Kathleen A. Ryan
Executive Vice President & Chief Wealth Management Officer
Kathi is responsible for all aspects of Washington Trust Wealth Management, including service offerings, client experience and business strategy. Throughout her career, she has been committed to the highest standards of client service. In her current role, she oversees the delivery of holistic financial planning, investment management, and trust and estate administration for individuals and families, institutions, and non-profit organizations as well as their Boards and endowments. Kathi is focused on expanding the reach of wealth advisory services in the communities served by Washington Trust.
Kathi is a licensed attorney and a member of the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida Bar Associations. Before joining Washington Trust, she was in private practice for more than 25 years. She was most recently a Partner at the law firm of Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, where she served as Chair for the firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group for more than 16 years. In that role she was responsible for advising clients on wealth preservation, asset transfer, charitable giving, business succession and estate and gift tax planning issues. Kathi is a frequent speaker and published source on estate and trust planning matters and other relevant tax issues. She has served as co-editor for the 2017 and 2019 updates to “Practical Guide to Estate Planning in Rhode Island”, MCLE New England (2011), and she was co-author of a chapter entitled Practical Steps Handling an Estate Planning Matter, Vol. 1 of this 2011 publication. In 2019, Kathi was awarded the Business Women Award as an Industry Leader in Financial Services by Providence Business News.
Kathi is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School ( J.D., cum laude) and holds a bachelor’s degree from Providence College (B.A., cum laude).
A Rhode Island resident, Kathi serves on Preserve Rhode Island’s Board of Trustees, the Finance Council for the Diocese of Providence and the South County Hospital Professional Advisory Board and is a Past President of the Providence College National Alumni Association. Kathi has always been active in the communities that Washington Trust serves, with past Board service, leadership roles and volunteer efforts for many organizations such as Women & Infants Hospital, Crossroads Rhode Island, The Rhode Island Community Foundation, IN-SIGHT, Memorial Hospital, Diocese of Providence Catholic Charity Fund Appeal and Providence College President’s Council.