How A COO Maintains the Human Element of an Advisory Firm

In the 20th episode of The COO Roundtable, Matt welcomes Diane Gabianelli, Co-President and Chief Financial Officer of Parallel Advisors and Cecilia Williams, Director of Investment Operations and Chief Compliance Officer of Halbert Hargrove. 

Parallel Advisors manages over $3 billion of client assets and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Denver, Honolulu, Ohio, and Oklahoma City.  Halbert Hargrove is headquartered in Long Beach, California and has over $2 billion in assets under management with 44 employees and offices in 5 states.  Matt, Diane, and Cecilia discuss a myriad of topics, including how they oversee their firm’s operations, how they manage their time, and much more, including:

  • Overview of their respective firms and how they provide their clients a high level of service
  • Diane’s career path that led her to Parallel Advisors and Cecilia’s long tenure at Halbert Hargrove, as well as working to get her MBA while continuing to hold her full time position at the firm
  • How both firms and their multiple offices have transitioned to the Work From Home model and their plans for returning to collaborative in-person work in the future
  • The steps each firm has taken to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture
  • Career development and recruiting at each firm

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