Eton Solutions’ Bryan Henning on How Family Offices Can Adapt to Expanding Demands and Complexities

As family offices continue to multiply across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond, the real challenge is no longer just about structuring investments but operationalising wealth management in a way that ensures longevity, efficiency, and adaptability. Speaking at the Hubbis Digital Dialogue on February 27, Bryan Henning, Senior Vice President & Head of International at Eton Solutions, laid out his perspective on how technology and automation are becoming indispensable in the modern family office ecosystem.

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View this Digital Dialogue On Demand: us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/gjFhhC0CVB7HdHnhYC1_L-_FcE8Ktoo7mMJbCeszf-8i2RkDRDukI6K8BcLTvYgU.JA8bSQz0AI-xpXsK

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Henning, a seasoned veteran in banking and wealth management, reflected on the rapid rise of family offices, noting that while the concept is universally recognised, the execution often varies dramatically. “Every family office starts with a common factor—significant wealth, multiple stakeholders, and complex needs,” he said. “But what we consistently see is that many of these families, despite having come from highly professional corporate backgrounds, fail to build their family offices with the same level of operational sophistication.”

He observed that many family offices are born out of a liquidity event, often following the sale of a business. The principal, now flush with capital, seeks to establish a formal structure to manage wealth. “In theory, these individuals know what high-level financial management looks like. They’ve run corporations with ERP systems, finance teams, and structured reporting. But when they set up their family offices, it often resembles an SME operation—manual, fragmented, and inefficient,” he explained.

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The Pitfalls of Manual Operations and the Data Dilemma

One of the most pressing issues facing family offices, according to Henning, is data aggregation and management. “Families will spend hours consulting with advisors—accountants, lawyers, and tax specialists—on how to optimise their structures,” he noted. “Yet when it comes to implementing these strategies effectively, there’s a huge reluctance to invest in proper operational systems.” This leads to a highly manual approach in which families struggle to consolidate information from multiple bank accounts, private assets, and investment vehicles.

He emphasised that the problem isn’t just about data collection but also data usability. “The real challenge isn’t just getting the numbers together—it’s ensuring the data is updated, refreshed, and accessible in a way that supports decision-making,” he said. “You have multiple generations involved, different priorities, and various asset classes. The real pain point for most family offices is figuring out how to structure data for different purposes—one way for accountants and tax reporting, another for investment strategy, and yet another for wealth succession planning.”

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Bridging the Gap with Technology

As family offices grow more complex, the need for automation, transparency, and scalable solutions is becoming increasingly apparent. “Every family office we work with is grappling with how to implement technology effectively,” Henning said. “As families expand across generations and geographies, and as regulatory frameworks become more demanding, having a centralised technology infrastructure becomes essential for sustainability.”

Henning sees integrated technology platforms as the next frontier in family office management, allowing for real-time data consolidation, automated workflows, and seamless communication across stakeholders. “The future of family office management is not just about investment strategy—it’s about control, transparency, and access to timely, accurate information,” he said. “The biggest challenge isn’t whether families want this. It’s whether they are willing to prioritise it before their operations become too complex to fix easily.”

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Scaling for the Future: People, Process, and Automation

Beyond technology, another fundamental challenge family offices face is staffing and retention. Many struggle with hiring the right expertise, leading to bottlenecks in execution and knowledge gaps across the organisation. “Technology isn’t just about automation—it’s about enabling teams to work smarter and retain top talent,” Henning said. “A well-structured family office doesn’t just centralise wealth—it harmonises operations across legal, financial, and investment disciplines.”

Reflecting on how successful family offices evolve over time, Henning reinforced the idea that those who embrace a structured, data-driven approach will have a significant advantage. “The industry is shifting rapidly,” he said. “The most successful family offices will be those that integrate technology, governance, and multi-generational planning into a seamless, scalable framework. It’s not just about managing money—it’s about building a legacy that is efficient, resilient, and built to last.”

About Eton Solutions:

Eton Solutions is an ERP software product (AtlasFive®) and services company founded to handle the complexities of servicing ultra-high-net-worth families globally. The company is based in the United States, in Research Triangle Park, NC. with its international headquarters in Singapore focused on serving markets outside of the Americas. Created by family office leaders, Eton Solutions' flagship product is AtlasFive®, families manage over US$936 billion on our integrated platform that holistically aggregates and manages all your liquid and alternative investment assets and office's data, reporting and workflow processes. With one source of truth, Eton Solutions leads family offices into the future by maximising efficiency and minimising errors and risk. Eton Solutions has experienced a CAGR of over 100% since its inception.