Sara Naison-Tarajano, the Goldman Sachs partner who formalized and led Apex, the group of investment bankers dedicated to large single-family offices, has a new job at the bank.
On Thursday, Naison-Tarajano, who was most recently the global head of both private wealth management capital markets and Apex, was named head of Ayco, Goldman’s company-sponsored wealth management business that serves corporate executives, employees, and individuals at hundreds of businesses, including more than 50 Fortune 100 companies. She has started the new job, previously held by David Fox, who is retiring from the bank.
“Over the past 27 years at Goldman Sachs, I have had the opportunity to work across a wide range of businesses and divisions, and I am so excited about this next chapter. Ayco is a truly exceptional business with a rich heritage, differentiated platform, and world-class team that positions us exceptionally well for continued growth. I am honored to have the opportunity to work alongside such a talented team as we continue to innovate, scale, and deliver the full breadth of Goldman Sachs’ resources to our clients,” Naison-Tarajano told Modus.
Naison-Tarajano will also continue to be the global head of the Goldman Partner Office, which provides wealth management services to current and former partners and managing directors.
The bank did not announce a new global head of Apex or say whether anyone would assume the role leading the group of bankers dedicated to helping large, sophisticated family offices invest directly in private placements, secondary transactions, minority stake sales, corporate PIPEs, and more.
At least for now, Apex will be led by the regional heads: Anushka Gupta, head of the Americas; Darren Allaway, head of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Jeans Wang, head of Asia Pacific.
Two years ago, the bank said that Apex included more than 20 bankers, had a network of over 600 family offices, had done more than a dozen deals each year, and that its revenue had doubled since its creation in 2018. Goldman does not regularly share that information and did not comment on changes to those numbers for this newsletter.
If Goldman does choose a new leader for Apex, filling Naison-Tarajano’s shoes will be a tall order.
While exacting, Naison-Tarajano genuinely cares about others, is a valuable mentor, and her enthusiasm for her work has made her beloved by colleagues and family offices alike, Apex bankers say. She also started and hosts Goldman’s Apex Global Family Office Symposium, one of the most exclusive family-office gatherings held every year at the bank’s headquarters.
“She has this big personality, big energy around this effort that is, in the scheme of Goldman Sachs, relatively new,” Marc Nachmann, global head of asset and wealth management at Goldman Sachs, said in a 2024 interview about Naison-Tarajano and Apex. “But because of how big of a person she is—and [Apex] is a little bit synonymous with her—I think she's built it into a really good business.”
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Jobs
- Stryde Search featured job: A single-family office based in Chicago is hiring a CFO. In addition to typical day-to-day accounting and trust and estate-related operations, this executive will work closely with the CIO and help the multigenerational family make decisions about investment and philanthropic activities spanning public markets, private equity, venture capital, co-investments, direct investments in companies, and real estate. It’s a lean office with a fast-paced environment and great culture. It’s a full-time job, and this person will be required to be in the office five days per week. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with candidate experience. For a confidential conversation about the job, reach out to Lisa Slagel at ls@strydesearch.com.
- The Friedkin Group, which includes one of the world’s largest independent Toyota distributors, hospitality companies, soccer teams, the film distribution studio, NEON, and more, is hiring a family office manager in Houston. This person will be responsible for special projects and “day-to-day movement of household valuables, merchandise, and products, including setting schedules, coordinating logistics, dispatching/delegating work, and prioritizing routes.”
- Van Metre Companies, a more than 70-year-old real estate development company, is hiring an executive assistant in Ashburn, Virginia, to provide dedicated support to its CEO and the President of the Family office, and possibly other leaders in the future, with day-to-day scheduling and tasks. Unsurprisingly, the new hire must be trustworthy and capable of building rapport with other family members. The job pays a salary of $125,000 and other benefits.
- Schonfeld Family Office is hiring a research and strategy advisor in NYC.
- Brown Brothers Harriman is hiring a family office analyst in Chicago. This person will work with a relationship manager and engage and help clients with day-to-day needs. It pays $100,000 and offers other benefits.
- Activ8 Family Office, a wealth management firm focused on the “financial, lifestyle, and operational” needs of athletes, entertainers and other affluent families, is hiring an assistant vice president of business management in McLean, Virginia. This person will oversee the day‑to‑day financial ops for the clients: banking coordination, accounting oversight, bill pay, cash flow management, and financial reporting. It’s a full-time office job, five days per week.
- Crisis24 is helping a family office in NYC hire a professional driver. Candidates with medical or emergency response experience are strongly preferred: “EMT, paramedic, military medic, or fire/rescue background.” (Military medic? Where exactly are these people driving in NYC?!)
- Agreus has been hired by a single-family office in Austin, Texas, to find an accountant. In addition to the office, the professional will also support the family’s operating business, a $7 billion private investment firm. Salary is $180,000 and they offer other benefits.
- Mack International is helping a single-family office in NYC find a chief financial officer. The SFO was founded over a decade ago by a businessman/investment banker/investor/philanthropist and serves two generations of family members. The office’s long-term-minded investment portfolio includes real estate holdings and investments with top-tier managers across long-only equities, hedge funds, buyouts, and venture capital.
- Tiger Search Group has been hired to help a single-family office in NYC find an accounting assistant. Candidates must have a background in family-office accounting, be interested in a variety of other administrative tasks, and be okay with doing some ad hoc compliance and reporting. It’s a hybrid job and pays $150,000.
- Staffing firm JW Michaels & Co. is helping a single-family office in NYC find a chief of staff. This person will help manage the principal’s inbox and calendar, attend meetings, and oversee residences, projects, dinner parties and (last but certainly not
leashleast) the “care for family dogs.” Salary is $180,000.
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