Spencer Burke

Spencer Burke

---

Spencer B. Burke is an Adjunct Lecturer in Family Business at the Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis. His research and teaching are focused on best practices leading to the long-term sustainability of family and employee owned businesses. His current course is called “Ownership Insights—The Competitive Advantage of Family and Employee Owned Firms”. Spencer is also responsible for organizing and moderating the Olin School’s Annual Family Business Symposium, which has become the signature public event for the Olin School Family Business Program.

Spencer is a Principal at The St. Louis Trust Company, a multi-family office, where he leads the firm’s family business advisory practice. Prior to his current position, he served in senior leadership positions in the investment banking industry and in the practice of corporate/securities law. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Spencer is very active in numerous non-profit organizations in St. Louis, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Mercantile Library, the Radio Arts Foundation and the Nine Network for Public Broadcasting. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Edward Mallinckrodt Foundation (a provider of research grants for medical research). Spencer's other outside interests include opera, sports (golf and tennis) and bridge.

Spencer can be reached at 314.719.1541, sburke@stlouistrust.com or www.linkedin.com/in/spencerbburke.

Area of Expertise

---

Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance

Teaching Interests

---

Sustainability of multi-generational family and employee owned businesses; best practices of family controlled firms, private and public; role of Directors of family owned firms

Research Interests

---

Family structure and culture, governance practices, family wealth management and country differences in family business operations