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Practice Leader, Family Business Group

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $171,700–$300,500 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Your team has attorneys, accountants and valuation professionals. Tell me about a time you led a group of specialists who each knew their field better than you did.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead experts by setting direction and making calls rather than by out-knowing everyone in the room.

Tell me about a time you had to tell a business owner or family something they did not want to hear about their company.

What they are checking: Whether they can deliver hard news to emotionally invested families without damaging the relationship or softening the facts.

Describe a time you changed how a professional team worked, such as its review process or workload split, and how people responded.

What they are checking: Whether they can improve an established group of 16 professionals without losing experienced people or their goodwill.

What would you do

The group manages about 900 interests in closely held businesses held in trusts and estates. How would you get your arms around a portfolio that size in your first 90 days?

What they are checking: Whether they can triage a huge book by risk and value instead of trying to review every interest equally.

A trust holds 100 percent of a manufacturing company that has been losing money for three years, and the family beneficiaries want to keep it. Walk me through how you'd decide what to do.

What they are checking: Balancing the prudent investor duty against family wishes and trust terms, and documenting the reasoning so it holds up later.

Beneficiaries from two branches of a family disagree on whether to sell the business the trust owns. One branch works in the company and one doesn't. How do you handle that?

What they are checking: Duty of impartiality among beneficiaries and the ability to stay neutral when one side has more access and influence.

You report to the Director of Business Services. What would you want your boss to hear from you every month about this book of business?

What they are checking: Whether they know which risks and metrics matter upward and can report without burying leadership in detail.

About the work

When Northern Trust is trustee and the trust holds a controlling interest in a family company, what does our fiduciary duty require of us that a passive shareholder wouldn't owe?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that control brings active oversight duties, including board seats, management review and a duty to diversify or justify holding.

How do you approach valuing a minority interest in a closely held business for an estate, and where do disputes usually come from?

What they are checking: Fluency with discounts for lack of control and marketability, and awareness that these numbers draw IRS and beneficiary challenges.

What are the warning signs that a closely held company held in trust is heading for trouble, and how would your team catch them early?

What they are checking: Whether they have a monitoring discipline for private companies where financial information is thin and often late.

How do you think about conflicts of interest when a family member serves as both company CEO and co-trustee alongside Northern Trust?

What they are checking: Recognizing self-dealing risk and knowing how a corporate trustee protects other beneficiaries without paralyzing the business.

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The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Northern Trust Wealth Management ǀ Practice Lead, Family Business Group Location: Chicago Northern Trust Wealth Management is seeking to hire an individual to lead its Family Business Group. This individual would report to Northern Trust’s Director of Business Services. The Family Business Group consists of 16 professionals, including attorneys, accountants and valuation professionals. The team manages approximately 900 interests in closely held businesses held in trusts or estates where Northern Trust has been named trustee or executor, including situations where a trust or estate holds a controlling interest. In addition, team members provide advice and consulting services to clients on a variety of business succession, family governance and pre-transaction planning issues. Services that the Family Business Group provides to clients with respect to private businesses and closely held entities where Northern Trust serves as fiduciary include: • Evaluate the business’ performance and overall strategic plan • Provide recommendations on ownership and management succession best practices • Oversee and restructure management teams when appropriate • Evaluate offers to purchase and help manage sale processes • Oversee the business valuation process for tax, sale or estate planning purposes • Perform analyses with respect to tax elections and entity conversions • Serve as officers and directors of entities the team manages, when appropriate • Monitor the ongoing performance versus plan, benchmarks, etc. Additionally, the Family Business Group is responsible for providing fiduciary oversight of the portfolio of private business interests, including supporting the Northern Trust’s regulatory compliance (for example, pre-acceptance screening of assets, asset onboarding, post-acceptance reviews, annual reviews and valuation updates). Role and Responsibilities: As Practice Lead of the Family Business Group, the candidate will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the group’s operations, including: • Defining the long-term growth strategy and annual business plan for the group • Supporting new business development by evaluating new business opportunities and playing an active role in prospect and client meetings • Advising high net worth families on corporate governance and business succession strategies • Marketing the group both internally to Northern Trust employees and externally to key industry groups, advisors and prospects • Team staffing, hiring and training • Operational processes and procedures for managing the group’s portfolio of assets • Risk management oversight of the portfolio, including interaction with other internal groups (Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, etc.) • Ensuring consistent client service standards • Helping with managing vendor relationships • Serving as one of Northern Trust’s subject matter experts, including opportunities to participate in speaking engagements and writing articles Knowledge / Experience: • Significant (+10 years) experience in an advisory role to private businesses (for example, accountant, attorney, investment banker, wealth management professional) • Deep understanding of family governance, corporate governance and business succession strategies and challenges as relates to multi-generational private businesses • Experience serving and advising sophisticated, high net worth families • Leadership and management experience overseeing a team, business or division of a business • Ability to articulate the value proposition of the group to a broad audience with varying levels of sophistication • Experience negotiating purchase and sale contracts and related agreements for private business entities a plus • Knowledge of managing closely held entities in the capacity of trustee and executor a plus Salary Range: $171,700 - 300,500 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

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