A chief learning officer, or CLO, is a relatively new C-level family office position that manages a range of services devoted to the nonfinancial needs and capacities of the family. The role was first created in the corporate world in the early 1990s, elevating a range of training and educational functions to the strategic level in dynamic organizations. The goal was to enhance and systematize learning for individuals, teams, and entire organizations, making continuous learning a strategic priority.

In the early 2000s, family wealth thought leader James E. (Jay) Hughes, Jr., suggested the concept of a CLO for family enterprises and family offices, where it has gradually taken hold. The initial intent was to emphasize that families need to be “learning organizations” where each family member’s learning style, needs, and goals were fostered for the good of the entire system. Although the main focus was on the many areas of education needed for the family to “flourish” (education about finances, trusts, ownership roles and responsibilities, philanthropy, leadership positions, etc.), CLOs were responsible for whatever the family enterprise might need to support well-being. 

In practice, the CLO role has often expanded to encompass most of the domains related to the Cultivation of Family Capital in the Ten Domains of Family Wealth model. These include governance, family dynamics, education, transition planning, and aspects of health and well-being. Depending on the breadth of the role, the number of family members to be served, and the skills of the professional, a CLO may have a full-time position in a single family office or multifamily office.  Or, one professional may split their time among several part-time CLO positions. The CLO role is in increasingly high demand.  More family enterprises and family offices see its value, but there are still relatively few practitioners with the skills or experience to fulfill its wide-ranging duties.