Steven E. Tenney , CEPA®

Founding Partner

207.274.2506

“At Great Diamond Partners, we are entirely focused on the success of our stakeholders. Guiding clients, empowering employees, and having a positive impact on the community in a way that is meaningful to each is what will define the next generation of wealth management firms.”

BA, Tufts University, International Relations, and Political Science

As CEO and Founding Partner of Great Diamond Partners, Steven Tenney is responsible for strategic growth and partnering relationships, advocating for stakeholders, and directing the firm’s investment strategy. He believes the gold standard of wealth management is found at the intersection of empathy and technology™.

It’s probably no surprise that Steve made his career in the financial world. Both his father and grandfather were respected financial advisors. What Steve learned from their examples was that the best work revolved around helping people overcome challenges – and sometimes what they needed had nothing to do with money.

Steve’s career started in London as a research assistant for Morgan Stanley Asset Management. He went on to State Street Bank and eventually to UBS Financial Services where he merged his practice with his father’s, and met Joe, Helen, and Jack. The four colleagues realized they share the belief that there is a better way to support the goals of the families and individuals in their care, which led them to establish Great Diamond Partners.

Steve is a forward-thinker who is always looking for ways to build connections and pursue opportunities on behalf of his team, his clients, and the next generation. As GDP’s champion and visionary, Steve is focused on promoting, building, and communicating the firm’s vision as well as advocating for all of its members and their successes.

Steve is also passionate about Lunch With 4 Interesting People, a Portland-based networking group that he developed and now nurtures. The group of business leaders meets monthly to discuss the challenges that go along with serving in leadership positions. One of the core purposes of Lunch With 4 Interesting people mirrors that of GDP – to encourage connections between community and opportunity.

As a community builder, Steve is involved with several nonprofits with a strong interest in programs that keep kids active. He serves on the Investment Committee for the Castine Historical Society and supports Portland Community Squash and the Hatch Community Youth Fund, which provides recreational opportunities for the youth of Brooksville, Castine, and Penobscot.

Three Things to Know

My grandfather, Gilman Churchill, was in the investment business during the Great Depression until he retired in 1972. My father, Gil Tenney, did the same from 1974 to 2001. When you combine our experience, we have well over 100 years of working with clients and the common thread is relationships. All three of us care(d) deeply for those we interacted with and advised. While I did not have the opportunity to learn from my grandfather, my father still has a tremendous influence on my work today.

Sports have always been a big part of my life, although I favor those that include water rather than those that involve balls. I enjoy a mix of rowing, sailing, swimming, and trail running, and have competed in both national and world championship events. These activities provide a wonderful escape for me as the thrill that both training and competing provide.

If I had to identify my superpower, it would be dyslexia. What others may see as a challenge, I see as an advantage, as it allows me to see connections where others don’t, which leads to opportunities. Unaware that this impacted my learning style until I was 35, I developed coping mechanisms that have served me well - hard work, organizational skills, and discipline.