Work EthicSeptember 9, 2026

How Do You Modernize a 100-Year-Old Firm? | John M. Dowd (Fiduciary Trust)

Today, we're going in depth with John Dowd. John is the chairman and former CEO of Fiduciary Trust International, a global wealth management firm with over $113 billion in assets under management and administration.

Have you ever wondered how to lead a traditional organization through disruption without losing its humanity or its principles? This episode is for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:45 - John Dowd’s Secret Life as a Guitar Player

03:40 - Why Being a New Kid Can Make You a Better Leader

04:58 - What Churchill Taught Him About Leading People Through Change

07:15 - Why People Don’t Always Make Rational Decisions

09:43 - From Law to Wealth Management

12:38 - How to Get People to Embrace Change

16:06 - The Leadership Philosophy: Be Steady When Things Break

17:34 - The Time John Dowd Fired a Client

19:26 - What is the Purpose of Family Wealth?

21:31 - Why Great Leaders Avoid the “Superman Effect”

23:55 - Where Wealth Management is Headed Next

25:06 - How AI is Already Changing the Client Relationship

26:26 - Why Gen Z Thinks Google Can Manage Their Wealth

27:24 - “It’s Not Your Data. It’s Their Data.”

28:15 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about John and Fiduciary Trust International (​​https://www.fiduciarytrust.com/meet-our-team/our-profile/john-m-dowd)

Connect with John on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-m-dowd-a2409935/)

  • How John strategically modernized a 100-year-old firm
  • How to lead people through change
  • How AI is already changing the client relationship
  • Where wealth management is headed next

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