Business Achievements and Leadership
Karl G. Wellner has a distinguished global wealth management career. After becoming President and CEO of Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management (now Papamarkou Wellner Perkin) in 2003, he led the company through a turbulent era and bought it in 2005. By the early 2020s, Papamarkou led a boutique multi-family practice that advised 120 ultra-high-net-worth families and had several billion dollars under advisement. Wellner rebranded the firm in 2023 to include partner Thorne Perkin and formed a mergers and acquisitions advising unit, expanding its services and establishing its reputation among premium clientele.
Wellner had extensive finance and asset management executive experience before Papamarkou. He was President and CEO of Key Asset Management (USA) Inc., bringing U.S. investment knowledge. In Europe, he co-founded KAWE Kapital in Estonia, assisting in its Tallinn Stock Exchange membership. He improved his abilities to build and diversify financial institutions as director of Business Development at Bank Julius Baer’s New York office and leader of JS Products, Volvo Group’s U.S. investment arm. Wellner extended his network and gained expertise in other asset classes as CEO of Habsburg, Feldman, the U.S. affiliate of a Geneva-based art auction company.
As Chairman of the Swedish–American Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. and President of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Wellner demonstrated his professional and community leadership. He is a trusted financial and philanthropic counsellor due to his Council on Foreign Relations membership.
Key Factors Behind His Success
Wellner’s success is due to global perspective, strategic vision, and client focus. Born and educated in Sweden at the Stockholm School of Economics, he uses his multilingualism (English, Swedish, German, French, Estonian, Italian) to build global partnerships. His worldwide finance activities have increased his credibility and reach.
Wellner uses an advice-only business, selling no proprietary products, promoting Papamarkou as a trusted advisor like a family lawyer or doctor. This independence promotes loyalty and growth mostly through word-of-mouth referrals. Clients refer new families to Wellner, demonstrating the trust and long-term ties established.
Also important has been strategic foresight. Wellner has successfully adapted the firm’s products to client needs and market realities through post-acquisition turnaround, expansion, rebranding, and M&A advisory arm development. Clients appreciate his variety, which includes traditional banking, asset management, and art auction company.
Successful Family Members
Karl Wellner’s family comprises media, sports, and finance leaders:
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Deborah Norville (wife) Television journalist and entrepreneur Deborah Norville is experienced. Since 1995, she has been the longest-serving female anchor on national television, anchoring CBS’s Inside Edition. Prior to that, she co-anchored Today on NBC and reported for CBS News. Norville created a lifestyle brand, yarn collection, and New York Times bestseller, Thank You Power. Her journalism contributions earned her the Edward F. McLaughlin Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
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Nick “Niki” Wellner (son) A 2013 Duke University graduate and rugby captain, Niki entered sports management. He used his athletic expertise and strategic skills as Fanatics’ Director of Player Development after working as an account executive in Australia.
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Kyle Wellner (son) Kyle is also a Duke graduate. He played collegiate football before becoming an associate with Papamarkou Wellner in 2020. He swiftly rose to Vice President, where he worked on building relationships with clients and bringing in new business for the company.
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Mikaela Wellner (daughter) Mikaela graduated from Duke in 2020 and then started working in technology. She worked for more than three years at Attentive, an AI-powered SMS marketing startup. Now, she works as an account executive at Recurrency, a software automation company based in Los Angeles.
FAQ
Who is Karl Wellner and what firm does he lead?
Karl Wellner is a Swedish-born financial executive who has been the President and CEO of Papamarkou Wellner Perkin (previously Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management) since 2003. He bought the company in 2005 and helped it become a top boutique multi-family office.
What distinguishes Papamarkou Wellner’s approach to wealth management?
Papamarkou Wellner solely gives guidance and doesn’t sell its own items so that it may be completely independent. This builds trust and helps the business develop through client referrals instead of advertising.
How did Wellner expand and evolve the firm?
Wellner stabilised the company after the acquisition, added new services (including a new M&A advising arm), relaunched it in 2023, and used his global network to recruit a wide range of wealthy families.
What roles outside Papamarkou Wellner has he held?
Wellner is the President and CEO of Key Asset Management (USA) Inc., the co-founder of KAWE Kapital in Estonia, the Director of Business Development at Bank Julius Baer’s New York office, the CEO of JS Products (Volvo Group’s U.S. subsidiary), and the CEO of Habsburg, Feldman (an art auction affiliate).
Who are the other successful members of the Wellner family?
His wife, Deborah Norville, is a long-time national TV journalist and businesswoman. His son Niki Wellner works in sports management, his son Kyle Wellner is a Vice President at Papamarkou Wellner, and his daughter Mikaela Wellner is an account executive in IT at Recurrency.
