Hargis Joins Fort Washington to Lead Family Office Services

Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. has named Michele E. Hargis as vice president and head of Family Office Services within the firm's Private Client Group.

In this role, Hargis will be responsible for serving ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and families. She will report to Tracey Stofa, managing director and head of Fort Washington's Private Client Group (PCG).

"We're excited to bring Michele on board to lead our new Family Office Services capability," said Stofa. "Today's ultra-high-net-worth families need more than wealth management; they need a single point of coordination across investments, estate planning, tax considerations, philanthropy and family governance. Family Office Services will be a natural extension of the comprehensive advice PCG has delivered for years."

Hargis brings more than 25 years of experience advising affluent families. She previously served as president and co-founder of Oaks Family Office, where she built and led a comprehensive family office platform from the ground up. She oversaw all aspects of wealth management, including investment strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, tax coordination, governance and next-generation education. She worked extensively with internal and external partners to deliver customized solutions and served as a trusted advisor across all facets of the family enterprise.

Following her tenure at Oaks Family Office, Hargis advised UHNW families in a consulting capacity, providing independent guidance on financial, governance and strategic matters.

Hargis began her career at Salomon Smith Barney and later spent a decade at Fifth Third Bank, where she served as vice president and senior portfolio manager, managing over $1 billion in assets and launching an equity risk management platform for high-net-worth clients.

Hargis holds a BBA with a finance concentration from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Miami University. She also holds the FINRA 65 registration and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®).

Hargis is active in the Cincinnati community. She is a co-founder of the Cincinnati Family Office Network and serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including the Northern Kentucky University Foundation and OptimALL Services. She is also an advisor to CancerFree Kids and actively supports initiatives focused on education, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

She resides in Fort Wright, Ky., with her husband and three children.