LENOX — Renaissance Investment Group recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at a well-attended party at Gateways Inn, just next door to its 45 Walker St. office in Lenox. The Renaissance team, many of whom have been a part of the story from its beginning in September 2000, mingled with nearly 100 clients and local businesspeople who attended.

Tom Malinowski, one of the four founding partners, reflected on the first decade from the original concept of founding a wealth management business which saw the company’s fiduciary responsibility to its clients as sacrosanct. This included personalized investment management and financial counseling as the central part of Renaissance’s engagement with its clients, unlike the industry trend towards commoditizing investment management clients into often unsuitable investment choices and standardized financial planning products.

Trevor Forbes, president and chief investment officer of Renaissance, followed, reflecting on how this approach has been developed, bringing in more, specifically international expertise. He also covered the change in ownership nine years ago from Berkshire Bank to independence again, explaining that, despite all these changes, the central guiding principal toward engagement with clients had remained true to the founder’s principles.

The development of the team to provide for succession and continuity has been a key part of the firm’s development since 2016, and this included the recruitment of Chris Silipigno in 2018, who is now CEO.

Silipigno brought the gathering up to date with the significant growth in the size of the business over the last seven years; the recruitment of new, younger talent; and his plans for the future. His message was one of planned development through continuity, emphasizing the importance of retaining the service of talented individuals in terms of investment management and financial counseling with an unwavering commitment to deep client relationships.

“With nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in assets under management, serving second-, third- and even fourth-generation clients across the entire U.S., Renaissance has grown tremendously in size and scope over its 25 years in business,” Silipigno said. “And we’re equally excited to expand our footprint together with our strategic partners, while staying true to our founding principles, in the coming years.”

LENOX — Christopher Silipigno has been promoted to CEO of Renaissance Investment Group, LLC, a financial-services firm headquartered in the Berkshires that specializes in comprehensive financial counseling and investment management for high-net-worth individuals. Managing approximately a half-billion dollars in assets, Renaissance’s clients reside across the U.S. with a concentration in Western Mass., Upstate New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

For the last three years, Silipigno has served as chief operating officer, working to grow the business, lead organizational development efforts, and advise clients. During this time, Renaissance has increased its client base at its fastest pace in 20 years and nearly doubled the amount of assets being managed. Silipigno has been instrumental in this development, as well as helping Renaissance introduce new technology, providing even closer client contact and enhanced information sharing for clients and the team, said Trevor Forbes, the firm’s president and chief investment officer.

“His efforts have been instrumental in helping the company and its clients through the last difficult and challenging 12 months, coping with the rigors of COVID and working remotely,” Forbes added. “I am delighted to be able to announce this well-deserved appointment, which provides for long-term continuity for both our staff and clients, which has been a hallmark of our success since the establishment of Renaissance 21 years ago. I wish Chris every success in his new role and look forward to continuing our work together in the coming years.”

Added Silipigno, “I was extremely impressed with the team at Renaissance from the time I began working with them just over three years ago. Having initially spent a considerable amount of time with clients and professional associates that work with the firm, it quickly became clear that Renaissance offers financial planning and investment-management services that are truly exceptional and well-regarded. This fact has provided a strong tailwind to our growth efforts. I am honored to accept this appointment and plan to continue and further develop Renaissance’s client-centric focus as we move into the future.”

LENOX — Christopher Silipigno, chief operating officer and managing director at Renaissance Investment Group, LLC, earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) professional designation from the American College of Financial Services.

“Ensuring and encouraging the highest level of professional achievement for all members of our team is important for Renaissance as we endeavor to provide exceptional service for our clients,” Renaissance President Trevor Forbes said. “And it gives me much pleasure and pride to announce that Christopher Silipigno has earned the ChFC professional designation.”

Candidates for the ChFC designation must complete a minimum of eight college-level courses and 18 hours of supervised examinations. They must also fulfill stringent experience and ethics requirements and participate in continuing education to maintain professional recertification. Since its inception in 1982, the credential has been widely regarded as a premier standard of knowledge and trust for financial-planning professionals.

The ChFC program prepares professionals to apply advanced skills to address the financial planning needs of individuals, families, and small-business owners in a diverse environment. They can help clients identify and establish specific goals and then formulate, implement, and monitor a comprehensive plan to pursue those goals. Those who earn a ChFC can provide knowledgeable advice on a broad range of financial topics, including financial planning, investment management, wealth accumulation and estate planning, income taxation, life and health insurance, business taxation and planning, and retirement planning, with a focus on the practical application of concepts learned.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services industry, Silipigno said he deeply values professional development and continuous improvement both as a means to personal growth and as a driver for adding value to client relationships. “I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to freshen up and crystalize my existing knowledge base, as well as delve deeper into topics I’m not as familiar with. The ChFC program of study is both vast and comprehensive. I was able to immediately apply aspects of the coursework with clients, which was encouraging throughout the certification process.”

Having held licenses in mortgage lending, property and casualty insurance, and real estate, Silipigno provides Renaissance clients with a wide breadth of experience and expertise. In addition to fulfilling his role as COO, he works directly with the firm’s high-net-worth clients and foundations in the areas of investment management, cash-flow analysis, estate planning, charitable-giving strategies, and other complex financial-counseling domains.