Michele L. Martin
MBA, ChFC®
President, Lurie Wealth Advisors
Minneapolis, Minnesota
BIOGRAPHY
As president of Lurie Wealth Advisors (LWA), Michele Martin implements the design and delivery of our integrated wealth management and financial solutions to each of our clients, including business owners, executives, and their families, guiding investment decisions, creative financing, and planning strategies.
Michele is a 30-year financial industry veteran, with Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation and Series 7, 63, 65, 9, 10, and 24 securities registrations.
Experience Clients Can Bank On
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs sparked a passion for business, and led Michele to explore a variety of career paths in the financial – and specifically banking – environment.
From spending a decade as a commercial lender to running several private banking teams for large institutions in Minnesota and Iowa, she built a diverse portfolio and learned the values of hard work, collaboration, and problem-solving that business owners could depend on. When Michele made the decision to shift to a wealth management focus, that understanding of various aspects of business and what clients go through proved invaluable.
“A lot of people in our industry who work with individuals don’t usually have the business side in their backgrounds,” said Michele. “Starting in the banking world helped me a lot in terms of creativity and provided a unique perspective. I enjoy the ability to be there as a partner for people as they are building their businesses and helping them through life events. A lot of it is numbers, but more of it is listening, understanding, and helping people navigate through tough decisions.”
A Holistic Approach to Drive Growth
Michele has helped LWA exceed expectations and enjoy consistent growth in its six years of existence, both in terms of revenue and personnel. LWA was named to Accounting Today’s annual list of the top 150 CPA Firms by assets under management (AUM), a ranking of leading CPA firms that provide financial planning and wealth management services. Her holistic approach to wealth management services has driven growth for her own team and for her clients.
“It’s important to understand the big picture,” she said. “This is especially important when there are a variety of complex financial issues along with personal decisions. I can see that intersection and help them plan accordingly. Whether the focus is planning or investments, it’s about mapping out the big picture and then executing around that, rather than just one thing.”
Passionate About Helping Clients and Her Community Thrive
A point of pride for Michele is the level of trust she and her team have built with clients over the years, as well as successfully integrating tax advisory, investment, and financial planning services under one roof. That integration, she says, along with a genuinely consultative approach, truly resonates with business owners.
“The main reason I’ve stayed so long in this business is the ability to get to know people and their businesses and their families, and help them live their best life in the way they want to,” she says. “And it means something that we’re not trying to sell them at every turn. To help solve problems and take some of their stress away, it’s a great feeling.”
Michele also dedicates her time serving her sons’ alma mater, on the College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University Board of Trustees. With one son playing football and another running track at St. John’s, it was easy for the family to fall in love with the institutions and want to play a role.
