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family office

On the shoulders of giants: Guy Spier on value investment and Warren Buffett

December 15, 2014

A chance discovery in a bookshop led Guy Spier to value investing – and a $650,100 lunch with Warren Buffett. CampdenFB found out how the investment philosophy led him down a different path – both as an investor and a person.

Forget about bonds, forget real estate, forget venture capital. If Guy Spier were the principal of a €5 billion family office he would invest virtually everything in a handful of substantial – but undervalued – listed companies.

Illiquid investments on the rise in European family offices

November 26, 2014

Investor confidence is driving more European family offices to buy into illiquid investments, according to an executive at one of Europe’s largest multi family offices.

Investor confidence is driving more European family offices to buy into illiquid investments, according to an executive at one of Europe’s largest multi family offices.

Family offices in developing economies most cost effective, says new research

November 21, 2014

Family offices in developing regions are the most cost efficient in the industry with governance and investments on par with their western peers. Is this down to operational efficiency or how offices interact with family businesses?

The family offices of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East have the lowest operating costs in the industry, according to the Global Family Office Report 2014, challenging the conventional wisdom that they are costly and underdeveloped.

Despite this, many have governance structures and investment services on par with older offices in Europe and North America, with which they have far more in common than originally thought.

Australian family offices buying into businesses and property, says new EY head

November 13, 2014

Australian family offices are investing in business, property and private equity, says the new head of Ernst & Young’s Oceania family office division.

Australian family offices are investing in business, property and private equity, says the new head of Ernst & Young’s Oceania family office division.

They are also hedging globally as part of a generational investment strategy, says Richard Boyce.

The Australian native says the region’s family office market is currently small, but well connected, and dominated by a few advisory firms, private banks and asset managers.

Boyce’s appointment to EY was announced this week.

Expert warns Stonehage and FF&P merger may not solve profitability dilemma

November 10, 2014

A family office expert has warned that the proposed merger between multi family offices Stonehage and Fleming Family and Partners in pursuit of greater scale may not be the answer to profitability issues faced by the industry.

Family-owned multi family office Fleming Family & Partners has agreed to the merger with Stonehage to create Stonehage Fleming Family and Partners (SF&P). The merger will see the Fleming Family Trust Company’s ownership stake reduced to less than a quarter of the new entity.

Many family offices failing to provide governance and lifestyle support, industry professional says

October 3, 2014

Many family offices do not deliver adequate lifestyle and governance support, despite these areas becoming increasingly important to the families they serve, an industry professional says.

Many family offices do not deliver adequate lifestyle and governance support, despite these areas becoming increasingly important to the families they serve, an industry professional says.

Catherine Grum, head of a new private office division at merchant bank and operational risk business Salamanca Group, says instead many family offices are focussed almost exclusively on investment management.

Lid is lifted on world’s family offices in first ever major global survey

September 18, 2014

The first ever global study of family offices is released today, providing new insights into a growing, but notoriously discreet, sub-section of the ultra-high net worth wealth sector.

The first ever global study of family offices is released today, providing new insights into a growing, but notoriously discreet, sub-section of the ultra-high net worth wealth sector.

The average family office has total assets of $890 million, the research from Campden Wealth Research in partnership with UBS found. The total sample size surveyed represented $180 billion in private wealth.

Report outlines how family offices can keep sensitive data out of cyber hacker hands

August 11, 2014

A “shocking” number of family offices send confidential information via email, according to a family wealth IT expert, as new research outlines how family offices can protect themselves from cyber attacks.

Internet security for family offices: 10 steps to protect online information, a white paper published by software company Archway Technology Partners and family office intranet provider Trusted Family, released this month, says the majority of family offices lack the specialist IT security needed to prevent cyber attacks.

Infosys head of strategy to manage Shibulal family office

July 10, 2014

The head of strategic planning at technology-company Infosys, Ganapathy Subramanian, will reportedly step down after a nearly a decade and take on a managerial role at the chief executive’s family office.

According to an article from Business Standard, Subramanian will join Infosys’ cofounder S D Shibulal – set to retire in August – at his family office Innovations Investment Management India in Bangalore in the near future.

Price of luxury living falls for wealthy Londoners

July 3, 2014

Beluga caviar, cigars and fine dining are among the luxury goods and services that became more affordable for wealthy Londoners over the last year, according to new research, marking a significant fall in price inflation.

Conducted by multi family office Stonehage, the research found the decrease was primarily fuelled by a 9.7% fall in the price of luxury consumables.