Held on Saturday, February 21 at the The Westin St. Francis, the event celebrated individuals and organisations demonstrating outstanding leadership and forward-thinking achievement. The milestone event welcomed over 250 guests to mark five decades of partnership, shared ambition and collaboration between Australia and the United States.

Hosted by MC Gordon Stirling, the evening opened with a video address from Kevin Rudd, the Australian Ambassador to the United States and featured performances of the national anthems and a rendition of “I Still Call Australia Home” by Australian soprano Morgan Balfour.

As part of the 2026 Innovation Awards, Darrell King, Managing Director, Americas at Crestbridge Fiduciary, joined Paul Nixon of LGT in presenting the US-Australian Expansion Award. The award recognises an American individual or company that has successfully established or expanded its presence in Australia, bringing meaningful innovation to the Australian market.

Taking place from 25–27 March 2026, this event brings together trust and estate practitioners, bankers, lawyers and accountants from around the world to exchange ideas and discuss developments in cross-border planning with a U.S. component.

Darrell King, and Steve Sokic will be attending.

Presented by leading professionals, this year’s programme will explore new developments, practising across jurisdictions, multinational families, and navigating global standards.

If you are attending, please contact Darrell or Steve or do come along to our exhibition stand during the conference.

Key topics explored by speakers included how to effectively plan where there are US connections, such as US-based children, against the backdrop of US market developments; the challenges of preserving family wealth across multiple generations; and the management of reputation as a valuable strategic asset.

Steve Sokić delivered the keynote address titled “U.S. Domestic & Foreign Trusts: A Story of Mutual Evolution.”

In his presentation, he explored the evolution of the U.S. domestic and foreign trust sectors, from distinct and largely separate markets just 25 years ago to the more aligned, nuanced, and competitive global trust landscape we see today.

Drawing on decades of experience, Steve provided a framework that covered global macro drivers, trust law, taxation, and regulation – offering valuable insights from someone who has both experienced and influenced the industry.

Steve’s keynote set the stage perfectly for the sessions that followed, including:

• A thoughtful presentation on “Foreign Grantor Trusts” by Morgan Drake Alleyn, J.D., LL.M. and Phyllis Guillory
• An engaging overview of “Foreign Non-Grantor Trusts” by Amy Jetel

The day concluded with a dynamic and interactive panel discussion featuring all four speakers, followed by a lively networking session.

We were pleased have been part of such an insightful day and look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and engage with the STEP community.

Attending the event from Crestbridge Fiduciary were Darrell King, Heather Tibbo, Steve Sokić and Mark Beer.

Crestbridge Fiduciary: Empowering families with global expertise, tailored solutions and unmatched client focus

Crestbridge Fiduciary brings client families the benefit of two preeminent firms: Crestbridge Family Office Services, a leading Jersey, Channel Islands-based trustee and fiduciary and Willow Street, a leading Wyoming-based trustee and fiduciary. Through Crestbridge Fiduciary, families with existing or planned US-based connections can access a comprehensive and sophisticated global platform for protecting and structuring wealth.

What was the winning formula of your firm/you that explains why you won?

We believe our key difference is our people, and the close cultural alignment between the two firms behind Crestbridge Fiduciary. With the right team, and with each member in the right role, we are nimble, responsive, and wholly client-focused in whatever location we are in, delivering first-class technical expertise, and backed up by extensive in-depth experience. We also recognize the value of active and attentive listening, to truly understand our clients’ needs, the essential role of clear, timely communication, and the importance of efficient turnaround. We can offer this highly tailored service because we are an independent provider, which, as we have learned, is a significant consideration for our clients and partners.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

With increasing global uncertainty, our independent ownership will ensure we can continue to assess opportunities and risks swiftly, with balance and objectivity, acting quickly and decisively. We encourage a culture of continuous improvement among our team, paying careful attention to evolving client needs, and ensuring that these are identified, pre-empted, and effectively addressed. We also continue to harness new technology to enhance our efficiency, accuracy, and data security, and increase the flexibility we offer to clients.

We will remain committed wholly and exclusively to excellence in the delivery of fiduciary services. Our clients consider us part of their overall provider team, offering a specialized set of capabilities, with expertise that can integrate seamlessly with their other providers to help achieve shared objectives.

What sort of challenges did you surmount to reach this level and how have you been able to succeed in such fast-moving circumstances?

We have, of course, faced similar challenges to other providers in this space, caused by the constantly shifting geopolitical climate. The difference lies in how our structure and culture have helped us cushion the impact of this disruption on our clients. With our team’s vast industry experience comes a notably far-sighted perspective on regional and global events, and the prescience quickly to assess and respond to change. This, coupled with the more fluid operating model, has helped us to minimize impact on our clients, and quickly explore emerging opportunities. We have always placed service at the heart of our offering which, along with the ability to offer customized solutions supported by flexible and transparent pricing, have been central to our success.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

The overall trend at a service provider level is for further industry consolidation in the US market. However, with wealthy families becoming increasingly mobile and seeking investment and business opportunities outside their home borders and in niche sectors, the demand for tailored, independent trustee and specialist fiduciary support will become highly sought after.

In addition, with the transfer of substantial wealth to the rising generation well underway, well-established, embedded and long-term relationships between families and their service providers will become even more important. It’s a trend that is increasing the need for structures and for the skills and judgment of experienced providers who understand how best to establish and administer them, while supporting families’ needs for asset preservation, diversification, and wealth transfer. We believe we are ideally positioned to address this growing need.

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‍Darrell stated, “I’m thrilled to be taking on this important role at Crestbridge Fiduciary, and am very much looking forward to playing my part with this exceptional team. I’m also delighted to be joining a business whose culture is so clearly client-focused, and is shaped by values which resonate so strongly with my own.”

‍Darrell’s accreditations include the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations. He is also a peer selected Private Client Global Elite Advisor and currently serves as Membership Chair for STEP New York.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Darrell to discuss how we may be able to help you and your client families.