Episode Details

Amy Griman — founder of Delta Creative Group and former global president of the BMO Family Office — joins R. Adam Smith to explore what she calls the readiness gap: the distance between technically sound estate and governance structures and a family's actual preparedness to act on them. Drawing on more than 30 years at the intersection of trust law, family office services, and human capital, Amy unpacks how communication breakdowns, undefined decision-making architecture, and generational misalignment can unravel even the most sophisticated plans. The conversation spans succession, legacy, the Canadian versus U.S. wealth landscape, and how culture must inform governance — not the other way around.

00:00 Welcome & Amy Griman Introduction
01:53 Founding Delta Creative Group
03:54 Trust & Estate Settlement: Early Career Lessons
06:13 M&A, Liquidity Events & Readiness for Day Two
08:48 Decision Architecture: Boards, Councils, and Charters
10:46 Stress Testing Governance & Communication Cadence
14:53 BMO Family Office: Platform, Culture & Client Experience
17:14 Boutique vs. Institutional Advisory Models
18:09 Family Culture, History, and the Ownership of Story
22:36 Canadian Wealth Landscape vs. U.S. Market Dynamics
24:28 Fusing Governance with Culture: G1 to G2 Transitions
29:11 Defining Legacy: The Why Behind the Wealth
30:10 Closing Reflections & Sign-Off