I married into a 170-year-old family business. I help keep it running.

I married my husband at 24 and joined a family that has run the Laird Norton Company for 170 years. Founded in 1855 as a lumber operation by two brothers and their cousin, the business is now an investment firm. I began paying attention to the company’s history after my daughter was born and became fascinated by the legacy I had joined.

The business connects distant cousins across the globe: there are 551 family members in seven countries who share ownership and involvement. Family members elect the board, which includes seven family directors and five non-family directors, among them the CEO.

That shared responsibility gives our extended family a common focus, even as we disagree about many things. As family president, my job is to keep relatives engaged. I help produce the Laird Norton family journal, which functions like an alumni magazine where people share stories, trips, and announcements.

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