Donna Brehaut

Associate Director, Guernsey

Profile

Ethos

Relationships and teamwork are at the heart of all I do. I enjoy making connections and bringing the right people together to achieve the best results, which is reflected in my personal life both coaching and playing netball and basketball for Guernsey.

I am interested in people and what matters to and motivates them. The strength of my relationships with our clients, particularly families, lies in taking the time to fully understand their needs, objectives, values and culture.

I value authenticity and professional integrity. While personable and talkative, I think the ability to listen is too often underestimated in effective communication. In making sure our clients are heard, I am able to assist in meeting their objectives.

My entire professional career has been within the trust and financial services industry, playing to my strengths of putting people first. It is important to me not only to build initial rapports with clients, including across multiple generations, but to also maintain and develop those relationships over time.


Role

As part of the Business Development team, I am responsible for engaging with clients and intermediaries to identify areas where we are best placed to add value. I firmly believe that our people set us apart, alongside our freedom to offer completely bespoke services.

Something which I value in my role is that, because Saffery Trust is an independent trust company, we have sovereignty which enables me to engage with any specialist, anywhere, to connect our clients with un-restricted access to top-tier intermediaries and advisors.

As well as initiating the on-boarding and establishment of new structures for clients, my extensive trust management background means that I can also act as relationship manager, working with a team of trust professionals to ensure clients have the best possible experience.

I have an extensive knowledge base of alternative structures, with a particular interest in local legislation surrounding foundations, which may be a vehicle of choice for families considering succession planning, asset protection, family governance and philanthropy.


Key experience

  • Significant experience working with clients in the UK, South Africa, Middle East and Asia.
  • Working on discretionary trusts, bespoke trust and company structures, foundations and private trust company structures.
  • Dealing with a varied asset base, including investment portfolios with a diverse range of securities and asset classes, private companies, commercial and residential property and carried interest.
  • Member of the firm’s Investment Review Committee
  • Actively involved with driving forward the firm’s strategy and fiduciary offering in the Cayman Islands.

Professional memberships and listings

  • Full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
  • Member of the Chartered Management Institute
  • Featured in the CityWealth Future Leaders Top 100 list
  • Under 40 Boutique Trustee of the Year in the CityWealth Future Leaders awards (2016)
  • Featured in the ePrivate Client top 30 under 30 lists in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 as well as the Channel Island list in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022.
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