For Tracy Welch, our Managing Director and Head of Wealth Advisory, golf is more than a sport.
Tracy rose as a dominant Massachusetts junior golfer, competing in national junior tournaments and eventually collegiate events as the captain of the Dartmouth women’s golf team. Now, Tracy continues her passion through amateur competitions including over 20 USGA championships. Most recently, the decorated golfer played in the 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
Although, for Tracy, these accomplishments are secondary to the relationships fostered and lessons learned on the course. Golf, as she sees it, is an opportunity for growth.
She understands, “In fact, you’re going to lose a lot.” But these losses don’t linger for Tracy. “It’s how you learn from that experience, how you bounce back, how you handle that: What's your outlook? How do you think positively about it and improve?”
“You move forward and get better,” she affirmed.
This mindset does not end on the 18th green; her determination to excel extends beyond the course and through to her client relationships. Tracy transfers the lessons she has learned as a lifelong competitor—resilience, communication, creativity, grit, teamwork—into the office.
Recently, Tracy shared deeper insight into her drive for growth and improvement—as a competitor, wealth advisor, and mother.
Family-Fostered Affinity for Golf
For me, golf is a family sport. I grew up playing golf, just as my mom had. Her dad owned a golf course that she played on with her brothers. Golf is a unique sport in that you can play into your 80s and even your 90s. I played the game with my grandfather for years; he lived to be 99½.
My dad was similarly passionate about hockey, goaltending for the Harvard men's hockey team and playing with a semi-pro team after college. Then, he met his wife—my mom—and turned his attention to golf.
Soon after I took my first steps, my parents gave me a blue and orange Fred Flintstone-type plastic mallet putter. Later, once I started using real clubs, my parents would take me out on the course. Sometimes, we wouldn’t play more than three holes. However, I loved spending that time with my parents and the challenge of conquering the course to see how low I could go on a given day.
As I became more competitive, I had more opportunities to play in junior golf tournaments, locally and nationally. Golf trips were—and are—joyous, spirited family adventures.
One thing has remained consistent throughout my competitive golf career: hard work. I learned early on that success is a self-driven practice: to not shy away from challenges, to embrace change with positivity, and to remain both flexible and dedicated through hardship.
These lessons have served me well in my role as a wealth advisor. As I build relationships with every client, I embrace the focus, commitment, and perseverance that I developed in my adolescence. Into every meeting, call, or pitch, I bring with me the unwavering work ethic, dedication, and expertise that I know it takes to drive results.
A Professional Journey Sprouted from the Fairways
Something that my parents never compromised on was academic achievement. However, my accomplishments in school were always self-driven by my desire to be successful. Their influence contributed to my philosophy: don’t just dream, do.
In high school, my grandfather helped me get into a program called Wall Street Workshop, which offered up-close exposure to Wall Street. He inspired my love of the markets. This interest, coupled with my desire to compete in golf at a high level, landed me at Dartmouth.
I played on the women’s golf team and was the team captain in my junior and senior years. That experience taught me leadership skills and the value of effective communication. My role working with clients requires the same commitment to communication—to make sure I understand the needs of my clients, so I can apply all of the firm’s resources to fulfill and exceed their expectations.
Following Dartmouth, I attended the University of Virginia School of Law. After graduation, I practiced corporate law for several years in Boston, but later realized I was drawn more to the business side of deals, so I made a career transition. I subsequently enrolled in Harvard Business School.
I graduated with my MBA in 2000 and joined Credit Suisse First Boston, where Marc White (Clarendon Private’s President and CEO) was running the New England region. I had a client-facing role, working with chief investment officers, equity portfolio managers, and analysts on the institutional side.
The aspect of the financial work that I primarily enjoyed was meeting with clients and trying to understand their goals and objectives. For me, working with clients immediately proved much more rewarding and interesting than working on the legal details of transactions.
I spent nearly two decades at Credit Suisse before moving to Eaton Vance WaterOak Advisors. Later, Marc re-hired me at Clarendon Private, over 20 years after he brought me on at Credit Suisse.
Feeding a Client-Focused Mindset
My career path has been shaped by the enjoyment and satisfaction I receive from working with clients, listening to their concerns, and then translating those concerns into constructive solutions that help benefit them.
Fueled by a competitive spirit and a desire to be at the top of my game, I strive to deliver the very best outcomes for clients. In the wealth management arena, that means delivering to Clarendon Private’s clients a highly personalized investment solution with extremely responsive client service and a long-term focus on protecting and growing their assets.
Outside of work, raising my three kids has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I’m very grateful for my family. My husband and I met in law school and were married in 2000. Our kids, now 20, 18, and 16, have made us immensely proud both in and outside of the classroom. My oldest daughter is a collegiate golfer, and my youngest daughter will be attending my alma mater where she will also compete on the golf team. My son is in high school, and he is passionate about soccer and skiing.
Having a fantastic support system consisting of my husband, my parents, and my kids has brought me much joy. It has also allowed me to make the most of my career opportunities and be there for my clients.
