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.

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 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.

Consequently, a focus on operating cohesively and seeking collective agreement prior to making decisions has become paramount. In addition, there has been a rise in developing multiple, concurrent investment and wealth planning paths to satisfy differing objectives.

As a result – and as recent discussions at Jersey Finance’s Dubai conference showed – the nextgen is increasingly seeking to incorporate robust governance into the management of a family’s collective wealth and business interests, with a view to providing a supportive framework to help the interplay of these often complex family dynamics. This is a trend that is playing out particularly strongly in the Middle East, where the values and visions of previous generations can be juxtaposed with the rapidly evolving ambitions and values of the nextgen.

Making their own way in the world

The nextgen forging their own path and fulfilling the expectations and obligations of the previous generation can be a significant challenge. Key decisions include; the right time to assume control of the family’s wealth from the first generation; how to fully assert control and what direction to take in relation to management and custodianship of the wealth.

The above can include a desire to establish their own career independently or in tandem with the inherited wealth.  Assuming responsibility can often come with a greater focus on exercising personal vision, albeit balanced against any commitment towards the previous generation.

Defining this personal vision is a key first step. This is frequently followed by implementing a framework, often using a tested structure, to help implement a new vision alongside that of the previous generation. Such a framework can also help to manage potential conflict between the new approach and the existing one.

A final challenge can be seen when a nextgen individual, reluctant to take stewardship of wealth from the previous generation, is prematurely forced to do so. In these circumstances, it is critical that a structure with the appropriate framework exists to help and support them.

Beyond the nextgen

What’s clear is that families with a Middle East nexus are increasingly complex and sophisticated, and while larger families with diversified interests present significant challenges for family office practitioners, they also create opportunities.

For families themselves, having conversations early to establish internal frameworks and networks of trusted advisors is critical.

At the same time, for service providers and the IFCs that house them, taking a digital-first approach, understanding the need for multi-platform communication demands, and providing access to specialist, tailored expertise will be vital if they are to continue to support and anticipate the rapidly changing needs of the Middle East nextgen and beyond.

This article was first published on theWealthNet click here.  

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.

Consequently, a focus on operating cohesively and seeking collective agreement prior to making decisions has become paramount. In addition, there has been a rise in developing multiple, concurrent investment and wealth planning paths to satisfy differing objectives.

As a result – and as recent discussions at Jersey Finance’s Dubai conference showed – the nextgen is increasingly seeking to incorporate robust governance into the management of a family’s collective wealth and business interests, with a view to providing a supportive framework to help the interplay of these often complex family dynamics. This is a trend that is playing out particularly strongly in the Middle East, where the values and visions of previous generations can be juxtaposed with the rapidly evolving ambitions and values of the nextgen.

Making their own way in the world

The nextgen forging their own path and fulfilling the expectations and obligations of the previous generation can be a significant challenge. Key decisions include; the right time to assume control of the family’s wealth from the first generation; how to fully assert control and what direction to take in relation to management and custodianship of the wealth.

The above can include a desire to establish their own career independently or in tandem with the inherited wealth.  Assuming responsibility can often come with a greater focus on exercising personal vision, albeit balanced against any commitment towards the previous generation.

Defining this personal vision is a key first step. This is frequently followed by implementing a framework, often using a tested structure, to help implement a new vision alongside that of the previous generation. Such a framework can also help to manage potential conflict between the new approach and the existing one.

A final challenge can be seen when a nextgen individual, reluctant to take stewardship of wealth from the previous generation, is prematurely forced to do so. In these circumstances, it is critical that a structure with the appropriate framework exists to help and support them.

Beyond the nextgen

What’s clear is that families with a Middle East nexus are increasingly complex and sophisticated, and while larger families with diversified interests present significant challenges for family office practitioners, they also create opportunities.

For families themselves, having conversations early to establish internal frameworks and networks of trusted advisors is critical.

At the same time, for service providers and the IFCs that house them, taking a digital-first approach, understanding the need for multi-platform communication demands, and providing access to specialist, tailored expertise will be vital if they are to continue to support and anticipate the rapidly changing needs of the Middle East nextgen and beyond.

This article was first published on theWealthNet click here.