Managing Director

Christopher Opie

Advisor Headshot

Your Guide, Supporting Your Boundless Aspirations

British born and raised, I’ve always had an explorer’s mentality. My time spent on both sides of the Atlantic shapes my personal approach to advising global clients. I chart a route to success for their families, as they define it.

What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?

Independence, integrity, innovative spirit, focus, expertise: these were characteristics I sensed when I first joined Bernstein in 2007, and as I have built my career within the firm over the subsequent years.

In the end, though, these values only endure in the right culture. As a leader of our Global Families and our Washington, DC, practice, it’s all about the people we spend our days beside. At Bernstein, I benefit from and contribute to a team culture that is entrepreneurial, open-minded and intellectual. Lastly, every team member takes their duty to our clients seriously and most importantly, to heart.

What are your areas of expertise in solving problems for clients?

Working with cross-border and international clients has been the hallmark of my Bernstein career to date. Advising US citizens overseas and foreign families with a connection to the US has been incredibly fulfilling, in part due to the many parallels these stories have to my own. It has also allowed our firm to provide trusted advice to an underserved and increasingly important audience. I have focused on developing a consistent and proactive approach to these clients and their trusted legal and tax advisors. This has allowed us to stand apart as one of few non-bank global investment managers capable of delivering coherent, joined-up investment services across boundaries.

Partnering with these clients to help them achieve their global, multigenerational ambitions is where I derive my satisfaction. I enjoy the experience of seamlessly adapting to the varying cultural expectations that our clients, from all corners of the world, bring.

What passions do you pursue outside of work?

Beyond work, I lead an active, outdoors-centric lifestyle with my wife and three young children in Old Town Alexandria, a historic neighborhood in Virginia. We also love to travel, which is just as well, given our family ties to England and Europe! My wife’s family came to the US from Umbria, Italy, and those ties have persisted over the decades, such that the family is once again Italian by citizenship. My family’s heart belongs to Barcelona and the Catalan countryside, where I was fortunate to live and study for a period. This cultural richness permeates many aspects of our life...including our kitchen!

When we’re closer to home, we enjoy the local countryside and the incredible restaurants, museums and events on offer in Washington, DC.