Derek Cherne, CEPA

Derek Cherne is Managing Partner and CEO of Snow Pine Private Wealth, the Wayzata-based wealth management practice serving high-net-worth families, closely-held businesses, and foundations. He is a 32-year industry veteran whose career has been spent largely at UBS, with a brief stint at Smith Barney in 2008. In 2025, Cherne led Snow Pine’s transition from UBS to Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network as an independent practice.

Since 1994, Cherne has worked with families across multiple generations on their unique financial planning needs. As team lead at Snow Pine, he serves key relationships and oversees the firm’s business strategy and planning. The team manages approximately $1.7 billion in client assets.

He earned a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a major in finance and a minor in economics. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board and chaired the investment committee for the University of Wisconsin-RF Foundation for nearly two decades. He and his wife Michelle live in Medina, Minnesota with their three children, and are active in youth sports and community service.