According to founder Andy Burish, The Burish Group was started “by accident.” In 1983, only a few months after graduating college, Burish was working as a financial advisor at UBS’ Madison office. In the late ’80s, he was asked to service a retirement plan for a corporate client, but the task was bigger than just one advisor.
He needed to educate the client’s employees about 401(k) options, provide workshops and more to keep the retirement plan operating smoothly. The client asked how he could pull it off. “At the time, I had two other people working for me, so I said, ‘Well, I have a group of people. We’re called The Burish Group,” Burish says.
And so The Burish Group began as a way to service corporate retirement plans efficiently. But soon it became much more than that. Burish’s success as an individual advisor quickly translated to leading others. In 1991, his team was officially founded as a wealth management group within UBS.
It grew fast, and Burish continued to scale the group to take on more clients. “As an advisor, you educate your clients about all the options out there and you build a relationship and they trust you – that’s what I’ve always found most rewarding,” Burish says. “People with complex financial needs really need an advisor to guide them.”
In 2010, The Burish Group hit $1 billion in total assets that it manages, and has now reached over $5 billion. Over the past 20 years, the team has received dozens of accolades, including being named in the Top 10 Wealth Management Teams in the nation by Forbes/SHOOK.
For 15 consecutive years, Burish himself was ranked No. 1 advisor in the state by either Forbes or Barron’s. UBS saw the success The Burish Group had in Madison and asked Burish and his team to expand into other markets as well. Over the past 15 years, The Burish Group has opened offices in greater Milwaukee and Chicago – and the team has grown to 50 total.
And through all that growth, it has maintained a client retention rate above 95%. Burish has also nurtured his growing staff, providing opportunities for young professionals to develop their skills and advance within the team. And in a male-dominated industry, The Burish Group is about 50% women. “I want our team to be different from all the others out there,” Burish says. “One thing that means for our clients is that we have an international and private-market focus in our investments. That’s where the money is going to be in the next 10 or 20 years – India and China are going to be economic powerhouses.”
Burish is now eyeing the transition of the team to his business partner, Jason Maas, in five years. Over the years ahead, he envisions the team opening new offices around the region and nation. “I’m confident in this team,” Burish says. “We’re going to continue growing and helping our clients to make good investment decisions and improve their financial life.”
“A good advisor educates people.”
The Burish Group at UBS
8020 Excelsior Dr., Madison
608-831-4282
advisors.ubs.com/burishgroup
