Luxury Indian Ocean LUXURY INDIAN OCEAN #7 EDITION 2018 | Page 79

BUSINESS
Could you tell us something about yourself and your background?
After studying International Business in Bordeaux and an MBA in
Chicago, I returned to Mauritius where I spent five years with MCB
Private Banking as Relationship Manager. I had the chance to develop
the External Asset Managers desk and to work alongside foreign
portfolio managers as well as their very wealthy clients. It provided
me with a background which enabled me to set up this new venture,
CapCairn, with a certain degree of confidence. It is familiar territory
for me as my clientele has not changed and, thanks to my previous
experience, I am better able to discern and understand my clients’
expectations and provide them with bespoke solutions. I am often told
that I am very demanding and perfectionist, but is there any alternative
when you are evolving in such a field?
A Family Office works to preserve and pass down family assets.
Could you tell us more about it?
A Family Office works above all with High Net Worth families, whether
they are Mauritians or foreigners. We launched CapCairn Private this
year because we had seen that Mauritius was attracting more and more
wealthy foreigners wanting to settle here. They need advice about their
move which often involves particular and complex issues. We are here
to manage their assets and their everyday lives both in Mauritius and
overseas by offering a complete Lifestyle Management service - for
example by looking after the renting out or sale of property, or paying
their domestic staff. In addition, we act as the family’s financial directors
and, to do so, we need to spend quite a lot of time with them. A lot of
involvement is necessary to fully understand their requirements. We
provide families with a range of services covering Asset Management
– in other words, managing their portfolios – as much as Wealth
Planning, which helps prepare retirement options or an optimal way of
handing down assets to the next generation. Our approach is more on
a long-term investment with descendants in mind.
What advantages are there with CapCairn Private that sets it apart
from other companies in Mauritius?
Our approach is essentially based on collaboration with a family’s usual
advisers, such as lawyers, bankers, managers and trustees. We stand out
by completing a global range of services with bespoke solutions. In the
future, our aim is not to be simply the best in our field but to provide
what no-one else can. Overtime, we want to be able to anticipate
the needs of this very specific clientele. What best characterises us is
that we are here to assist and facilitate their day-to-day lives. We are
fortunate to have several well-known partners of international repute
to support our venture.
The concept of Family Office is for a very select sphere. Are there any
particular features within the Indian Ocean region?
We have a target clientele, some of whom live in the region and have
problems which are specific to the area. South Africa and Madagascar
certainly need Family Offices, and the services we provide. However, of
course, we are not limited to just these countries. Moreover, Mauritius is
a safe refuge and is becoming a favoured place for those relocating, a place
where clients feel comfortable and away from insecurity and instability. I
was recently in South Africa and I could better appreciate people’s needs.
I can now work on a range of appropriate solutions. For many, Mauritius
is considered a home away from home, with many attractive features.
How dynamic a sector is the management of family assets in the
Indian Ocean?
Currently, many wealthy families in our region already have a Family
Office in Europe or in Dubai as it is a new concept here. The advantage
of being able to offer clients a Family Office service in Mauritius is its
proximity to their homeland. It is a comforting and important aspect
for that clientele. The sector has a promising future. We also have in
Mauritius some major families, with their own specific and complex
requirements, who are as yet unaware of the Family Office concept.
© Anaïs Dercy
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