Robert C.S. Monks is a serial entrepreneur and real estate developer who has founded, led and grown 19 businesses in the financial services, real estate, technology and communication sectors. He is highly regarded for creating strategic partnerships that promote shared ownership and tether profitability to economic and social development in communities across the country. Monks is a proponent of the belief that active ownership is the key to successful ventures.

In 2011, Monks became an owner and chairman of Spinnaker Trust, a Maine-based trust company managing over $1 billion in assets. Spinnaker Trust provides personalized and integrated financial services primarily to high-net-worth families, individuals and private foundations. Spinnaker Trust’s mission is to deliver first-class stewardship and wealth enhancement strategies with a global perspective.

From 2001 to 2007, Monks was chairman of Institutional Shareholder Services, the world’s leading provider of proxy voting and corporate governance services. With more than 1,000 institutional and corporate clients, the company analyzes proxies and produces research and objective vote recommendations and handles electronic voting for more than 28,000 companies across 102 markets worldwide.

Monks previously served on the boards of Maine Today Media, T3i, Mediant Communications, Maine Fiber Company, Spinnaker Trust and the Black Point Corporation. He is also a founder and owner of the Eagle Point Companies, Dirigo Management Company, Monks O’Neil Development, The Signal Group, Maine Workforce Housing and Headwater Capital Management. He was previously a founder and director of Atlantic Bank.

Monks serves and has served on many nonprofit boards including Maine Center for Creativity, University of Southern Maine School of Business, Maine for Obama Steering and Finance Committee, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company, Children’s Museum of Maine, Spurwink Foundation, Waynflete School and the Portland Performing Arts Center.

Monks presently serves on the Maine Center Ventures board and previously was the co-chair of the campaign to relocate the Maine Law School to a beautiful new location in the heart of downtown Portland.