Celine Fitzgerald: From Reluctant Inheritor to Family Office Architect - Episode 6

Vincent Valeri
Welcome back to another episode of The Family Wealth Edge with my friend and colleague, Kristin Heaney. Hello, Kristin. And we are joined today by an uber-duper special guest, Celine Fitzgerald. Celine? Very dramatic.

Kristen Heaney
Hello?

Celine Fitzgerald
Don’t get people that excited about saying “uber duper,” guys. They might be disappointed after the clip.

Kristen Heaney
No, Celine, you are super duper because not only are you an OG of the very first Rising Gen peer cohort from way back in 2019, but the way that it impacted you has sort of changed your life. It’s cool to hear that story—and super cool to Vincent and me that we got to be a part of it. I’m excited to reminisce about those days too.

Celine Fitzgerald
Thank you for having me. I’m excited—and congrats on you two launching this new venture. Excited to listen in every week and see who you bring on.

Vincent Valeri
Well, you’re our first. It’s a labor of love. When Kristin and I were talking about having a guest on, you were the first person that came to mind. So—September 2019. It was a warm Boston weekend, I remember.

Kristen Heaney
Our only time doing an in-person kickoff because that was pre-COVID. Good to be all together.

Vincent Valeri
Why don’t you give us some background, Celine—who you are, what you’re doing today, and then reminisce about that night: what your thoughts were coming into the cohort.

Celine Fitzgerald
Celine Fitzgerald, G3 family member in Chicago. I spent several years in New York, but Chicago brought me back. My dad and I started a single family office in the summer of 2019—perfect timing before I somehow agreed to do the cohort. Kicking and screaming, I suppose. But yes, it changed my life; we’ll get into that.

I’d just graduated from Loyola Chicago with my master’s and had interned in the Family Business Center. At 31–32, it was my first entrance into the world of being a wealth inheritor, beneficiary, steward—part of a family business. As the saying goes, wealthy people don’t talk about money, especially with their kids—which is scary when you hit your 30s and should be more ahead. I’ve played many years of catch-up and will continue as a forever learner.

When I got the call from our mutual friend Jim Cotray about joining the cohort, I said, “I’m going to stop you right there. Absolutely not. I’m not going to sit with a bunch of pretentious kids and talk about how they spend their money.” He said, “No, no, no—these facilitators are different.” I said, “Jim, I don’t know you from Adam, but okay.” I showed up in Boston—very set in my ways—and no one told me the start time, so I scheduled a Barry’s class and showed up in a sweaty outfit, not caring how I presented myself. At least people met me at dinner the night before and got my sarcastic nature.

I was unsure what to expect, but you both created a warm, confidential, safe space that started that weekend and carried through the year—and ever since. The magic you brought and the thoughtful curriculum changed the lives of so many.

Kristen Heaney
Vincent, do you remember your mindset that morning? Celine comes in like, “I’m squeezing in your little thing; it better not suck.” What were you thinking?

Celine Fitzgerald
I was running…

Vincent Valeri
It was intense. It was the first one we co-launched—you led and I helped, along with our dear friend Kaylee. Thinking back, it’s incredible to see the journey. I was going to joke, now we can’t get rid of you.

It was refreshing to see your humor and charm shine through day one. Debriefing that night, you stuck out, Celine. You helped create a “no-BS” zone—honest and open. Wealth management can be stuffy; there’s a time for that, and a time for human, real, no-filter talk about what matters. You brought that early on.

Kristen Heaney
You’ve got to love a skeptic. Others had the same concerns—status, posturing. You named it, and that gave everyone else permission to be honest. That helped us build a group focused on supporting each other.

Celine Fitzgerald
I’d been in other groups—that was my hesitation. But this wasn’t a “who’s who.” Nobody cares about last names. No one’s competing. It’s a group of people who want to learn and be stewards, who want their voice heard—not to take over or kick parents out, but to do this right and not mess it up. Somehow you keep finding people with that shared interest.

Kristen Heaney
And the content—was it what you were looking for? You’d just done an MBA with a family enterprise focus.

Celine Fitzgerald
Frankly, I didn’t know what I was looking for. I hoped someone would tell me what to do in the family office—my dad didn’t really know either. It laid the groundwork to set it up with him, to step into roles I wasn’t gung-ho about but knew were my responsibility.

It gave me confidence—empowered me to use my voice, do the diligence, find my purpose. Before that, I didn’t feel like I had one. I’d moved back for a reason that didn’t pan out, had a couple jobs, then grad school. When my dad said, “Let’s start this office,” it almost felt like pity because we didn’t know what it meant. Now, six years later, it’s not that at all—but it took time to find my purpose. The cohort gave me the tools.

Vincent Valeri
Of the six-year journey, what’s been your biggest learning?

Kristen Heaney
And we’ll add: when you came in you said, “I thought I’d marry a guy in finance by now, but I guess I have to figure this out myself.” It was meaningful to sit at your wedding years later—with a guy who happens to work in finance—while you had a totally different mindset: empowered to take on roles and share responsibility. Quite a journey.

Celine Fitzgerald
Yes. I’ve really developed a life purpose. The biggest excitement in my role is the nonprofit aspect—taking over the donor-advised fund and creating the foundation. Driving to bank board meetings with my dad, his biggest achievement is the money he can give away and the impact in the community—$100 or $100,000.

Building relationships with grantees and understanding why he gives is my greatest achievement—carrying on his legacy. His legacy is banking; it’s safer I don’t work in a bank or give financial advice. But because of the cohort, becoming empowered, and having the right tools, I get to do the “fun stuff” like philanthropy—and I also took on responsibilities in the banking world: ABA courses (we nearly failed together!), joining the bank board after years of observing. It’s not my favorite—it’s out of my comfort zone—but philanthropy carries his real legacy.

Kristen Heaney
In addition, you’re a very hands-on parent—and you coach other rising gens. That’s a lot to juggle.

Celine Fitzgerald
Becoming a parent 20 months ago was amazing, and I’ll be a parent again in four months. Seeing my parents as grandparents is the most beautiful thing. The family office gives me flexibility to work with In Three Generations and sit alongside families—especially rising gens. It’s my goal to help rising gens advocate for themselves and speak up to parents and grandparents. There are better ways to learn about inheritance and stewardship. In my opinion, the 30s are too late—but we’ve met people finding out in their 40s, 50s, 60s. I’m blessed it was my 30s.

Vincent Valeri
Nothing is ideal. You play the cards you’re dealt and figure out your role—that’s why we’re so happy seeing where you’re at. You’ve embodied real responsibility. Maybe take us home with one or two points of advice?

Celine Fitzgerald
Two things. First, I brought my sister along—she’s seven years younger and did the third cohort during COVID. She’s an entrepreneur (jewelry designer), not in the day-to-day—and that’s okay. Getting her involved earlier, knowing what to ask, furthering education—it was full circle and great. She’s doing it a decade before me; I’m jealous.

Second, advice: if you have siblings or cousins, come together—find common ground. Philanthropy, education programs, planning family meetings together. It keeps things going. That’s what my dad hopes for with certain trusts—my sister and I investing together, keeping a pot together. (We have matching tattoos; we’re not splitting up anytime soon!) Many rising gens feel isolated; they can’t talk to friend groups from different socioeconomic contexts. Often you do have siblings/cousins—connect with them. I’m jealous of big families with 20–30 cousins. I’m blessed to have one—capitalize on that.

Vincent Valeri
Thank you, Celine.

Celine Fitzgerald
Thanks for having me.

Kristen Heaney
Thanks for sharing your story—pushing outside your comfort zone (peer group, bank board, all of it) led to the development you’re living today. Love it.

Celine Fitzgerald
It’s all because of you two. You pulled it out of me. Thank you.

Vincent Valeri
We’re very happy we met you.

Celine Fitzgerald
For the right reasons, yep.

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