Partner Spotlight: Andrew Crow

Reflecting on his extensive professional trajectory from Intern to Managing Director of a global business management firm, Andrew Crow attributes his success throughout the years to two personal truths: check your ego at the door and never burn a bridge. Andrew’s work ethic developed at the tender age of nine, when he sought out odd jobs like painting sidewalks and delivering food. 

Andrew initially assumed he would follow in his father’s footsteps by going into medicine and taking over his practice someday. “Everything changed when my father got sick and had to sell his business,” Andrew says. “Losing my father at a young age sobered me up. I wanted to make sure my family was stable.”

Andrew attended Santa Barbara City College after high school in an effort to stay close to his family in Los Angeles. “The school was right on the beach and I received a great education,” Andrew recalls. “My dream was to transfer to UCLA (the University of California, Los Angeles) and I knew the transfer rate from SBCC was high.” Andrew went on to achieve his goal and was subsequently accepted as a history major at UCLA.

Once accepted, Andrew began looking for a job and soon received an offer from Brown, Kraft & Co., a respected business management firm in the Brentwood area. This was his first taste of catering to entertainment clientele and the demands that come with it. He learned the ins and outs of business management and had mentors who pushed him to achieve his full potential. 

Today, Andrew remains on high alert for teachable moments. “The Brown Kraft partners taught me it’s okay to say you don’t know. Don’t be a ‘yes man,’” he says. 

Over the next three years, Andrew’s role evolved from Intern to Bookkeeper to Accountant. He was then recruited by a rival business management firm to fill their need for a “Business Manager-type Accountant.” There, Andrew obtained his CPA license and a Master of Science in Taxation, two accolades that proved invaluable to his professional acumen. 

Andrew later transitioned to boutique firm International Business Management (IBM). There, Andrew was afforded a prime opportunity as IBM’s sole Business Manager to be mentored by the firm’s three partners. 

Their guidance through the years would shape Andrew into the leader he is today, and inspired a mantra he continues to emulate daily: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 

As the partners approached their twilight years, Andrew helped IBM merge with the highly regarded Wasserman Grossman & Sloan firm and start a new chapter.

“I was attracted to WG&S’ entrepreneurial spirit,” Andrew remembers. “I was looking forward to exercising my professional muscles as a Partner of WG&S, and expanding my skill set to include iconic music clients and high net worth family office clients which WG&S was ripe with.”

Andrew believes one of his biggest strengths is his interpersonal skills, allowing him to organize significant transitions. He defines strong interpersonal skills as being a good listener, being an employee advocate and having empathy for others. Working regularly with an executive coach has helped him to hone these skills.

“It’s all about how you talk to your colleagues, staff and clients,” he says. “I grew up in Los Angeles and the majority of my friends work in the entertainment space. Cultivating and maintaining these friendships over the last 25+ years has been beneficially reciprocal as all of our careers have simultaneously matured.”

In a strategic move, Andrew and his fellow partners at WG&S merged with Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman in 2019. Andrew, now a Managing Director, serves as a Divisional Leader and is involved with the firm’s HR Committee. He credits the firm’s varied disciplines and worldwide locations as part of its longevity and continued prosperity.

“GRF is the gold standard stalwart of business management firms as it checks all of the boxes: a sophisticated ultra-high net worth and entertainment practices, a diligent audit, royalty, and profit participation department, bi-coastal locations in the U.S., cross-border knowledge with our London office, and more. We are suited up with a deep bench of professionals. It sets us apart,” he says. 

In his personal time, Andrew describes himself as a “daily exerciser.” He runs, weight lifts and practices yoga, and also enjoys time with his wife, two daughters (a 14-year-old and a newborn) and two Shih Tzus, Halo and Rosie.

The “Partner Spotlight” series introduces our firm’s Managing Directors, highlighting their continued learning and development through the years. We hope their stories serve to motivate and inspire the next generation of Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman leadership.