After 16 years serving as Chief Operating Officer for the firm, Susan Dickson has announced her retirement.

“What Susan has achieved in her career is nothing short of remarkable,” said Greg Friedman, Private Ocean’s Founder and CEO. “She was a trail-blazer in a time when female executive leadership in finance was uncommon. She is the heart of Private Ocean, and at her core she is eternally focused on how she can help better the lives of those we serve. I am truly grateful for everything she has done for the firm, our team, our clients, and our community. She will be greatly missed, and we wish her all the best!”

As COO during the merger between Salient Wealth Management and Friedman & Associates, Susan was a central figure in ensuring a smooth transition for the firm. She played a key role in the firm’s rapid growth over the years and was an integral part of Private Ocean’s acquisitions of Lakeview Financial in Seattle and Mosaic Financial Partners in San Francisco.  Susan was responsible for business finance and administration–including risk, human resource and facilities management, along with financial projections and budgets. As a member of the executive leadership team, she contributed to strategic planning for business and employee development. She also helped to create and implement processes that continuously enhanced Private Ocean’s business operations.

Prior to Private Ocean, Susan owned and operated two small businesses and held management and executive administrative positions at Lockheed-Martin, Heublein Fine Wine Group, and the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

In 2019, Susan was recognized by San Francisco Business Times as a Most Influential Woman in Business in the Bay Area. In 2011, she was named a Women in Business winner by North Bay Business Journal. In addition to her role at Private Ocean, Susan served as an adjunct professor in the Barowsky School of Business and Leadership at Dominican University of California and is part of the Ensemble Practice G2 Leadership Institute. She is also past president of Junior League Napa-Sonoma, and the Dominican Women, Leadership, and Philanthropy Council.

All of us at Private Ocean wish Susan the best as she embarks on life’s exciting next chapter, which includes leadership coaching using the Birkman Method through her firm, TrueChroma Consulting. Congratulations, Susan!