Chris Walczak, CFP®, CTFA
SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, ADVISORY TEAM LEADER
SHAREHOLDER, ADVANCED ESTATE PLANNING CHAIR
In his role as Senior Financial Advisor, Chris works with multi-generational families and entrepreneurs helping them navigate complex financial and planning issues in order to help them achieve their goals.
Before joining WMS, Chris was a Family Wealth Advisor with GenSpring | SunTrust Private Wealth, where he spent 13 years developing extensive relationships with ultra-high net worth families in the Washington D.C. area. Chris provided guidance and coordinated services ranging from estate and tax planning to philanthropic giving and family governance.
Chris is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park, where he received a bachelor’s degree in economics. Chris is a Certified Financial Planner® practitioner, as well as a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Chris is a member of the Maryland Financial Planning Association, where he is a leader within its local Maryland chapter. Chris has also served as a member of the board and the Chairman of the Membership Committee.
Chris spends his personal time with his wife Cara, sons Francis and Bennett, at their home in Columbia, MD. He enjoys coaching youth sports, spending time on the Chesapeake Bay, and performing his own auto and home maintenance.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WEALTH MANAGEMENT?
Helping families. It is that simple, and yet it is the most complex thing I do. It can range from the most technical transfer tax topic to guiding families through difficult conversations, but at the end of the day it boils down to helping families.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Without a doubt, my most prideful moments have been those when clients of mine have served as a reference for me. Hearing clients speak to my passion, my concern for them, and my ability to distill complex topics into digestible focal points is undoubtedly my largest source of pride.
WHAT QUALITY OF YOURS MAKE YOU BEST SUITED TO WHAT YOU DO?
I am naturally curious and I listen. In this business (and candidly in life) it is so critical to listen and try to distill through to the “why”… Why is someone telling you something? What do they mean by it? What has brought them to that belief? In my opinion, it is only once you understand and appreciate “the why” can you ever get to “the how”.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK?
Spend time on the water. Whether it is fishing the Chesapeake or relaxing along a mid-Atlantic beach, I love the water and enjoying it with my wife and two sons.