The £500 donation was prize money awarded to Karen Morris, Head of Finance at Crestbridge FOS, following her winning the Jersey Society of Chartered and Certified Accountants (JSCCA) President’s Award for Inspiring Leadership recently.

The accolade, which is in memory of late JSCCA president Chris Stuart, recognises those who have shown inspiring mentorship, prioritised and invested in team members, and helped them reach their full potential. Recipients of the JSCCA award are presented with £500 to gift to a charity of their choice – with Karen choosing Youthful Minds, which is part of Mind Jersey and works to support the mental wellbeing of young people living on the Island.

Crestbridge FOS recently pledged to support Youthful Minds as part of its ongoing commitment to the local community for 2025. The charity was deemed a natural fit due to its alignment with the business’s clear focus on supporting client families and emphasis on the wellbeing of its staff.

Over the coming year, the team at Crestbridge FOS will help the charity, which is led by volunteers and this year marks its 10^th anniversary, to raise awareness around mental health in young people and undertake fundraising initiatives to help provide the charity with financial assistance.

Commenting on receiving the donation, Amy Hall, Children, Young Person and Families Service Manager at Mind Jersey, said:

“This is a very welcome donation from Karen and the team at Crestbridge Family Office Services. We’re looking forward to working with the team further as part of their support for us this year, as we continue to raise awareness around mental health in young people in the island.”

Steve Sokić succeeds John Harris, who will remain with the business in a senior advisor role.

Since Crestbridge Family Office Services’ inception in 2013, the independent and privately-owned private client trust and family office focused firm has made a commitment to continuously build on the foundations for growth, an ambition reflected in this new appointment.

Steve’s career within the family office, trust and asset structuring sectors spans over 25 years.  It has encompassed global executive management and client oversight roles at IQ EQ, Sanne Group PLC, Royal Bank of Canada and Deloitte.  Recognised as an insightful industry commentator, Steve is well known and respected in the private client and family office circles globally, which is also reflected in his recognition via a number of industry awards. He holds several professional qualifications including Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Trust Estate Practitioner (TEP) and he is a tri-national of Canada, Croatia and Britain.

Steve commented:

“Clients’ needs have been and continue to be re-shaped by evolving regulatory, legal, tax, political and socio-economic factors, financial institutions and professional service providers must remain flexible and responsive.  Crestbridge Family Office Services has built a truly excellent business in the trust, family office and UHNW private client space and is strongly positioned to thrive in these new times.  It is my genuine pleasure and privilege to join Heather and her team in the next phase of their growth journey.”

Crestbridge Family Office CEO Heather Tibbo commented:

“This is an exciting announcement for our business. Since opening our doors in 2013, our vision has been to set new standards of technical expertise and service excellence within our discipline.  We are delighted to welcome an industry figure of Steve’s calibre, experience and truly global perspective, whose ambition and passion for the sector mirrors our own. We have bold plans for our future, and unquestionably we have the team to deliver them. We are thrilled to begin this new chapter for Crestbridge Family Office Services and for our clients and partners.”

The decision to support Youthful Minds – which is part of Mind Jersey and is dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of young people in Jersey – represents a natural fit for Crestbridge FOS, with the firm having a clear focus on supporting client families and placing a significant emphasis on the wellbeing of its own people and their families.

As part of its support, the team at Crestbridge FOS will help the charity to raise awareness around mental health in young people, and undertake fundraising initiatives over the course of the year to help provide the charity with financial assistance.

Youthful Minds, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, is led by a group of volunteers aged 11-26, all of whom have a passion for raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health in Jersey. Through its ongoing outreach programme, the charity aims to educate and raise awareness around children and young people’s mental health in Jersey; to reduce stigma around mental health and mental illness in young people; and ensure the voices of those who have experienced mental health problems are heard.

Commenting on the support for Youthful Minds, Heather Tibbo, CEO, Crestbridge FOS, said:

“Supporting the vital work of Youthful Minds is a natural fit for us, aligning perfectly with our values as a business. Families and young people are at the heart of everything we do – both in terms of our clients and our own people, many of whom have young families. We are therefore very alive to the challenges young people and their families face, both professionally and personally.

“The work undertaken by Youthful Minds is absolutely critical in building a safe and supportive environment for young people in Jersey, and we look forward to building a strong relationship with the amazing team at the charity over the coming months.”

Amy Hall, Children, Young Person and Families Service Manager at Mind Jersey, added:

“We are delighted to have the support of the team at Crestbridge Family Office Services this year, in what is an important 10th anniversary year for us. Their support will be hugely helpful as we continue to raise awareness around mental health in young people in the island, and ensure that young people’s voices, ideas and experiences continue to shape and improve mental health services in Jersey.”

Heather is included in the 2025 eprivateclient 50 Most Influential list, published this week.  The list, produced annually, celebrates the 50 most prominent figures from across the private client landscape in the UK and Crown Dependencies. Identifying those who are driving progress in the sector, being selected takes into consideration the achievements and contribution of key individuals over the past year.

It is the seventh consecutive time Heather has been featured, reinforcing her position as one of the most authoritative figures in the sector and underlining the impact of her leadership, as the firm has continued to grow as an independent and privately-owned business over the past twelve months.

With more 25 years’ experience supporting the needs of UHNW individuals and families, Heather leads the business’ strategy, culture and values while also managing a number of the firm’s key client relationships. She has played a pivotal role in transforming Crestbridge FOS into a successful and diverse business, providing a comprehensive range of cross-border services to families and corporate clients in multiple jurisdictions.

Reflecting on the recognition and Crestbridge FOS’ growth journey over the past year, Heather said:

“While this recognition is clearly very pleasing for me personally, it is a reflection of the incredible journey that we continue to go on as a team at Crestbridge Family Office Services. Over the past year, we have remained fully focused on our growth and evolution as an independent and privately-owned business adding exceptional people to our fantastic team, supporting the career development of colleagues, gaining industry recognition, and enhancing our suite of services to support the increasingly sophisticated and complex aspirations of our UHNW clients. It is a privilege to lead this team and I’m excited about what we can continue to achieve together in 2025 and beyond.”

Daniel Cavey, who has significant experience working with complex structures spanning multiple jurisdictions including Switzerland, Cayman and the US, and Debbie Donaldson, who has a particular focus on supporting the objectives of high net worth Middle Eastern families, have both been promoted to Senior Manager.

In addition, Marta Latek, who provides a critical role as part of the team responsible for the day-to-day administration of one of the firm’s largest clients, has been promoted to a next level Administrator, and Jack Rondel, who provides support for multiple clients, becomes an Administrator.

Effective from 1 January 2025, the promotions recognise the achievements and contribution of these team members to the business over the past year, whilst also evidencing Crestbridge FOS’ ongoing commitment to supporting professional development and nurturing talent.

Congratulating those being promoted, Heather Tibbo, Chief Executive, Crestbridge FOS, said:

“Supporting the professional ambitions of our people and giving them the opportunity to thrive is something that is absolutely embedded in our culture as an independent and privately-owned business, and with that in mind it’s wonderful to see these members of our team developing with the business and receiving the recognition they deserve. 2024 has been another busy year in our journey as a firm, and it is testament to the shared contribution of our whole team that we are in such a strong position as we look forward to another exciting year of growth and evolution in 2025.”

Held in Jersey last week (5 December), the Awards – now in their third year – celebrate and recognise individual and team excellence, knowledge and best practice across the private wealth sector in Jersey and Guernsey, with winners being selected by an independent panel of judges.

The win follows on from Crestbridge FOS being successful in the same category at Wealthbriefing’s MENA Awards in Dubai last month – a category the firm has won for two years in a row – with this latest award further underlining its capabilities in supporting families of wealth with their global, complex and increasingly diverse needs.

In selecting Crestbridge FOS for the Award, the judges noted in particular that the firm has continued this year to ‘excel in delivering tailored, high-quality fiduciary services with integrity and expertise’, with a ‘commitment to independence, client trust, and employee well-being’.

Commenting on the award win, Heather Tibbo, CEO of Crestbridge Family Office Services, said:

“This year, we have been acutely focused on continuing to build on the reputation we have earned over the past decade for providing technical excellence and top-tier client service, aligned with our strategy to differentiate ourselves in a highly competitive market. This award, which maintains our recent success in being recognised as a leading independent player in the family office space, is a reflection of those efforts and is testament to the collective expertise and experience of our growing team.”

Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media’s CEO, and publisher of Wealthbriefing, added:
“These awards are so beneficial as they give organisations the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, be recognised internally and externally and to celebrate in style with their peers.”

The awards have been established to recognise outstanding contributions made by individual team members over the course of the year. Nominations can be submitted by anyone in the firm, and sit across the three categories of our core values Integrity, Professionalism, and Agility. Our judges reviewed all the nominations, ultimately settling on a winner and runner up in each category. Those names announced on the night were:

Integrity: Debbie Donaldson, Manager (winner) for her energy, dedication, kindness, and commitment to her team, and Sarah Eden, HR Business Partner (runner up) for her work with the social committee and championing of inclusion.

Professionalism: Charlie Lucas, Administrator (winner) for his consistently impressive delivery of often highly complex work, and Marta Latek, Administrator (runner up) for her dedication to client service and unswervingly positive disposition.

Agility: Roxana Dumitrache, Team Support (winner) for her tireless and flexible cross-functional support of colleagues, and Ian Carr, Facilities Officer (runner up) for ensuring we benefitted from a comfortable and safe office, made more challenging in this year of relocation.

The variety and quality of nominations in this first year was impressive, making the judges’ task anything but easy. We would like to extend our congratulations to this year’s winners and runners up.

Now in their eleventh year, the Awards were held in Dubai last week to celebrate and recognise excellence, knowledge and best practice across the private wealth sector in the Middle East and North Africa region, with winners being selected by an independent panel of judges.

The win reflects Crestbridge FOS’s deep understanding of the Middle East region, a market where it has developed strong relationships over a number of years, supporting the global and increasingly complex objectives of a growing number of families based in the region.

In selecting Crestbridge FOS for the Award – which the firm also won last year – the judges noted in particular ‘the firm’s dedication to the Middle East, evidenced through its continued enhancement of Sharia-compliant structures’, as well as its wider growth and evolution as an independent business over the past year.

Heather Tibbo, CEO of Crestbridge Family Office Services, commented on the award win:

“To have won this particular Award for the second year in a row is a reflection of our sustained focus on delivering superior client service to families in the Middle East. This is a region where, as a team, we have gained considerable experience and knowledge over a long period of time. There is no doubt that clients appreciate our team’s ability to understand their needs and demands as well as our specific Islamic Finance capabilities, and we continue to focus on enhancing our service capabilities in this important region.”

Stephen Harris, CEO of ClearView Financial Media’s and publisher of WealthBriefing, added:

“We have seen a marked increase in entrants and interest in all our global awards programmes and Wealthbriefing MENA is no exception. These awards are so beneficial as they give organisations and individuals the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, and be recognised internally and externally.”

The award, which honours the memory of late JSCCA president Chris Stuart, recognises those who have shown inspiring mentorship, acted as an ambassador of the profession, prioritised and invested in team members, and helped them reach their full potential.

Karen has played a key role in supporting her team as the firm has undergone a transition, continuing its journey as an independent and privately owned business. Not only did Karen oversee the restructuring of her team and the redefining of its role, but did so while successfully carrying out day-to-day responsibilities of the business to clients, partners, and others.

Heather Tibbo, Chief Executive Officer of Crestbridge Family Office Services commented: ‘This is fitting recognition of Karen’s innate leadership skills and tireless dedication to her team and the firm. Successfully managing change demands operational expertise, resilience, empathy, and the ability to unite the team around a vision. Karen has demonstrated all of these qualities and more, and is a worthy recipient of this award’.

In addition to the award, Karen has earned a £500 donation to the local charity of her choice. She has selected Youthful Minds, part of Mind Jersey, who work to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health in Jersey.

Published this week (21 October), the annual rankings provide a comprehensive analysis of the leading fiduciary service providers for international private clients. Split into independent and non-independent categories, the rankings this year feature a total of 52 firms, spread across three tiers.

Within the independent category, and for the 6th consecutive year, Crestbridge FOS is included in the top tier.

The rankings are calculated based on a number of criteria including size, reputation, quality and range of service, and performance over the past 12 months.

Commenting on the latest rankings, Heather Tibbo, CEO, Crestbridge Family Office Services, said:

“Our consistent focus is on providing the highest possible levels of service and I’m pleased that this has been reflected once again by being recognised as a top tier firm in these industry benchmark rankings. The fact that we have earned this position on a regular basis is testament to the collective deep knowledge and significant experience of our team. In a complex landscape for families, we remain committed to continuing to enhance our proposition and support families in increasingly diverse ways.”

The full list from eprivateclient can be found here.