. One advisor may optimize the portfolio while another advisor misses the tax impact. One attorney may draft a trust without enough investment liquidity planning. One family member may understand the plan while the next generation remains confused.

A family office platform has to help connect these pieces.

That is where Cresset wants to compete.

The UHNW Client Is Buying A Decision System

Ultra-high-net-worth families do not only need advice. They need a decision system.

That system should help the family decide how much liquidity to keep, how much risk to take, how to evaluate private investments, how to educate heirs, how to handle family conflict, how to govern philanthropy and how to prepare for future ownership transitions.

A traditional advisor relationship may not be enough for that.

The more wealth a family has, the more its financial life can start to resemble an institution. There may be investment committees, family meetings, trust structures, charitable entities, operating companies and outside managers. The advisor’s job becomes less about picking investments and more about organizing decisions.

A related NJ Financial News article onNorthern Trust’s Global Family Office CIO appointment looked at how billionaire-family portfolios require public and private market oversight, liquidity planning, governance and multigenerational communication.

That same complexity explains why Cresset wants teams like Gilbert, Wright and Ripans.

Where Private Investments Fit In The Cresset Pitch

Cresset’s family office positioning includes access to investment opportunities typically associated with large single-family offices and institutions. That matters because UHNW families often expect more than public stocks and bonds.

They may want private equity, private credit, real estate, venture exposure, direct investments, co-investments or specialized managers. They may also want help deciding when private investments are worth the illiquidity, fees and complexity.

Private investments can be useful, but they can also create problems.

They may lock up capital for years. They may be difficult to value. They may require capital calls. They may create tax reporting complexity. They may overlap with a family’s existing business risk. They may look attractive in a presentation but be hard to fit into the total family balance sheet.

That is why a family office platform has to be selective.

The value is not only access. The value is judgment.

Entrepreneurs Need Different Advice Before And After Liquidity

Entrepreneurs are a key part of this story because their wealth often changes form.

Before a liquidity event, most of the wealth may sit inside the company. The founder may be focused on growth, control, employees, customers and the eventual exit. After a sale, the founder suddenly has a different problem: how to manage liquid wealth, taxes, family expectations and long-term purpose.

The advisor role changes with that transition.

Before the sale, the advisor may help with planning, risk management, family education, liquidity timing and coordination with bankers and attorneys. After the sale, the advisor may help with portfolio design, charitable giving, trust funding, family governance, investment policy and lifestyle planning.

A platform that understands entrepreneurs can be valuable because it recognizes that wealth is not only a number. It is often tied to identity.

Cresset’s entrepreneur-focused positioning fits that reality.

Goldman’s Loss Is Not A Simple Weakness Story

It would be too easy to frame the move as Cresset beating Goldman.

Goldman remains one of the strongest names in wealth management. It has deep investment resources, brand credibility and long-standing relationships with entrepreneurs, executives and wealthy families. A single team departure does not change that.

The better interpretation is that independent multi-family-office platforms are becoming more competitive for certain advisor teams.

Some advisors may prefer a large bank-owned environment. Others may want more independence, a different culture, more open architecture, deeper family office positioning or a platform that feels more entrepreneurial.

Gilbert’s comment that he was not initially looking to change firms is important. It suggests Cresset’s pitch had to be compelling enough to overcome inertia.

That is how top-tier recruiting works. The best teams often do not need to move. A new platform must give them a reason.

Insigneo And Janney Show The Same Week Had Several Talent Themes

The InvestmentNews report also covered Insigneo adding The Americas Financial Group from Raymond James and Janney adding two teams with a combined $800 million in assets.

Those moves widen the lens.

Insigneo’s addition shows another version of specialized recruiting, focused on international wealth and Caribbean client relationships. Janney’s additions show regional firms continuing to recruit experienced teams from UBS and David Lerner Associates. Cresset’s Goldman hire shows the UHNW family office lane.

The common thread is specialization.

Advisor teams are not all moving for the same reason. Some want international infrastructure. Some want regional culture. Some want a stronger family office platform. Some want more independence. Some want better support for specific client types.

This is why advisor recruiting coverage is becoming more nuanced. The asset total is only the headline. The reason behind the move is the story.

Cresset’s Challenge Is Integration Without Dilution

Adding a Goldman team is a win. Integrating that team is the harder task.

Cresset has to give the advisors enough platform support without flattening the client relationships that made the team valuable. UHNW clients are accustomed to high-touch service. They may expect quick access, customized reporting, private market discussions, tax-aware planning coordination and family-level communication.

A transition must preserve that standard.

The team also has to adapt to Cresset’s systems, investment processes, compliance, reporting and internal resources. If the transition is smooth, the advisors can use Cresset’s platform to deepen client service. If it is clunky, clients may question the move.

For large UHNW teams, integration is not only operational. It is relational.

The family must feel that the advisor’s judgment and attention did not get lost during the transition.

What Other UHNW Advisors May Notice

Other UHNW advisors will likely watch this move closely.

They may ask whether Cresset can provide better family office support than their current platform. They may ask whether client- and employee-ownership creates better alignment. They may ask whether Cresset offers more flexibility around private investments, planning coordination and client experience.

They may also ask whether the firm can handle the scale.

A $1.8 billion team brings complex clients. If Cresset can support them well, the move becomes a proof point for future recruiting. If not, competitors will use the transition as a cautionary tale.

This is why the move matters beyond Cresset and Goldman. It will help show whether independent multi-family-office platforms can keep pulling elite talent from major institutions.

The Client Questions Are Different At The UHNW Level

Clients following this move should ask more than basic account-transfer questions.

They should ask how investment access changes, how private investments will be evaluated, how tax and estate planning coordination will work, how reporting will look, how family meetings will be handled and whether the same advisory team remains fully involved.

They should also ask whether the move creates more flexibility.

If the family wants an independent family office experience, Cresset may offer advantages. If the family valued specific Goldman resources, they should understand what changes and what comparable tools or relationships Cresset provides.

For UHNW clients, platform moves can affect the entire advisory ecosystem.

The right question is not simply, “Where will my account be held?” The better question is, “How will this platform help my family make better long-term decisions?”

What Cresset Must Prove Next

Cresset now has to prove three things.

First, it must prove that it can keep attracting elite teams without becoming too broad or generic. Second, it must prove that its family office platform can support the complexity of those teams’ clients. Third, it must prove that growth does not dilute its culture.

That last point matters.

A firm can be entrepreneurial and personal when it is smaller. As it grows, it needs more systems, more leadership depth, more compliance and more process. Those things are necessary, but they can also make a firm feel less distinctive.

Cresset’s challenge is to scale without becoming the type of institution some advisors are trying to leave.

That is a delicate balance.

The Bigger Lesson: UHNW Recruiting Is Becoming A Platform Identity Test

The Cresset-Goldman move shows that ultra-high-net-worth recruiting is no longer only about brand prestige.

Goldman has brand prestige. Cresset won the team anyway.

That suggests the recruiting question is shifting toward platform identity. Advisors serving wealthy families want to know whether the platform matches the work they actually do. Does it support entrepreneurs? Does it understand family governance? Does it coordinate tax and estate planning? Does it offer thoughtful private market access? Does it preserve advisor-client alignment? Does it feel built for families rather than products?

Cresset’s answer is yes. The Goldman team’s move suggests that answer was persuasive.

Now Cresset has to deliver.

If it does, this move could become a strong recruiting proof point for other UHNW advisors considering whether a multi-family-office platform is a better home than a traditional bank-owned wealth platform.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cresset’s Goldman Sachs Team Hire

1. Who Joined Cresset From Goldman Sachs?

   Jamie Gilbert, Jean Wright and Max Ripans joined Cresset from Goldman Sachs. The team previously oversaw more than $1.8 billion in assets and has experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs and C-suite executives.

   The group will be based in Cresset’s Atlanta office and will also help establish Cresset’s presence in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The move gives Cresset a major UHNW advisory team while expanding the firm’s reach in two important wealth markets.

2. Why Is This Move Important For Cresset?

   The move is important because it gives Cresset a large team that fits its multi-family-office identity. The advisors focus on complex UHNW client needs, including tax planning, estate planning, legacy planning and entrepreneur wealth.

   The timing also matters. Cresset announced the team shortly after appointing Albert Leshinsky as head of corporate development. That suggests Cresset is building a more deliberate national recruiting strategy for top advisory teams that align with its client-first and family-office positioning.

3. Why Would A Goldman Sachs Team Move To Cresset?

   A Goldman Sachs team may move to Cresset because it wants a different kind of platform for UHNW families. Goldman offers a powerful brand and broad institutional resources, but Cresset promotes an independent, client- and employee-owned multi-family-office model.

   For advisors serving entrepreneurs and legacy-focused families, that model may feel more aligned with complex planning needs. The move does not mean Goldman lacks strength. It shows that Cresset’s family office platform was compelling enough to attract a team from a major wealth management institution.

4. What Does The Jackson Hole Expansion Mean?

   The Jackson Hole expansion gives Cresset a presence in a market associated with wealthy families, entrepreneurs, investors and tax-sensitive planning. Many UHNW families maintain homes or relationships across multiple states, and Jackson Hole has become an important destination for that client segment.

   For Cresset, the location can support families who need privacy, planning coordination and local access in a high-wealth market. The office also helps show that Cresset is building a national family office footprint beyond traditional financial centers.

5. What Should UHNW Clients Ask During A Move Like This?

   UHNW clients should ask how the move affects investment access, private market opportunities, reporting, estate planning coordination, tax planning, custody, fees and advisor continuity. They should also ask whether the same advisory team will remain directly involved in their planning.

   The most important question is how the new platform improves the family’s decision-making. A move to a multi-family-office platform should provide more than a new logo. It should support better coordination across investments, taxes, estate planning, philanthropy, governance and long-term legacy goals.

Further Reading

• Advisor Moves: Cresset Draws $1.8B UHNW Team From Goldman Sachs: InvestmentNews’ report on Cresset’s Goldman hire, Insigneo’s Raymond James addition and Janney’s advisor-team expansion.

• Cresset Welcomes New Advisory Team With $1.8 Billion In AUM: Cresset’s official announcement on Jamie Gilbert, Jean Wright and Max Ripans joining from Goldman Sachs.

• Cresset Appoints Albert Leshinsky As Head Of Corporate Development: Cresset’s announcement on its national advisor-team recruiting and integration strategy.

• Northern Trust’s New Family Office CIO Has A $1B-Client Portfolio Problem: Related NJ Financial News coverage on family office complexity, private markets, liquidity planning and multigenerational wealth.