Michele E. Hargis
Michele Hargis is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her area of focus is:
Career
Michele Hargis is a seasoned financial services executive with extensive experience advising ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families on the complexities of multigenerational wealth. She joined Fort Washington in 2026 and focuses on helping families simplify and sustain their financial legacies through integrated planning, family governance, and strategic partnerships through the Family Office Services platform.
Hargis previously served as President and Co-Founder of Oaks Family Office, where she built and led a comprehensive family office platform from the ground up. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of wealth management, including investment strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, tax coordination, governance, and next-generation education. She worked extensively with internal and external partners to deliver customized solutions and served as a trusted advisor across all facets of the family enterprise.
Following her career at the Oaks Family Office, Hargis advised other UHNW families in a consulting capacity, providing independent guidance on complex financial, governance, and strategic matters. She also briefly served as Partner and Managing Director of Family Office Services at Oxford Financial Group, working with multigenerational families on estate, tax, and investment planning.
Hargis began her career at Salomon Smith Barney and later spent a decade at Fifth Third Bank, where she served as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, managing over $1 billion in assets and launching an equity risk management platform for high-net-worth clients.
Education, Designations & Community Involvement
Hargis holds a BBA with a finance concentration from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Miami University. She also holds the FINRA 65 registration and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®).
Hargis is very active in the Cincinnati community. She is a co-founder of the Cincinnati Family Office Network and serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including the Northern Kentucky University Foundation and OptimALL Services. She is also an advisor to CancerFree Kids and actively supports initiatives focused on education, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
