About Pat


Passionate about partnering with multigenerational families to develop their leadership capacity across generations, Dr. Patricia (Pat) Armstrong is a seasoned family wealth consultant. With a background in psychology, wealth management, leadership, and organizational development, Pat helps individuals and families navigate common challenges associated with:
- Family business
- Family philanthropy
- Family leadership
When Pat is not helping families, she loves international travel, gardening, and spending time by the ocean.
What People Say About Pat
Clients describe Pat as listening well, asking good questions, following through with practical recommendations, and at ease relating to family members across multiple generations. A particular strength is Pat’s skill at partnering with families’ other advisors to facilitate a well-integrated experience for your family.
Why Family Leadership development?
Families who work together harmoniously over multiple generations understand that leadership is much more than succession planning for a single individual or role. It’s about helping each family stakeholder find their voice, leverage their unique talents, and contribute to the prosperity and longevity of their family enterprise whether through formal or informal leadership.

Experience
Pat has over 30 years experience in leadership development. She loves the work because it allows her to facilitate growth and help families make a difference. She finds it deeply satisfying to assist individuals and families as they learn to better understand themselves and their most important relationships. Clients who work with Pat feel greater clarity and an enlivened sense of harmony of purpose around important issues such as family governance, succession planning, and philanthropy. Pat is a third generation steward of family farmland in the Midwest which contributes to her understanding of the need to plan for sustainability beyond the current generation.
Pat spent a decade with Abbot Downing, Wells Fargo’s multi-family office for ultra-high-net worth families who manage their assets as a family enterprise. She was the co-founder and a senior consultant with Abbot Downing’s internal consulting practice on family dynamics, education and governance which addresses human as well as financial capital.
Illustrative client engagements include:
Developing a Family Charter and Family Governance Structure for a third generation family business
Integrating fourth generation family members into the board of a family foundation and updating their vision and mission to reflect the input of this generation
Helping a family develop an education-focused family investment enterprise following the sale of a family business after three generations of family ownership
Quoted in Barron's on the importance of succession planning for families, Family Business Magazine on the best practices for family meetings, and Financial Advisor on effective estate planning strategies Pat frequently contributed to Abbot Downing's white papers and other thought pieces on topics ranging from family philanthropy to pre-nuptial agreements. Pat's article on how to start frequently avoided conversations about wealth was featured in the inaugural issue of the Journal of the Global Family Office Community; her article on the case for family governance is featured in Volume 2 of this journal.

Education
Pat holds a doctorate in psychology from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University, where she served as a university trustee and supports academic scholarships and study abroad experiences that foster development opportunities for a diverse student body. Pat also earned an advanced certificate in executive coaching from Columbia University.
Memberships
Pat is a member of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), the Purposeful Planning Institute (PPI), the American Psychological Association (APA), a content contributor to the Family Office Exchange (FOX), and serves on the Advisory Council of the Global Family Office Community (GFOC).