From the Editor
One of the questions I hear most often from the families I work with is some version of this: “What do we do about AI?”
There’s a lot of noise around artificial intelligence right now, a mix of excitement, fear, and pressure to move quickly. And when you’re managing complex, multi-entity wealth, moving quickly without a plan is rarely the right answer.
That’s why I’m especially excited to share this month’s guest contribution from Sonal Chandler, CEO of Minerva Consulting. Sonal works at the intersection of AI readiness and cybersecurity, and what I value most about her perspective is how grounded it is. She doesn’t push AI for the sake of adoption—she helps people slow down, ask better questions, and use technology in a way that truly supports better decision-making.
My hope is that this helps you see AI not as something to fear or rush into. Instead, consider AI a tool that, when used wisely, can strengthen clarity, confidence, and trust.
See the full interview HERE.
— Sara Hobbs
Founder & CEO, Forecastle Financial
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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT: Sonal Chandler, CEO of Minerva Consulting:
Sonal Chandler is a cybersecurity and AI strategist with over two decades of experience helping organizations turn complex technology into practical, business-ready solutions. She is the Founder and CEO of Minerva Consulting, a woman-owned cybersecurity and AI advisory firm that builds effective security programs and facilitates AI adoption in ways that deliver real, measurable value.
Serving as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and trusted advisor, Sonal works closely with leadership teams to translate risk, governance, and technology decisions into clear priorities and executable roadmaps. Her background spans Fortune 500 enterprises, boutique consulting firms, and high-growth startups, giving her a pragmatic perspective grounded in both scale and speed.
When people hear AI, there’s a lot of reaction: excitement, fear, confusion, and honestly, a little pressure. I see it all the time. People feel like they’re being left behind if they’re not doing something with AI, or they worry they’re going to be replaced if they don’t fully understand it.
So I want to slow this conversation down a bit, especially when we’re talking about high net-worth families and complex wealth.
“AI isn’t here to replace people. It’s here to help people make better decisions.”
AI can be incredibly powerful in wealth management, but only when it’s used intentionally, strategically, and with the right guardrails in place. This isn’t about rushing to adopt the newest thing. It’s about using AI in a way that supports better decisions, without compromising trust, privacy, or human judgment.
Where AI really shines, especially for high net-worth families, is decision making. When you’re dealing with complex wealth, there are usually investments spread across multiple entities, platforms, and structures. That complexity makes it really easy to miss things.
“Where AI really adds value isn’t speed. It’s clarity.”
I often describe AI as a second pair of eyes. It can look across your entire portfolio and surface risk concentrations, patterns, timing issues, liquidity challenges, or tax implications that might otherwise be missed.
“AI is really a second pair of eyes, especially when your wealth is spread across multiple entities.”
Whether you’re navigating a liquidity event, selling or acquiring a business, or transferring wealth to the next generation, there are a lot of moving parts. A lot of information is being exchanged, and the stakes are high.
“Never let AI decide for you. Let it help guide you.”
AI can help you run scenarios quickly and understand trade-offs, but the final decisions should always remain human.
AI is great at organizing information, crunching numbers, preparing reports, and keeping projections up to date. But when it comes to family priorities, risk tolerance, long-term goals, and discretion must stay with humans.
“Technology doesn’t understand family priorities. That’s why the human element still matters.”
High net-worth individuals are targets. AI isn’t the biggest risk. Weak data practices are. Families should always understand where their data is stored, who has access to it, how it’s protected, and whether humans are reviewing AI-generated outputs.
“AI isn’t the biggest risk. Weak data practices are.”
“The winners won’t be the ones who adopt AI first. They’ll be the ones who understand it.”
Be curious. Don’t be afraid. Take time to educate yourself and build a plan. AI should support your goals, not distract from them.
“Be curious. Don’t be afraid. Take the time to educate yourself and build a plan.”
Sonal Chandler, CEO Minerva Consulting
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