Greg Patterson

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

EDUCATION

  • MBA, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
  • BA, Universiry of California, Davis
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Study Abroad

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Volunteer, Development for Berkeley Haas School of Business
  • Active Member, Vistage / TEC CEO-Leadership
  • Qualifier, Ironman World Championship, Kona 2020 (now 2022)

Greg is the CEO of The Advisory Group and a senior advisor to our endowment and retirement plan clients. He works with organization leaders on investment consulting, retirement plan development and investment policy implementation. Greg has a passion for behavioral finance and financial literacy and uses these skills to improve financial outcomes for employees in 401k and pension plans as well as beneficiaries of non-profit organizations. Greg also leads the Investment Committee at The Advisory Group and applies his experience with large institutions, including his work at Callan Associates, to analyze market trends and develop asset allocation strategies and portfolio structures that reinforce long-term investment discipline for our clients.

Greg was interviewed for his advice on retirement planning spanning your working years:  “Second Acts,” Berkeley Haas Magazine, Summer 2022

I’ve always been interested in the intersection where knowledge, experience and numbers meet relationships to solve problems. Whether it is a personal wealth client, a fiduciary, or a 401(k) plan participant, I find it gratifying to help people live the lives they want to live with less stress. What continues inspire me daily: after a 401(k) education meeting I hosted, a 65-year-old woman in tears told me she wished she had saving and investing explained to her 30 years ago in the way I had shared because it wasn’t as complex or hard as she thought. She realized that she could have done it but was instead stuck working for the rest of her life. Life is better with the right advice.

I lived in Spain for about 3 years, and spent about a year in total in Argentina. I really enjoyed the cultures, people, language and food. Shorter trip favorites include Italy, Morocco, Norway and a drive across the US in the summer in a top-down, music-up Jeep with a great friend… and we always made sure to drive in the evenings into the sunset.

A perfect weekend would include a family excursion with some smiles and laughter and a little bit of wonder, a gathering with friends, a triathlon or bike ride through the hills and coast, watching the kids do their favorite thing, a bit of surfing, a date with my wife, a dip in a lake or pool, good food and drink, and a short nap in the sun. I’d also love to do absolutely nothing the next weekend, to recover!

My kids’ teams of any sport. US men’s and women’s soccer teams. Argentina’s men’s soccer team. All World Cup soccer. True-team basketball like Curry’s Warriors or Ginobili’s Spurs. The eclectic bad-news-bears Giants baseball team of a few years ago. Summer and Winter US Olympic Teams. Team USA Age Group Triathlon… especially when I have the honor of representing our country with my own Team USA racing suit on!

Greg leverages lessons he learned from training and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship at Kona to help business owners and leaders make their own wealth & life goals easier.  Greg speaks about this topic at conferences and on podcasts:

• Dreamers, Believers & High Achievers podcast – Prepare to ‘go long.’ Secrets of pacing yourself in business and life while achieving success.

• Playing Injured podcast – Design thinking, reverse engineering, and other ways to achieve big goals

• 2021 Gu Energy & Sports Basement ~ 7 Lessons Webinar

• The Midlife Male podcast – Greg shares his perspective as a midlife male and business owner.

• 2020 Vistage Executive Summit – San Francisco/San Jose