Top 20 Trustees 2023

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Getting to know the clients and understanding their needs is the first step to forging a long-term relationship. I endeavour to instil confidence in clients, letting them know that I can be contacted as and when needed. It is important to understand the motivations of clients and their families, their goals and obligations so that I make the best decisions on their behalf. Keeping it friendly and being myself with clients makes it a genuine relationship and I believe that is at the heart of a trustee's success.

Using plain English to explain technical tax issues or legalities is important so that there is no misunderstanding. Sharing knowledge among my team to ensure the service to clients is seamless. The tax knowledge and experience I have is unique in a trust company environment and clients can get a quick answer to a technical question relating to Jersey and UK taxation. Working for an independent trust company means that we are not restricted to any shareholder demands or constricted to whom we can work with, this ensures our clients have access to more bespoke service through immediate decision making.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

I am passionately proactive and carefully reactive in the client affairs. I take our clients by the hand and guide them through all stages of their structure: the planning, the implementation, and the management stage with grace, transparency, excellent technical knowledge, solving all obstacles on the way and always offering solutions to problems. 

I have a solid business acumen, built by years of experience in my sector, and I have the emotional intelligence to understand people and their reactions. I am always there to speak to our clients either by phone, at all hours, or through emails which are replied within an hour as a company policy. When they contact me, they have the feeling that I will take care of their request diligently, taking into account all issues and balancing all risks and rewards thus providing them with a high-quality service. 

I have a laser focus on the completion of a task and the grit and determination to always find a solution. I am resilient to change and chaos and my clients know that and call me their ‘rock’. Most importantly, our clients entrust me with their information because, as they say, ‘I walk my talk’ and follow to the letter the values I ascribe to. They feel the respect, patience, transparency, confidentiality, proactiveness, empathy, nurturing and responsibility in all I do. I take their trust very seriously and nurture my relationships with them, never taking them for granted. As a matter of fact, my clients feel so intensely this strong bond of cooperation and respect that despite our regular get togethers, even when a structure is dissolved, they ensure to come to Cyprus and we all go out to celebrate and wish them good luck for their future endeavours. Through the years our clients became valued friends.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

My enthusiasm and belief in my team and my business. Our clients have the same values as us and so it works - we will not take business on for the sake of taking on new business. We must add value for our clients and our clients must understand and share our values.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

30+ years Experience, Broad Knowledge of Trust law balanced with Regulatory and Compliance Issues, personality and relationship building. Chair of local Trustee Association. Within the office I try to be inclusive with people by being myself, complimenting and training along the way - and encouraging people not to say no but to say 'yes but'. When dealing with external parties it is important that a persuasive and inclusive approach is used - whilst being firm in key matters. Building mutual respect is key.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Broad technical knowledge and experience built over 30+ years. Client service and a focus on relationships. The ability to relate to different styles of client and ensure clarity of communication. At our core, stripping away the structuring, we are entirely about relationships. Those relationships include client / service provider but also the internal relationships which underpin the high service standards JTC prides itself on. Understanding our clients and counterparts is a crucial part of effective communication and the effective delivery of the service. I recognise the kind of relationship that our clients and counterparties prefer and flex my approach to fit accordingly. With a broad background and experience, I am able to dial up or down different elements whilst retaining a core common sense, user friendly approach.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Going above and beyond for my beneficiaries, making sure that I forge excellent relationships with them so that I can proactively make suggestions that are on point and helpful. Open communication is key and I do not shy away from complex or tricky situations. Above all, I am flexible and available to beneficiaries - even for the more 'left field' needs that they might have.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Embracing the gnarly, working things through in an open-handed way (there may be better ways of approaching things) in order to bring as many people along with the difficult decisions.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Aside of my technical and management skills, I very much understand who from my team is the best fit for any new client. Not only from technical angle but also personality-wise. It helps retain clients and develop existing client relationships, bringing more new business for the office for x-sells and up-sells.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

I am conscientious, caring, raise questions early on and I listen to all parties to make a considered decision. This does include saying no on occasions, as some items a trustee is asked to consider are not in the best interests of the beneficiaries, and I manage that conversation with them throughout. I look to find solutions and keep my technical knowledge up to date including through various industry working groups/representations such as Jersey Association of Trust Companies (currently President), and with Jersey Finance Limited, Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Government of Jersey, so that I provide excellent governance, knowledge, and my added value is demonstrated.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

My ability to take a complex situation and describe it to clients in a comprehensible manner. A key component of problem solving and identifying potential conflict is not just listening, but effective listening. This involves paying attention to body language and facial signs, as well as listening to what is being said. When I become aware of a problem, either from a colleague or client, the first thing I do is gather the facts (by listening to the relevant parties). The next stage is to communicate. In my experience most problems are caused by a lack of communication or a misunderstanding i.e. where one or more parties have misunderstood/misinterpreted what has been communicated.

My role often involves being a translator of messages. This requires empathy and the ability to articulate well. As far as fellow trustees are concerned, I believe in being as inclusive as possible. Trustees rarely complain about being provided with too much information! I feel being able to adapt to changing circumstances, being creative and displaying excellent leadership skills are all part and parcel of being a good trustee.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

I tend to be modest, so please forgive me if I appear to be boasting. It is important to recognize that as a team we can better serve our families. Accordingly, we adopt a team approach to the provision of trust services, with team members bringing complimentary skills. I have a technical legal background with decades of experience in structuring, problem solving and conflict resolution. Communication is extremely important in all aspects of trust administration.

On the technical side, it is key to the provision of proactive and timely services. Communication enables the trustee ability to empathize, appreciate relevant stakeholders' perspectives, and facilitate gathering all the relevant facts/circumstances before making decisions. I recognize that as a trustee there are obligations and duties that must be met. Not all decisions will be popular. Respectful and empathetic communication can help stakeholders appreciate that their views were considered.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

A combination of deep technical understanding and experience relating to what a trustee's job actually is, along with proven empathy, patience, objective social skills which allow the prior to be executed smoothly and efficiently for the benefit of those intended to benefit under trusts. I also have always felt an obligation to share my knowledge and experience with the broader wealth industry to do my bit to develop it and have done so for years through thought leadership, mentoring and leading by example.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Overall, I have over 20 years’ experience delivering consistently for clients across the globe. My expertise lies in working with ultra-high-net-worth families and attuning solutions to meet the needs of the people behind the family office. I listen to the needs of both my team and my clients and directly address any concerns clients may have to deliver a solution-driven business plan for them. I’m adaptable and ensure I’m always available for my clients to go above and beyond for their individual needs. I’m also a people-person; I form relationships with those I work with and I love helping clients on their own journeys. I do my best to remember the small details that mean a lot, like their anniversaries or children’s birthdays to form connections that are long-lasting and meaningful, which I think makes me an excellent trustee.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Not having all the answers, but asking the right questions. To overcome barriers and identify solutions that support the delivery of business plan objectives it is important to hire consolidators and count on portfolio performance measurement firms, despite assuming some initial costs internally.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

The ability to listen to competing voices within a family and draw out their shared values and guide them to a solution which preserves value for the long term.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Having spent 20 years in the corporate trustee world and my last 20+ years in my own private practice, I can name the number one attribute that answers this question - impartiality. I operate with no external influences and the full unencumbered freedom to appoint and work with any party we choose. Aside from this, strong interpersonal skills and chemistry are essential in order to handle all client and professional relationships, listen well and underpin the whole offering with strong technical and legal knowledge and a team of equally skilled individuals that understand private clients as human beings, not a name on a list.

What makes you an excellent trustee?

I am reliable, trustworthy and straight. I think it is pivotal to listen and stay open to all opinions expressed, assess with all the parties what are the issues and how these can affect all the parties in presence. Full collaboration with fellow trustees and compromise to achieve a satisfactory solution for all the parties are essential as well. 

What makes you an excellent trustee?

Experience, honesty, our own family business organization, open communication. I don't consider myself a seller of any product, I provide help in an honest way. As a firm, we are not an execution-only company. Whenever we see a risk of conflict or a non respect of the agreements, we intervene.