Kelleher Financial Advisors LLC (KFA) and Starboard Advisors—a division of KFA based in Portland, Maine—are pleased to announce that Michael Ouellette has joined the firm as President of Starboard Advisors.
In conjunction with the new appointment, Bart Weisenfluh, founder of Starboard Advisors, will now become its Chief Executive Officer. Weisenfluh will maintain all of his client relationships while working with Ouellette to enhance each client’s experience as family-focused, every day.
“We share a vision of offering the highest level of unbiased, personalized service to families looking to ensure their legacy and long-term intent are fulfilled,” Weisenfluh said. “Mike has a depth of knowledge and breadth of expertise in the family office field that is second to none. We look forward to leveraging this insight as we continue to grow and expand our service to families in the months and years to come.”
KFA is family-owned and operated, with no outside investors. The firm has a long history of providing services and counsel aimed at growing and preserving family wealth—without bias or conflict-of-interest. As fiduciaries, KFA and Starboard are solely focused on serving families as a single point of accountability for the stewardship of their financial lives.
“We are excited about the new changes at Kelleher Financial Advisors and our Starboard Advisors division,” said Sean Kelleher, President and Managing Partner of Kelleher Financial Advisors. “Mike shares our values and deep client focus. His in-depth experience serving high-net-worth families will benefit every client at our firm.”
“I have known Bart and Sean for many years and have always been impressed with their approach to being trusted advisors to families. I am thrilled to now be a part of the Starboard team and am looking forward to contributing to their success,” Michael Ouellette said. “My background with family offices provides a unique perspective for helping families and their members manage their ‘intent’ and ultimately their legacy. Each family is different in terms of personalities, governance structure, and management style, but they all need an independent, trusted advisor to help develop and extend their legacies.”
A Distinguished Background in Serving Family Offices
Michael Ouellette has been a family office executive for the past 24 years representing over $4 billion of family assets. Ouellette began his career with a four-generation family office based in Portland, Maine, serving as Executive Vice President and Treasurer for Dexter Enterprises Inc. from 1997 to 2014. His most recent position from 2014 to 2021 was Chief Executive Officer for Ten Mountain Capital, a two-generation family office located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ouellette continues to serve as an independent director and trustee to multiple families and also serves on the board of directors for both publicly-traded and privately-held companies.
Through his work, Ouellette has helped families implement best practices for family governance and education, investment management, estate and tax planning, and charitable initiatives. In addition to overseeing investment decisions and portfolio performance, his experience includes establishing family office governance structures, managing daily operations and staff, and serving as trustee and administrator for hundreds of trusts. He also has experience in due diligence and oversight for family-owned companies and real estate holdings; estate planning and wealth transfer strategies; estate administration; tax planning for individuals, LLCs, and trusts; private foundation management and charitable giving; and developing and implementing family education curriculum for next generations.
Ouellette earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Maine, and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern Maine.
Ouellette lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with his wife Julie and their three daughters.
“Families don’t just need financial planners, they need trusted advisors to support all aspects of their personal and financial goals,” Sean Kelleher said. “Mike’s work with family offices from the inside will ensure our clients have the type of support, resources and planning that helps them achieve their dreams.”
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Tags: Firm Management
