Laura Harrison Ward

About Laura

Laura Harrison Ward, managing director, is a wealth advisor with William Blair’s Private Wealth Management. Before joining William Blair, Laura worked for First Republic Investment Management for 18 years, and previously served at Smith Barney and its predecessor firms for 19 years. Laura’s clients include high-net-worth individuals, hedge funds, investment professionals, and nonprofits. She brings nearly 40 years of experience to her clients and provides customized tax-efficient investment management strategies and wealth planning solutions. Her work has earned her continuous recognition by leading industry publications.

Laura serves on the board of New Door Ventures, an early-intervention employment and education program for Bay Area youth age 17-24 who are disconnected from — or weakly connected to — work and school. She is a former co-chair and board member of Safe & Sound and a former board member and past president of the City Youth Now charitable organization in San Francisco.

Laura graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. In 2015 she completed Wharton’s Executive Development Program, a program designed for business managers with a focus on leadership and strategy.

Professional Recognition and Awards

• Barron’s Top State-by-State Advisors in America 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2023¹
• Barron’s Top Women Financial Advisors 2014, 2015, 2022¹
• Financial Times Top Women Wealth Advisors 2014²
• Forbes America's Top Women Wealth Advisors 2017-2019, 2022³
• Forbes Best-in-State Advisors 2018-2023⁴

¹ The ranking reflects the volume of assets overseen by the advisors and their teams, revenues generated for the firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices.
²To qualify for the list, advisers had to manage at least $200 million in assets under management (AUM) and have 10 years of experience. Qualified advisers were then scored on six attributes: AUM, AUM growth rate, compliance record, experience, industry certifications and online accessibility.
³ The rankings were based on data provided by more than 10,500 top-performing advisors from across the country, evaluating assets under management, client service and retention, and revenues generated for the firms.
⁴ The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking algorithm is based on industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. Investment performance is not a criterion.