Alice Finn, a wealth management veteran who co-founded one of the Northeast's leading multifamily offices, has been named co-president of Pillar Financial Advisors in Waltham, Mass.

Finn was one of the founders of Ballentine, Finn & Co. Inc. in 1997, with offices in Wolfeboro, N.H., and Waltham. Along with co-founder Roy C. Ballentine, she grew the business into a comprehensive wealth management firm serving high-net-worth families, with more than $2 billion in assets under management and more than $5 billion under advisement. She split with Ballentine in 2008 under circumstances that were the subject of arbitration proceedings. The firm has since changed its name to Ballentine Partners.

Barron's named her "The Giant" in its 2007 inaugural list of the top 100 independent financial advisors, according to Pillar Financial.

"Alice Finn is committed to the independent advisory model and to helping clients achieve their financial goals in an increasingly global economy," said Pillar Financial President William T. Baldwin. "Building on our existing investment platform, already one of the best in the industry, Alice will expand our capabilities in international investing, including in increasingly important emerging markets."

Finn is a graduate of Harvard College with a focus on East Asian studies and a graduate of Harvard Law School, focusing on international law. She also earned a Masters degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she specialized in international business and international trade and investments. Before becoming a financial advisor in the early 1990's, Finn worked for NASA, negotiating international agreements for the space shuttle and the space station, according to Pillar Financial. She has lived in Spain, Mexico, Israel and Japan and serves on the Fletcher Board of Overseers at Tufts University.

The full circumstances of Finn's separation from Ballentine have never been fully disclosed, but Ballentine said at the time, "The separation had nothing to do with any client situation or regulatory issue. No clients have left as a result of the separation and the firm has continued to grow by adding both clients and employees."