Tallie is one of the industry’s stand-out young talents recognised in the latest Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders List, published this month by eprivateclient (11 June). She is noted as combining a strong academic record and a commitment to continuous self-improvement with emotional intelligence and considerable experience – working on a number of the firm’s dynamic and complex structures. She also acts as a mentor to other emerging talent in the team.

The annual list recognises and celebrates young practitioners working in diverse areas of the private client sector in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. To be featured in the list, judges consider a number of factors, including individual expertise and achievements over the past 12 months, career progression, feedback from colleagues, and the performance of their company.

Mark Beer, Client Director, Crestbridge Family Office Services, said: “Crestbridge has a strong track-record in nurturing young talent, reflecting our commitment to creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Tallie fully deserves this recognition. She leads by example, through her commitment to professional development, her ability to work as a real team player, and her impressive technical knowledge. Tallie has built strong, trusted relationships with clients, who consistently praise her responsiveness, professionalism, and technical expertise. She is an ambassador for what we stand for at Crestbridge.”

Crestbridge Fiduciary was proud to support the recent STEP Texas event held last week in Houston. Darrell King, Managing Director, Americas of Crestbridge Fiduciary, and Steve Sokić, Chairman of Crestbridge Family Office Services attended the event.

Fabio took part in the Istria 100 by UTMB challenge last month, which saw him cover a distance of 110 kilometres over difficult and technical terrain, including sections of coasteering, forests and canyons.

Competing alongside more than 500 runners from across the globe, Fabio completed the world-renowned ultra-trail race in 15 hours raising more than £1,000 for Youthful Minds, which Crestbridge FOS has chosen to support in 2025 as part of its ongoing commitment to the local community.

Youthful Minds marks its 10th anniversary this year and is led by a group of volunteers aged 11-26, all of whom have a passion for raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health in Jersey. Supporting Youthful Minds, part of Mind Jersey, is a natural fit for Crestbridge FOS, with the firm having a clear focus on providing services for client families while also placing a significant emphasis on the wellbeing of its own people.

Commenting on his achievement, Fabio said:

“This was a physically, mentally and emotionally challenging event but knowing I was running for such a worthwhile cause in Youthful Minds kept me going even when self-doubt was creeping in. Having my five-year-old son to cheer me on also helped and I was delighted to have crossed the finish line while raising funds and awareness for a charity close to my heart.”

Heather Tibbo, CEO, Crestbridge FOS, added:

“This is an impressive challenge and a significant personal achievement for Fabio and I congratulate him on this fantastic success. He has pushed himself to the limit in order to raise funds for our nominated local charity. The work Youthful Minds does in supporting young people in our community is crucial and aligns with our own company values of placing our people, our clients and their families at the heart of what we do.”

Anyone wishing to donate can still do so here.

UBS’ Global Family Office Report highlights the extent to which family offices are broadening their investment horizons, moving beyond the more traditional public markets and assets like stocks and bonds to place a greater emphasis on alternative investments, such as private equity. At the same time, direct investing – bypassing traditional fund structures – are finding favour, whilst sustainability, a desire for evidenced impact and a more professional approach to philanthropy are influencing the approach too.

But changing course is often not as easy as families think. Multiple generations of diverse stakeholders, complex global structuring frameworks, cross-border regulatory complexity and an economic environment that is constantly shifting can pose serious questions.

Assessing the landscape

Any assessment of a structure should start by taking a deep dive into key family documentation – trust instruments, letters of wishes, investment principles and policy statements, a family constitution or charter together with any other existing or proposed governing documents., One should consider the ultimate aims of the family as they stand, undertaking a gap analysis that will inform new frameworks around the investment objectives, strategy and operational function and provide an ability to assess whether external skills are required to support the anticipated change.

Whilst the assessment would naturally include an evaluation of recent investment positioning and performance, it is an opportunity to conduct a rigorous review of existing structures within the context of the overall family framework, alongside an evaluation of the proposed direction of travel and how that aligns with the family’s values and vision.

It is only after undertaking an assessment of the overall landscape alongside new or existing advisors that a family can embark on a new investment direction on solid ground, equipped with the right tools – far better to do the groundwork properly than to run into difficult, and perhaps costly, issues further down the line.

At a practical level, such an assessment will also inform any new structuring that needs to be undertaken to achieve new aims – whether establishing certain ringfenced vehicles is necessary or whether existing structures can be used. A more holistic review considers which vehicles are best suited to achieve the investment aims, from traditional trust structures, private companies, or very private funds which, once agreed, can kickstart the setup of the bank and custody accounts required to operate and trade on the investments.

Whilst ensuring that the governance provisions of the structure align to the family, we must also consider the practical challenges represented by each engagement, including the appropriate services, reporting framework and costs, particularly where the latter is to be considered as part of broader investment performance. Guiding investment principles and investment policy statements then become a key part of these considerations and represent another opportunity to unite the family with their fiduciary and advisory teams.

Seamless

Ultimately, any change a family makes will carry a risk of disruption to ‘business as usual’, which is why a service provider partner should always look to make any transition as seamless as possible. That means providing an independent project management service, bringing in the right people to make that change happen – from custodians, investment advisors and bankers, to tax and legal advisors.

Speed of course is important – time out of the market represents an opportunity cost in losing out on potential returns. But it’s also a question of getting the right people and the best possible advice. That’s why it’s also so important to seek the support of an experienced trustee with a network of good, reliable contacts who can ensure all the right experience and expertise is brought to the table to facilitate a seamless change in direction.

That requires a deep understanding of the family as well as a positive working relationship and an appreciation of the need to have good, honest and open conversations.

Added benefits

It is often these questions which trigger a broader discussion around a family’s wider objectives and operational framework.

Is there flexibility baked into the overall framework to allow for future change? If you consider that 12% of family offices plan to establish another branch in due course (Deloitte Private), there is a real need to consider future flexibility in the context of the wider international market. Tied to that, there is also the opportunity to consider the rapidly changing demographic nature of families – geographical spread and family complexity for instance.

In all these instances, an assessment stemming from an investment strategy shift can help bring these issues in other areas of a family’s business to the fore.

As a result, whilst it may seem that undertaking a comprehensive review to support a change in investment strategy might be onerous, doing so can not only help realise those realigned investment ambitions, but support a far more efficient, better governed family operation overall too.

The nomination recognises the team’s outstanding response to the firm’s transition to a fully standalone business. Through a disciplined, highly structured, and energetic approach, the team played a critical role in embedding a strong risk culture and ensuring a smooth transition.

The shortlisting reflects the team’s ambition and leadership in driving forward best practice and enhancing governance and risk management across the firm.

Simon Logan, Head of Risk and Compliance commented: “We’re delighted to be recognised for our collaborative effort during a pivotal time for the business. This shortlisting is a testament to the team’s unwavering commitment to delivering best practice.”

Winners will be announced at the ICA Compliance Awards ceremony on 26 June 2025 at the Westminster Park Plaza in London.

Competing in the 100k distance, Fabio will test his limits through running rugged terrain, medieval towns, deep forests, and breathtaking coastal trails. Fabio is taking on the personal challenge to raise awareness and funds for Youthful Minds, a local mental health charity dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of young people in Jersey.

Entitled “Transforming (un)expected challenges into opportunities for the next 30 years”, the sold-out two-day event (2-4 March) included a broad range of discussions, keynote presentations and roundtable sessions covering timely topics important to today’s wealthy families, including: the death of tax-free regimes, tax residency issues and planning trends in the Asian market, and the treatment of digital assets in succession planning.

The conference, ‘Shaping the Future of Private Wealth’, brought together a breadth of global industry leaders to examine and debate the most pressing issues facing UHNW clients and their family offices.

As part of a wide-ranging panel discussion about ‘Tailoring Family Wealth Strategies’ focused on jurisdiction selection and attributes, Steve joined three other industry leaders including, Jennifer Jordan Mccall from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Alessandro Bavila from Maisto e Associati and Gilberto Arosemena C. from Infante & Pérez Almillano.

Steve set the framework for the jurisdictional selection discussion with a brief overview of common jurisdictional categorizations including the growing preference of ‘mid-shore’ jurisdictions like the US. He then articulated a number of objective and subjective criteria all wrapped up in a balanced scorecard-based framework, a very useful tool in theory and in practice in arriving at reasoned jurisdictional decision.

The £500 donation was prize money awarded to Karen Morris, Head of Finance at Crestbridge FOS, following her winning the Jersey Society of Chartered and Certified Accountants (JSCCA) President’s Award for Inspiring Leadership recently.

The accolade, which is in memory of late JSCCA president Chris Stuart, recognises those who have shown inspiring mentorship, prioritised and invested in team members, and helped them reach their full potential. Recipients of the JSCCA award are presented with £500 to gift to a charity of their choice – with Karen choosing Youthful Minds, which is part of Mind Jersey and works to support the mental wellbeing of young people living on the Island.

Crestbridge FOS recently pledged to support Youthful Minds as part of its ongoing commitment to the local community for 2025. The charity was deemed a natural fit due to its alignment with the business’s clear focus on supporting client families and emphasis on the wellbeing of its staff.

Over the coming year, the team at Crestbridge FOS will help the charity, which is led by volunteers and this year marks its 10^th anniversary, to raise awareness around mental health in young people and undertake fundraising initiatives to help provide the charity with financial assistance.

Commenting on receiving the donation, Amy Hall, Children, Young Person and Families Service Manager at Mind Jersey, said:

“This is a very welcome donation from Karen and the team at Crestbridge Family Office Services. We’re looking forward to working with the team further as part of their support for us this year, as we continue to raise awareness around mental health in young people in the island.”

Steve Sokić succeeds John Harris, who will remain with the business in a senior advisor role.