This $2 Billion Nepo-Advisor At UBS Likes Private Credit

Name: Chris Dillon

Firm: UBS Wealth Management

Location: Boston, MA

AUM: $1.7 billion

Forbes Rankings: Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State, Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams, America’s Top Wealth Management Teams: Private Wealth, America’s Top Wealth Management Teams: High Net Worth

Background: Growing up with a father who has been an UBS advisor for roughly four decades, Chris Dillon began learning about the business on the golf course, caddying for his father’s clients. After graduating from Villanova University as a finance major, Dillon completed the UBS graduate training program before joining a team in New York for several years. He eventually returned to Boston and joined his father’s team as CEO, which also includes his brother, who is another partner.

Investment Philosophy/Strategy: Dillon and his team stick to a planning and bucketing strategy that includes dividing client assets into segments for liquidity, longevity and legacy. “On the equity side, we’ve had unbelievable success with direct indexing, separately managed accounts,” says Dillon. “When you have clients who make a lot of money, being extremely tax-efficient is our number one priority.” On the fixed income side, he has been extending duration in client portfolios in order to lock in higher returns for a longer period of time before the Federal Reserve eventually slashes rates. Dillon has for a long time also used alternatives to supplement client portfolios—primarily with private equity but now increasingly private credit as well.

Market Outlook: “It is an election year as we all know, which throws a wrinkle in all of this, but we try to tell our clients not to pay attention to who gets in office,” says Dillon.

Best Advice: “Be proactive with clients during difficult times—whether it is markets or something more specific like a death or sickness,” says Dillon. “This was really highlighted during Covid and the regional banking crisis, when we had to be front and center with clients.”