Northwood Staff Profile: Lauren Ambrosetti

What do you do at Northwood?

As an Associate at Northwood, I work closely with several families, helping them solve a wide array of problems by utilizing the expertise of other professionals, such as tax accountants, lawyers, and investment managers to ensure that their short and long-term financial objectives are met.

In this role I experience cross collaboration at a horizontal level across internal client teams, as well as vertical work flows with projects that are initiated by the client and ultimately have a direct impact on family members from the first generation and beyond. Examples include supporting a smooth generational wealth transition, tax and estate planning, investment and cash flow management, and creating foundations to meet the family's philanthropic goals.

What surprised you the most since you've been at Northwood?

Since I have been at Northwood, I have been pleasantly surprised by how dynamic the nature of our work is, and how diverse of a skillset is required. The firm's ethos of collective wisdom is evident in the variety of backgrounds embodied by the people I get to work with every day – from past tax experts to civil engineers, CFAs, and CPAs, our teams are well-equipped with driven, like-minded individuals.

What also surprised me was how my role was not confined to the ‘numbers’ as most people would expect of a traditional accountant. There is a very human element in understanding our clients' lifegoals, fears, and ambitions. Whether it is outlining a family’s investment mandate, passing along institutional knowledge to the next generation, or creating a plan and setting up trusts to fund the next four generation's educational costs, I find the work to be deeply personal and fulfilling.

What are your favourite things to do outside of work?

Outside of work, you can likely find me trying a new Toronto restaurant with friends and family. Thanks to my colleagues at Northwood, who introduced me, I am now an active member on an app called “Beli” which allows us to personally rank and compare our individual restaurant experiences with one another while also curating a list of new local and international restaurants to try.

What are you passionate about?

Staying active and trying new things. Growing up I always played sports, camped, and more recently have grown a liking towards long distance running. I don’t know that running will be a long-term passion of mine, but so far, I am enjoying the journey, gearing up for my first half marathon, and learning more about the variety of runs that should be used to prepare ahead of race day.

What is one of your favorite travel destinations? Any recommendations when there?

Like many of my colleagues at Northwood, Colombia is one of my favourite travel destinations as it provides a variety of things to do from traveling the old streets of Cartagena to venturing off the more remote and less-traveled trails of Tayrona National Park to experiencing the intersection of city and jungle in Medellin. Here, I paraglided for the first time, completed a coffee tasting tour and experienced the culture first-hand while taking salsa dance lessons from locals and enjoying their tasty cuisine. My overall recommendation for Colombia, and elsewhere, is to immerse yourself in the culture and as hard as it is to get caught up in taking that shot of the picture-perfect view, just stay in the present.