Sue Marsh serves as Director of Trust and Tax at Balefire, where she acts as the firm’s subject matter expert on trust, tax, and business transition planning for ultra-high-net-worth clients. Her role spans strategic review of complex UHNW cases, business development through promoter workshops, and the ongoing work of strategizing and innovating the planning tools and offerings Balefire brings to its most sophisticated clients.
Sue brings over 30 years of experience to that work, including eight years as a Tax Partner at KPMG’s Chicago office. She holds a CPA license and a Master of Science in Taxation, credentials that reflect the depth of technical training behind her approach to estate tax, income tax, and business transition strategy. The combination of public accounting leadership and decades of hands-on tax expertise gives her a level of technical command that few advisors bring to succession and transition planning.
Colleagues and clients rely on Sue for her experience and her deep knowledge of estate tax, income tax, and business transition alternatives. She partners closely with Balefire’s Planning team to help privately held business owners transition their companies to the next generation, developing solutions that support both business continuity and family harmony as ownership changes hands. Beyond her client work, Sue mentors colleagues across the firm on advanced planning solutions, helping extend her technical expertise into the broader team.
Sue believes what separates great financial planning from average financial planning comes down to experience, deep knowledge, and a genuine desire to find solutions. She approaches every case with the conviction that a technically sound answer exists for even the most complex transition, and that finding it requires both expertise and persistence.
Sue lives in the Chicago area with her husband. Together, they enjoy playing golf and spending time with their children and grandchildren.