What inspired you to take on this challenge?

I have always kept active. My main sporting interest is Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) racing and over recent years that’s been my main focus for training. Although there are SUP races locally in Jersey, they are relatively small scale so attending larger races relies on being able to travel to places a bit further away – like France, Spain and the US.

With travel having been slightly more challenging due to the pandemic, though, I was looking for something else to work towards. This boxing event is being run by the gym I already train at, Transform Together, and the coaches were so encouraging when I said I was thinking of taking part.

Which charity are you supporting and why is it so significant to you?

I am fighting to raise money for Kidney Research UK. Paul (Pablo) Hunter, Group Co-Head of Family Office Services, suffers from kidney disease and has recently undergone kidney transplant surgery. Whilst Pablo has been incredibly stoic throughout, as his colleagues, we have all seen the huge impact this has had on Pablo’s life over the last few years as his treatment has escalated, attending regular dialysis appointments whilst on the waiting list for a suitable donor.

Knowing that this surgery was essential for Pablo’s life to return to some degree of normality and that some don’t get the transplant they so desperately need, I have chosen a charity that will provide benefit to others in Pablo’s situation. My hope is that through fundraising like this, treatments can be developed for those with kidney disease whilst research can also be undertaken with the aim of curing or ultimately preventing kidney disease.

How have you been training and preparing yourself for the event?

The training currently involves three boxing sessions per week, each an hour long, including a combination of technical and fitness training. The technical training is really starting from scratch – I’ve never boxed before – so I’ve been learning the  basics really, how to stand and move around and what the various punches are. Alongside that I am also continuing with three personal training sessions a week, which are predominantly strength based and part of my existing training plan, as well as a group training session which tends to be more cardio based.

As the weeks go on, I will also incorporate one-to-one pad work sessions and then we will eventually move on to sparring to start getting us used to hitting and – more importantly – being hit! We will all also be focussed on nutrition and how we are fuelling up for training and in the lead up to fight night, some will be wanting to achieve a goal weight whereas others will be more focussed on maintenance. It’s certainly a lot of preparation and disciplined hard work.

How important is having support on fight night?

A few family members and friends are understandably unsure whether they want to see me get punched in the face.  On the flipside, there may be a few who would willingly pay to see that! From my point of view, as this is an entirely new sport and challenge for me, having support will be important – I would hope that people will come along to see how much work goes into getting in the ring to fight, both physically and mentally.

In addition, there is also a wonderful spirit among the training group already and, having attended the last fight as a spectator, I know that everyone there watching, no matter who they are there to see, will be hugely supportive of all the fighters and the fighters of each other. I’m looking forward to it!

Anna Anderson, Executive Assistant, and Jordan Sewrey, Administrator, both recently passed exams as part of their qualification program through the Chartered Governance Institute (formerly ICSA).

Anna, who has been at Crestbridge for three years, was successful in passing the CGI Level 4 Certificate in Corporate Governance. She has worked in a number of executive and personal assistant roles for around 15 years. Prior to joining Crestbridge, Anna worked at a global intellectual property management business in Jersey.

Meanwhile, Jordan, who joined Crestbridge in early 2020, passed the CGI Level 4 Certificate in International Finance and Administration with an overall distinction – a particularly impressive achievement given he sat his last exam just two weeks after having had his first baby and enduring a number of sleepless nights. Jordan is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day administration of one of the team’s largest clients, which has a particular focus on private equity and lending. Prior to joining Crestbridge, he worked for a global intellectual property management and technology firm.

Commenting on their success, Group Co-Head of Family Office Services Heather Tibbo said:

“We strongly believe that our biggest differentiator is the quality of our people and for that reason we have in place a comprehensive and fully supported program for professional and personal development to enable every single one of our team to reach their potential. I’m delighted for Anna and Jordan for their latest achievements as part of their ongoing professional development journey.”

Elliott is now a manager within the Family Office Services team where he supports UHNW individuals, families and trusted advisors. Having worked for Crestbridge for four years, Elliott explained what he enjoys about his role and why Crestbridge stands out for him as a place to build a career.

What has been your career path to date?

My university degree in Finance and Accountancy was the first step on my career path and it really helped me to secure a trainee position in large financial services organisation when I returned to Jersey. After a few years, I moved within the same business, to a role that included both accounting and administration responsibilities. It provided me with an excellent opportunity to develop my skillset in both areas, but I was particularly keen to pursue the accountancy element and so at that point I started studying for my ACCA qualification.

After completing my qualification, I took a short break to travel which was a great time to reflect on my career and I decided to move to Cayman for work. Thanks to my previous professional experience, plus my qualifications, I was able to secure a great employment opportunity and spent two and a half years working in Cayman. I then returned to Jersey and spent a further two years working for a large global services provider before an opportunity arose to join the Crestbridge team. Crestbridge had an excellent professional reputation and I’d also heard good things from friends about the company, so I jumped at the chance.

I love working at Crestbridge and I feel lucky to have be able to expand my experience and understanding of different sectors including private equity, secondary debt, markets, hedge funds and fund of funds in the time I’ve been with the company. Around three years ago, I transferred to a role in the Family Office Services team to support the accounting function. The role is extremely interesting and varied and involves working across different asset classes such as stock portfolios, real estate, super yachts and sometimes fine art and jewellery.

How has Crestbridge supported your career goals and progression?

There’s a fantastic training and development programme and a great deal of support for career development at Crestbridge. As well as professional qualifications there are a range of courses and programmes that support soft skills development. I was lucky to be able to undertake the Crestbridge management development programme which has really helped to reinforce my management skills and support my team and colleagues.

In addition to the training side, there’s a terrific management team at Crestbridge and that’s been key to my own development. I think when you have good relationships with colleagues at all levels, and you feel supported, you have more confidence to step up and take on the tasks at the next level so that you can progress professionally.

What will be your next professional development or career decision?

I’m delighted to have recently been promoted to manager within the Family Office Services team. I think my next focus will be to work on consolidating my position, working with the colleagues that report to me and helping them to progress, but also expanding my own knowledge of the business at a more strategic level, to understand how the business is looking to develop its services and people. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of this role.

Do you have any advice for people considering their own professional development in 2022?

Have the confidence and drive to undertake some kind of professional qualification. In doing so, it shows that you have commitment and can apply yourself, alongside your day-to-day responsibilities. If I hadn’t had my ACCA qualifications, I don’t think the opportunity to work in the Cayman Islands would have presented itself; it really does help to open doors!

If you like the sound of what Crestbridge has to offer, why not check out the vacancies we’re currently offering. Click here to find out how you could make the next step in your career with Crestbridge.

The panel comprised of a range of individuals from the trust, family office services, private client, legal, banking and accountancy industry.

The panel discussed key issues for entrepreneur clients including challenges and trends that have emerged over the last 18 months. Notably, there was consensus across the panel that, despite initial forecasts, entrepreneurs had been exceptionally active with every indication that this momentum was likely to continue.

Highlights from panel’s engaging discussion are set out in the Entrepreneurs’ Boardroom article in the latest issue of the Private Client Dining Club’s Digital Magazine here.

Anna Anderson, Executive Assistant, and Jordan Sewrey, Administrator, both recently passed exams as part of their qualification program through the Chartered Governance Institute (formerly ICSA).

Anna, who has been at Crestbridge for three years, was successful in passing the CGI Level 4 Certificate in Corporate Governance. She has worked in a number of executive and personal assistant roles for around 15 years. Prior to joining Crestbridge, Anna worked at a global intellectual property management business in Jersey.

Meanwhile, Jordan, who joined Crestbridge in early 2020, passed the CGI Level 4 Certificate in International Finance and Administration with an overall distinction – a particularly impressive achievement given he sat his last exam just two weeks after having had his first baby and enduring a number of sleepless nights. Jordan is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day administration of one of the team’s largest clients, which has a particular focus on private equity and lending. Prior to joining Crestbridge, he worked for a global intellectual property management and technology firm.

Commenting on their success, Group Co-Head of Family Office Services Heather Tibbo said:

“We strongly believe that our biggest differentiator is the quality of our people and for that reason we have in place a comprehensive and fully supported program for professional and personal development to enable every single one of our team to reach their potential. I’m delighted for Anna and Jordan for their latest achievements as part of their ongoing professional development journey.”

The makeup of today’s high net worth families has changed considerably compared to that of previous generations. Larger family units, consisting of multiple branches all differing in ages, in multiple jurisdictions and pursuing multiple interest, creates significant challenges particularly when varying perspectives, visions and objectives collide.

Highlighting achievements, contribution and promotions of key individuals, the annual list identifies those who are at the forefront of driving forward progress in the private client space.

Heather, who has now been included in the list for the past four consecutive years, has over 25 years’ experience in the UHNW sector, working with UHNWIs, their families and institutions to provide a comprehensive range of cross-border family office services to families and corporate clients. As well as being responsible for the Family Office Services business, Heather is also a member of Crestbridge’s Executive team with input to the strategic direction and expansion of the business.