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Reflecting on 40 years as a Jersey-based, independent trust company

Reflecting on 40 years as a Jersey-based, independent trust company

Sunday 25 September 2022

Reflecting on 40 years as a Jersey-based, independent trust company


MEDIA RELEASE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not Bailiwick Express, and the text is reproduced exactly as supplied to us

Until 1982, VG had existed as the unincorporated trust and corporate operating arm of local law firm Michael Voisin & Co, however, client demand for trust, corporate and fund administration structures could no longer be adequately serviced as an adjunct to the company’s legal services. To meet this demand, VG was established, initially as Volaw until it rebranded to VG in 2017, as a specialist Jersey-based, independent trust company.

40 years of growth and success was made possible by our ability to meet and exceed client expectations by attracting the diverse expertise of our Jersey-based fiduciary professionals and, in turn, their ability to innovate. In the early years, VG was known for exploring the possibilities of Jersey corporate law and working on innovative transactions and structures that are still in use today; this put both Jersey’s finance industry and VG on the map.

We now administer over 1100 structures which hold assets under administration exceeding £15bn on behalf of our clients, resident in over 80 countries globally. On average our clients have partnered with us for over 10 years and, furthermore, 25% of our clients have had a relationship with us for more than 15 years. Our long-term client and intermediary relationships are testament to the consistent and hands-on relationships we have built based on open communication, shared vision and trust. We have grown from a team of 12 to over 110 trust and fiduciary professionals. Over 75% of our client-facing team hold a relevant professional qualification and the remainder actively encouraged and supported to undertake professional qualifications, ensuring that our clients receive the highest level of technical expertise, competency and robust structuring. This is further enhanced by time and battle-tested risk management and corporate governance protocols. 

Since 1982 there has been a lot of change, from hair styles and clothes to significant evolution of laws and regulations; Jersey’s finance industry has been built on long standing values in a fast-moving regulatory environment. Forty years ago, there was no AML or CDD, long lunches with clients were the norm and transactions were undertaken by letter before fax and email were widely available. We at VG have reacted to the changing environment, efficiently restructuring as tax and legal regulations advance, whilst continuing to seamlessly preserve and enhance the wealth of our clients. The corporate arena has always been more structured, but work was more transactional than structural and many forms of legal vehicle, upon which we now rely to that end, were non-existent at the time.

Honesty, integrity, competency, valuing relationships, caring about the success of clients and our staff and meeting all challenges with a can-do attitude are our core values. These have driven our success and remain as true today as they did 40 years ago. Our independence allows us to value our clients, partners and team as people rather than assets. We are not driven by checklists or headquarters’ policies; we consider matters on a case-by-case basis with our own entrepreneurial approach and make decisions quickly. We look at the value of the long-term relationship with our clients above immediate financial reward which allows us to grow alongside them. 

It’s as simple as…putting your assets in the hands of people you can trust. 

For more information about VG or details of the legal and regulatory status of VG, please visit www.vg.je.

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