Dominic Wheatley explains the island’s popularity as a destination for family offices.
There is growing appreciation of the products and services that international finance centres such as Guernsey can provide to high-net-worth individuals, particularly as regards family office solutions.
The Guernsey advantage
Guernsey’s popularity within the family office sector is driven by several factors. The island has its own elected parliament, a stable system of government, and a mature, sophisticated legal system that provides certainty in terms of the ownership and operation of wealth structures.
The island’s proximity to London and mainland Europe, as well as its convenient time zone and tax neutrality, is also advantageous, as is the fact that Guernsey, with more than 50 years’ experience of servicing private and corporate clients, has unparalleled capability in dealing with family office structures.
Guernsey’s 150-plus licensed fiduciaries range from multinational organisations to independent, boutique operations, all specialising in the preservation of individual and family wealth. These fiduciaries are complemented by Guernsey’s broader financial services industry and a strong network of professional support services, including multi-jurisdictional law firms and global accountancy practices.
A number of big international players provide family office services in Guernsey. However, independent and privately owned trust companies have also developed family office expertise, with many small to medium-sized fiduciary businesses hosting one or more family office structures.
Indeed, an increasingly common trend in Guernsey in recent years has been the expansion of single-family offices into multi-family offices (MFOs). An MFO can still offer specialised services to a given family but will do so on a non-exclusive basis, delivering economies of scale.
Guernsey structures
Guernsey’s corporate, trust and foundation structures can be used to hold assets of all types across the globe. Most recently, the island has introduced legislation enabling the establishment of limited liability partnerships. This wide variety of structures has fuelled the growth of a range of financial services sectors, including captive insurance, fiduciary and investment management.
Since Guernsey pioneered the protected cell company (PCC) more than 15 years ago, it has become a key corporate vehicle used by many family offices. Incorporated cell companies (ICCs) are increasingly popular too. Such private cell structures can be used to segregate different assets for different strands of a particular family or simply for risk-management purposes.
A pertinent benefit of a PCC or ICC is that it allows for consolidated reporting, which means a family head can have one report or statement consolidating the assets and liabilities across the entire family cellular structure. This wrapper-like reporting is appealing, particularly when coupled with the ability to segregate the assets and liabilities of one cell from those of another.
Private wealth investment
One of Guernsey’s greatest strengths is its heritage in providing offshore wealth management and family office services and solutions. The island has significant experience in administering not just basic but also the most complex private wealth-structuring arrangements.
Dominic Wheatley is Chief Executive of Guernsey Finance, the promotional agency for Guernsey’s finance industry. His role includes business development and the promotion of Guernsey’s finance industry in the Island’s target markets including Europe, the US and the emerging markets, technical research to support promotional activities and liaison with industry associations and government. Previously Chief Marketing Officer of the Willis Global Captive Practice and Managing Director of its Guernsey business, Dominic has more than 25 years of finance experience in London and, for the past 20 years in Guernsey. Dominic is a member of the Institute of Directors and serves as a non-executive director on a number of local boards. He is a fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute and holds an M.B.A from Warwick University.
Guernsey Finance is the agency responsible for the promotion of the island’s finance industry internationally. The organisation has its head office in Guernsey and a representative office in Shanghai, China. As a leading international fiduciary centre with more than 50 years’ experience, Guernsey’s strong heritage has allowed it to build and develop significant experience and infrastructure in the provision financial services. For more information, please visit the website at www.guernseyfinance.com.
