Simone Lee Balch

About Simone Lee Balch

Shaped by a 25+-year career spanning institutional and private wealth management, I am passionate about partnering with multi-generational families and institutional investors to navigate complex financial landscapes and achieve their long-term goals. I excel at integrating investment strategy, wealth planning, and family priorities, collaborating closely with internal specialists as well as external tax and estate advisors to address liquidity events, succession planning, philanthropy, and intergenerational wealth transfer.With deep experience in portfolio construction, asset allocation, and manager selection across public and private markets, I take a strategic, disciplined, and relationship-driven approach to solving investment challenges. I help clients thoughtfully incorporate sustainable, impact, and emerging-market opportunities into diversified portfolios, where appropriate, without compromising rigor or performance objectives. My global perspective, shaped by professional and personal experiences across the U.S, Europe, Asia, and Australasia, informs a nuanced understanding of markets and investor needs. Outside of work, I am a lifelong choral singer and musician, playing violin and more recently cello, and I enjoy rescuing dogs.Areas of Expertise- Complex Wealth Planning for High-Net-Worth & Multi-Generational Families- Coordination with Tax, Trust & Estate Advisors- Global Investment Strategy, Asset Allocation, Portfolio Construction & Manager Sourcing - Impact, ESG- & Mission-Aligned Investing- Global Institutional Investor, Family Office & Financial Intermediary Networks- Capital Raising, Business Development, Investment Distribution & Marketing - Board Leadership & Governance Industry Experience- Private Wealth Management- Institutional Asset Management- Sustainable & Impact Investing- Investment Advisory / OCIO- Public & Private Market Investments - Mutual Funds, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Structured Finance- Emerging Markets Investing- Microfinance & SME (small, medium enterprises) investing- Healthcare Nonprofit Current Board Involvement- San Francisco General Hospital Foundation – Board Member; Investment Committee, Development & Stewardship, Hearts in SF Gala CommitteesFormer Board Involvement- Camphill Soltane Foundation – Former Board & Investment Committee Member- Goldman Sachs Private Bank (Switzerland) – Former Board SecretaryEducation & Background- MBA, The Wharton School- BA, Economics, University of Chicago

Experience

1. Senior Wealth Advisor

   Bessemer Trust

   Feb 2026 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   My team partners with multi-generational families to navigate complex financial landscapes and achieve their long-term goals. We help our clients integrate investment strategy, wealth planning, and family office services, and collaborate closely with internal specialists as well as external tax and estate advisors to address liquidity events, succession planning, philanthropy, and intergenerational wealth transfer.

Education

• Choate Rosemary Hall

  Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

• University of Chicago

  BA, Economics

• The Wharton School

  MBA, Dual Majors in Finance, Business and Public Policy

Skills

• Emerging Markets
• Investments
• Asset Managment
• Business Strategy
• Private Placements
• Marketing
• Capital Markets
• Financial Analysis
• Business Development
• Microfinance
• Asia Investments
• Fundraising
• Private Equity
• Impact Investing
• Investor Relations
• Equities