发布时间：2019-04-01
《传承宝典》6
与家族办公室主任的专访
作为 Future is Now 《传承宝典》的一部分，我们新近采访了私募股权和风险投资领域的不同参与者，也包括：大企业、初创型公司和引人注目的并购交易撮合者，乃至本期的全球知名家族办公室主任。透视他们的日常生活（day-to-day life），来为家族未来的接班人，提供创业榜样与职场借鉴。
请告诉我您在Stonehage Fleming家族办公室的角色?
2014年，我以高级顾问（Senior Associate）的身份加入公司，并于2017年成为瑞士纳沙泰尔（Neuchâtel）的家族办公室部门主管。我在Stonehage Fleming有三顶“帽子”：担任家族关系经理（relationship manager），使用我们的信托和家族办公室服务；担任我们公司的受托人/董事；并管理一个由七名信托专家组成的团队，为我们在瑞士境内的客户服务。作为一名有资质的英国律师，我审查和监督我的团队工作，同时在交易和起草方面提供指导和方向。我的任务还包括设计和实施IT的工作流程和方法步骤（workflows and procedures），以提高我们所服务家族的效率。编程和开发仍在进行中，但非常令人兴奋。
私人客户行业发生了怎样的变化?
我们现在的交易中，都在执行的反洗钱和KYC规则（即Know your Client/AML），已成为行业的驱动力。这一点在全球化的环境中更为明显：在全球环境中，您要与不同司法管辖区的许多方面打交道，尽管涉及相同的事务，并且为某一请求引用相同的理性(rational)，但是这些方面的需求常常会有显著的不同。对于“反洗钱（AML，即 anti-money laundering）”核查的贯彻实施，这一迫切需要已然对金融行业施加了积极的影响，对于未来可能产生的商誉损害，也应对会有所限制。然而，它同时创造了一个“逐项稽核”的（形式化）环境，基金、银行和其他机构必须向监管机构表明，他们已提出过了正确的问题。而有利的一面是，我们正在减少与我们所服务的家族相关的各方；允许使用可信的合作伙伴来简化流程。
您学到了什么?
我必须提出一些棘手的问题，无论是关于客户投资建议的可行性，还是关于继任的规划。避免这样的讨论可能是更简单的方法，但最终，它会为客户关系增加更多极具意义的价值。我们服务的一个家族是 Stonehage Fleming 超过15年的客户，拥有一个信托机构，将家族的“储备金”资产（'nest egg' assets）与他们的交易业务分开管理。他们最近询问是：要将其中一名家庭成员迁往另一个国家，他们想在那里与共同投资者（co-investor）一起购买一座农场。
我们的做法如下：我们就客户拟议的迁居，征求了目的地国的意见，包括签证要求和税务状况，然后与家属讨论了各种选项，及其对信托架构的影响。在商定了今后的道路后，我们聘请了当地顾问，开始并随即完成了签证的申请程序。然后我们在不同的国家确定了两种选择。我们也从两国的法律顾问那里获得了法律和（信托）架构方面的建议；一个国家收集一次建议的做法，是为了确保不会产生不利的后果。在与该家族和共同投资者进行了数周的接触，并审阅了农作物历史、气候、运输和政治安全度之后，最终做出了收购该家农场的这一决定。我们聘请了该国的（信托）架构设计专家，与两家在当地注册的公司共同成立了一家控股公司（a holding company），以维护投资者各自的利益；并将迁居当地的家族成员，任命为董事会成员。
您的客户面临哪些挑战?
保护家族的财富和名誉是我们的职责。人们对富裕家庭的看法越来越负面，重要的是，他们要表现出他们在为社会做出了哪些帮助。我们的许多家庭都从事慈善活动（philanthropic activities），但意见或评论传播之易、速度之快都意味着：我们必须始终意识到可能会损害到更广泛家族声誉的那些活动。另外，在监管动向、接班计划和将责任移交给下一代、技术/网络犯罪等方面，我们也面临着诸多挑战。
您收到过的最好的建议是什么?
一知半解是件危险的事。作为一个多家族办公室，我们不断面临着新的挑战和经验，而能够独立地解决所有问题会更简便。作为一个集团，我们拥有广泛而深刻的知识储备，并且都是在一辈子的职业生涯中（over a lifetime of careers）所积累起来的，因此，我们会知道何时、向谁来寻求建议和帮助。
漫长的一天之后，您如何放松?
做饭、壁球、和我女儿享受在一起的生活。我也不会在晚上9点以后看手机，因为如若没有这个休息时间，我每天晚上都会把工作带到床上。——韦恩·埃利奥特（Wayne Elliott）
English Version
Tell me about your role at Stonehage Fleming?
I joined the firm in 2014 as a Senior Associate and in 2017 became Director in the Family Office Division in Neuchâtel. I have three ‘hats’ at Stonehage Fleming; acting as relationship manager for families using our fiduciary and family office services; sitting on the board of our corporate trustee/director companies and managing a team of seven trust officers working for our Swiss administered clients.
As a UK qualified Solicitor, I review and monitor my team's work whilst also providing guidance and direction on transactions and drafting. I have also been tasked with designing and implementing IT workflows and procedures to increase efficiency for our families. The programming and development are still underway but is very exciting.
How has the private client industry changed?
The industry has become driven by the anti-money laundering and know your client (AML/KYC) rules in which we all now transact. This is more noticeable when working in a global environment, where you are dealing with numerous parties in different jurisdictions who can often have dramatically different requirements despite being involved in the same transaction and quoting the same rational for the request.The need to ensure AML checks are properly undertaken has had a positive impact on the industry and should limit any reputational damage going forward. However, it has created a‘box ticking’ environment where funds, banks and others must show to regulators that they have asked the right questions. The upside is that we are reducing the parties with whom our families are involved; allowing processes to be streamlined with trusted partners.
What lesson have you learnt?
I must ask difficult questions, whether it is about the viability of client investment proposals or about succession planning. Avoiding such discussions may be the easier path but ultimately, it adds significantly more value to the relationship.
Tell us about any interesting client instructions?
One of our families have been clients of Stonehage Fleming for over fifteen years and have a fiduciary structure to manage the family's ‘nest egg’assets separately from their trading businesses. They recently enquired about relocating one of the family members to a different country where they wanted to buy a farm with a co-investor.Our approach was as follows: We obtained advice from the country on the proposed move including VISA requirements and tax status and then discussed the options and their impact upon the fiduciary structures with the family. Having agreed the way forward we engaged local advisers to begin and subsequently complete the VISA application process.
We then identified two options in different countries. We obtained legal and structuring advice from legal advisers in both; the advice in one country was to ensure no adverse consequences arose. After weeks of engagement with the family and the co-investor and having reviewed crop history, weather, transport and political security, a decision was made to acquire a farm.We engaged structuring specialists in the country to advise and establish a holding company with two locally registered companies to maintain the investors' respective interests; with the local family member appointed to the Board.
What challenges do your clients face?
It is our job to protect family wealth and reputations. There is an increasingly negative perception of wealthy families and it is important that they demonstrate what they are doing to help society.
Many of our families undertake philanthropic activities but the ease and speed in which an opinion or comment can spread means we must always be aware of activities which may damage the wider family’s reputation. Navigating regulationSuccession planning and the transfer of responsibility to the next generation.Technology/ cyber crime.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
“A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.” As a multi-family office, we are constantly facing new challenges and experiences and it would be easy to fix all problems independently. As a group we have a significant breadth and depth of knowledge, built up over a lifetime of careers, so it is about knowing when to reach out for advice and assistance and to whom.
What was the last book you've read?
I have an 11 month old baby who was struggling to sleep so “The Happiest Baby on the Block”.
How do you relax after a long day?
Cooking, squash and spending time with my daughter. I also don’t look at my phone after 9pm as without this break each evening I take my work to bed.
——Wayne Elliott
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