Family Education and Governance

Claudia B. Sangster is the Director of Family Education and Governance in Wealth Management at the Northern Trust Company. In this role she designs the firm's advisory capabilities in financial education, family decision-making, and relationships around money and wealth. Claudia collaborates with clients, their advisors and Wealth Planning partners in identifying and establishing appropriate educational programs and governance structures for multi-generational families in order to prepare family members to steward the wealth, to enhance family unity and to help sustain all aspects of the family’s capital-financial, intellectual, human and social. She works with families to create their legacy of wisdom, wealth and giving through multiple generations.

Claudia has over 30 years of experience in advising individuals and families in financial education, family governance and philanthropy. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Claudia was with CTC | myCFO, where she served as the Director of Philanthropy, Estate and Trust Services. She was also instrumental in establishing the Harris myCFO Foundation, and its successor, the BMO Charitable Fund Program, a donor-advised fund sponsored by the National Philanthropic Trust for clients seeking a simple, tax efficient vehicle for their philanthropic giving.

Claudia is a frequent speaker and author on topics including values, finance and family legacy, as well as trends in family education, governance and philanthropy.

Claudia earned a Bachelor’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Pepperdine University, and a JD, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Houston, College of Law. She is a Founding Partner of Social Venture Partners in Los Angeles, current Board Chair of the Associated Women for Pepperdine, current board member of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute of Los Angeles, Advisory Board member of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Nicholas Endowment.