Michael Kato
Wealth Management


Michael Kato is Head of Financial Planning at GC Wealth, advising clients across all aspects of the planning experience with a particular focus on income, gift, and estate tax planning. He works closely with start-up founders and their teams in all areas of personal finance/taxation throughout their journey of wealth creation and stewardship. He also partners with companies developing fintech solutions shaping and enabling the transformation of the wealth management industry.
Before GC, Mike was Managing Director of Advanced Planning at First Republic Bank and a Senior Wealth Planning Strategist and Regional Wealth Planning Manager at Wells Fargo in Palo Alto. He began his career in Tokyo as an international tax director advising individuals and corporations on cross-border tax issues.
Mike graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s in Japanese and a specialization in Business Administration. He also received a Master's in Financial Planning from Golden Gate University where he studied Personal Finance and Tax.
In his free time, Mike enjoys cycling for fun and fitness, leading a weekly interval training ride through Los Altos Hills every Tuesday evening. He is committed to bicycle safety and serves his son’s school representative on the Palo Alto City/School Transportation Safety Committee (CSTSC) where he advocates for bicycle and pedestrian safety for young students travelling to school on city streets.