Belasko appoints new Associate Director in Guernsey

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Belasko continues the growth of its senior leadership team with the appointment of Alex Le Prevost as Associate Director.

In his new role, Alex will utilise his 18 years of experience in the private wealth sector and oversee the Guernsey fiduciary team and drive growth initiatives within the business. 

Andy Bailey, Group Head of Private Wealth at Belasko, said: ‘We are pleased to welcome Alex to the team. We look forward to supporting him drive new initiatives and continue the business’ chapter of growth across all jurisdictions of operation. His experience and knowledge of off-island markets complements our existing team.’ 

Alex has a strong background in the South African market and is eager to share his knowledge of client relationships with the team.  

On his appointment, Alex said: ‘I’m very excited for the opportunity to be a part of Belasko’s exciting future and join what is already an energised senior management team. I look forward to working across our jurisdictions to continue delivering excellent client services.’

Belasko acquires Jersey-based family office

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Belasko has acquired Jersey-based family office business, BKS Family Office Limited, to complement and expand Belasko’s existing family office and private wealth offering.

The deal increases the experience and capacity across the group in Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg and the UK.

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director at Belasko, said: ‘We’re delighted to have come to this agreement with BKS which will build the scale of our operating model in Jersey whilst continuing to deliver outstanding client service. The acquisition of BKS delivers critical scale to our Jersey business but also enhances our private wealth and family office services across all of our operating jurisdictions. This acquisition cements our commitment to Jersey and our continued innovation in the family office sector.’

Chris Bevan, Managing Director at BKS, added, ‘We were looking for the right partner to help BKS in the next chapter of its growth whilst supporting succession goals for our leadership team. The personal relationships with Paul and the entire Belasko team gave us the confidence that we could do this whilst continuing to look after our clients and all members of the team.’

The combined Jersey business will relocate to the existing BKS offices on New Street with 35 highly experienced private wealth practitioners, another milestone for the Belasko Group.

Belasko promoted 14 members of the group

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The Belasko team can now announce 14 promotions across the Group, including new Associate Director in Luxembourg, Angelique Pecheur.

Angelique is heading up the corporate secretarial team. She joined Belasko in 2021 with more than 15 years of experience in management and fund services.

This round of promotions includes three new managers, two new assistant managers and three senior positions across the group.

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director, said: ‘We are thrilled to share this host of well-deserved promotions across the Group. At Belasko, we support the personal and professional growth of our people and it is excellent to see all of our locations levelling up their offering and continuing to deliver first-class financial services.’

Belasko expands operation in Luxembourg

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Belasko has relocated its Luxembourg office following the business’s expectation-breaking growth.    

Belasko has now moved to a new office space at 43-45 Allée Scheffer which will enable and encourage further development and expansion for the business.  

Ross Youngs, Commercial Director at Belasko, said; ‘The team and I are delighted with the growth we have experienced. It affirms our view that putting clients front and centre, proactively training our teams, investing in great technology and focusing on stability are the key building blocks of our success.’ 

The new premises will reinforce Belasko as an employer of choice and cement Luxembourg as a key jurisdiction for the business.  

Ross continued, ‘We received CSSF approval for our funds business in May 2022 and have quickly outgrown our previous office. We are very excited about working with our customers in Luxembourg and are proud to have secured such great premises for our staff and clients alike.’ 

‘We’re proud that Luxembourg is one of our four chosen jurisdictions. Since opening in Luxembourg in April 2022, the team have achieved fantastic organic growth and we look forward to many more years to come.’  

Channel Islands Cricket League returns with new sponsor

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Following a three-year break, Guernsey Cricket and Jersey Cricket can announce the return of the Channel Islands Cricket League to the inter-insular cricket calendar. The combined league will also welcome Belasko as the title sponsor for the next two years.  

The previous iteration of the pan-island cricket league was ceased in 2019 due to the global pandemic with current champions ATF St Ouen Springfield taking the crown in a hard-fought victory over Farmers Caesareans.

Commenting on the deal for Guernsey Cricket, CEO Mark Latter said, “It has been great to work with Lee Meloy and Sarah Gomersall in Jersey to bring the return of the Belasko Channel Island Cricket League. There is excited anticipation at the renewing of rivalries at inter-insular club level. To be able to attract a title sponsor of the profile of Belasko speaks volumes for the interest such cross water fixtures can create.” 

Sarah Gomersall, Jersey Cricket CEO, added “The Belasko Channel Island Cricket League will add more variety and healthy competition to our club cricket calendar. Securing the return of inter-island club cricket has been a top priority for us. We are delighted to have secured Belasko as the title sponsor for the next two years and thank them for their assistance.” 

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director at Belasko, said: “The team at Belasko is committed to supporting our local communities and we’re pleased that our support will help the Channel Islands Cricket League get back off the ground after three years. We are thrilled to bring our two Channel Island offices together for a summer of cricket.” 

The Belasko Channel Island Cricket League of course relies on inter-island travel and timings to suit a cricket match and Guernsey and Jersey Cricket wish to extend their thanks to Brent Blondel, and all at Blue Islands, for their work and flexibility in creating the required flight schedules to allow the matches to take place. 

Fixtures are scheduled to commence earlier than usual with the first game 27th May and they run through various weekends until the Final to be held in Jersey on 26th August. More information on the Belasko Channel Island Cricket League can be found at www.guernseycricket.com or CLICK HERE. 

Belasko appoints Director in Jersey

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Belasko continues to strengthen its senior leadership with the appointment of Scott Nelson as Client Services Director in Jersey.  

Scott has a multi-disciplinary background in corporate, private wealth and fund administration with more than 20 years of experience in offshore financial services. Scott also has considerable expertise working with private and listed clients from a broad range of jurisdictions and sectors.  

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director at Belasko, said: ‘I’m delighted to strengthen our offering in Jersey with Scott’s appointment. He joins us with a wealth of expertise and will be a great addition to our growing team on the island.’  

In his new role, he will be working with Belasko’s fiduciary team to develop corporate strategy and utilise his experience in regulatory and financial technology to maintain excellent client experiences and manage business risk. 

Belasko appoints experienced Client Services Director to lead Guernsey funds team

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Belasko has appointed Tom Lambrechts as Client Services Director to support the continued growth of the business and lead the Guernsey funds team.  

Prior to joining Belasko, Tom held the position of Client Director at a global fund administrator. He has extensive experience in corporate governance and establishing high-performing teams servicing a varied portfolio of private capital clients. Tom graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc (Hons) in Business and is a qualified chartered accountant (ICAEW). 

Greg McKenzie, Managing Director in Guernsey, said: ‘Belasko continues to grow our fund services offering with Tom’s appointment. He brings a wealth of experience to the role and is passionate about delivering exceptional client service. We welcome Tom to the Guernsey team.’  

In his new role, Tom will oversee client delivery and ensure operational excellence across all aspects of the Guernsey funds team. 

 

Belasko prioritises Learning and Development

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Belasko has appointed Katie Bodman as Head of Learning and Development, a newly created role affirming the importance of staff development as a core focus for the group.  

Katie will be responsible for the development and implementation of Belasko’s learning and development programme to all staff across the group, Guernsey, Jersey, Luxembourg and the UK, for both professional and personal development.  

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director at Belasko said: ‘Belasko continues to experience strong client growth and so now is the right time to focus on the development of our people. Katie strengthens our team by bringing a specific learning and development specialism to drive the continued growth and progression of our teams.  

‘In addition to Katie’s primary role, she will also lead mental health first aid training and wellbeing initiatives across the group, which become increasingly important as we continue to grow across multiple locations.’  

Katie has more than 17 years of experience working within the human resources industry. She holds a CIPD level 3 in training practice, CIPD level 5 in human resource management and CIPD level 7 in employment law.  

‘I look forward to supporting Belasko’s focus on continuous professional development and growth of their people. I’ve always had a passion for seeing people progress, grow their careers and reach their personal and professional goals,’ said Katie Bodman, Head of Learning and Development.  

Belasko appoints Edward Green as CEO

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Belasko announces the strengthening of its senior leadership team with the appointment of Edward Green as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). This development will see current CEO, Paul Lawrence, transitioning to the newly created position of Group Managing Director.

Edward joins with 19 years of experience within Private Equity, Private Credit and Real Estate and most recently as Partner and Head of Asset Management at AnaCap Financial Partners (“AnaCap”). Edward will now take responsibility for driving the next phase of Belasko’s growth as a digitally enabled administration platform. Moving forward, Edward will base himself in London and divide his time across Belasko’s extensive operations in the four jurisdictions of Guernsey, Jersey, UK and Luxembourg.

Edward’s introduction to Belasko stems back to 2019 when he first met Paul with the pair instantly recognising a unique market opportunity to position a privately owned asset servicing business in Luxembourg, United Kingdom, and the Channel Islands, in a market dominated by private equity backed global businesses, leaving smaller asset businesses under serviced. This market opportunity ultimately led to the acquisition of Belasko by a group of strategically aligned private investors with patient capital support.

Edward Green, CEO at Belasko, commented:
“I am very much looking forward to continuing my working relationship with Belasko, having operated closely with the impressive team since its acquisition by private investors back in 2019. This new role will now enable me to more actively focus my operational skills, developed as both a client and an investor in several fund administration businesses, to drive the business going forward. I look forward to deploying my experience and network avenues to bolster the client proposition and further support the company’s growth trajectory in what is a very exciting time for the rapidly consolidating market as a whole.” 

Paul’s role as Group Managing Director will largely focus on the delivery of first-class client services, operational performance and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions. He has more than 30 years of experience in private wealth, banking and private capital.

Paul Lawrence, Group Managing Director at Belasko, concluded:
“We see a significant level of high potential opportunities ahead for Belasko and I am very confident for the firm’s future development across multiple jurisdictions. I look forward to working closely with Edward and the wider senior management team as we look to deliver sustainable growth for the business.”

Edward will also be taking a leadership role in Equipped.ai, a technology business for alternative asset managers. This will present synergistic opportunities for working with Belasko clients to provide more holistic technology solutions.

Guernsey Raiders Rugby Club secures sponsorship from Belasko

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Belasko is proud to announce its two-year sponsorship deal with the Guernsey Raiders Rugby Club.

Belasko’s sponsorship will contribute to essential operational costs including both the men and women’s travel costs for away matches in the UK. This support will ensure that the teams can continue their participation in the UK league system.  

During the 2022/23 season, the Guernsey’s Raiders’ teams will take part in 36 games, half home and half away in the UK.  

Andrea Harris, chair of the Guernsey Raiders club, said: ‘We are hugely grateful to Belasko for their support. It costs approximately £100,000 per annum just to enable the Raiders’ senior teams to travel to the UK for their away matches. Belasko’s contribution will help to fund travel for the current season and for 2023/24. 

‘The role of the Guernsey Rugby Association in the island’s schools in recent years has increased the number of home-grown talented players taking part in Guernsey Raiders games. We hope to see more coming through the door in the future.’    

Ross Youngs, Group Commercial Director at Belasko, said: ‘We hope this sponsorship period will evolve into a long and fulfilling partnership. At Belasko, we are huge supporters of our local community and our employees.  

‘We are proud to support Belasko’s own Tom Teasedale and Dom Rice as part of this sponsorship, who both play for the Guernsey Raiders.’