Want to know what the life as an Executive Director and Head of Private Wealth Services is like? Alice Lau has more than 25 years' experience and works in the role at our Hong Kong offices. She discusses the challenges she faces, her proudest achievements and more.
1. Tell us about your role.
I'm an Executive Director, Head of Private Wealth
Services at Intertrust and a member of the Hong Kong management
team. In my role, I oversee the business development, client
servicing and operation management to deliver integrated private
wealth solutions for ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) in
the Greater China region.
I lead a team of over 20 trust and corporate professionals to
provide comprehensive services associated with structuring,
formation and management of private and corporate trusts, private
trust companies, pre-IPO trusts, employee benefit trusts and BVI
Vista trusts.
2. Walk us through your daily routine.
I work closely with our business partners, including
private bankers, lawyers, professional services firms, asset
managers and family office consultants to help UHNWIs develop
wealth protection structures for personal, enterprise ownership or
family wealth management and preservation.
Pre COVID, my typical day was full of travelling and meetings with
business partners and UHNWIs in the Greater China region to get a
better understanding of what clients need, including whether they
need a trust structure for wealth planning, succession planning,
asset protection and others. We work with our partners to develop a
bespoke trust structure to accommodate individual
requirements. At the moment, my typical day is either working
from home or the office as part of our 'new normal'
flexible working arrangement.
3. Tell us about a recent client instruction.
The IPO market has been performing very strongly in Hong
Kong and in particular the 2018 listing reforms have driven the
appetite for public offerings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for
Chinese start-ups and entrepreneurs. Most recently, a few senior
executives of a company to be listed engaged Intertrust to
establish trust structures for holding their shares in the company
for asset protection and succession planning purposes. The company
itself also engaged us to set up an employee benefit trust for
their employees. We had to complete the work within a month in
order to meet the tight deadline for the IPO. It was a challenge,
but we're pleased that we could finish the work to our
clients' satisfaction.
4. What is the most challenging issue your clients are
facing currently, and how are you helping them to overcome
it?
Regulatory compliance - we can help clients especially
those larger, more complex and complicated clients who'll
require tech-enabled solutions and platforms to meet their
needs.
5. What is your proudest professional achievement to
date?
I am enormously proud to have been working for Intertrust
for over 20 years. I've been given varied opportunities to take
up different roles and responsibilities which have given me
invaluable experience to build my career and profile in the private
wealth space.
I also feel very proud that our company has been named as the
"Best Independent Trust/Fiduciary Company – Greater
China" by WealthBriefing Asia for five consecutive years from
2016 to 2020. This long-standing recognition is an exceptional way
to distinguish us from our competition as it recognises our service
excellence, innovation, global connection and responsive mindset.
The award increases our industry credibility to existing and
potential customers by establishing ourselves as a trusted advisor
in the private wealth space. It's also a good testament to the
hard work that our incredible team has put in over the past years,
reflecting our professionalism, expertise and dedication to
excellence of work.
6. What do you consider to be the most important attributes
for a leader?
- Stay connected with teams
- Provide learning and growth opportunity for team members
- Communicate effectively
- Be willing to listen and adapt to new ideas
- Remain ethical and transparent
- Provide clear goals and objectives
- Collaborative mindset
7. Who do you most admire and why?
I most admire my deceased father because his work ethic is
second to none. He taught me to always be reliable, on time, and a
person of my word.
8. Where was the last place you travelled to for work or
pleasure?
The last place I travelled was Beijing for business albeit
was some time ago now. It's not a new place to me as I usually
go there every month, but I still love the City and am fortunate
that my work enables me to travel there so regularly.
9. If you weren't in the wealth management industry,
what else might you be doing?
I'd be working in the fashion industry definitely - I
always wanted to be a fashion designer!
10. How do you relax after a long day?
Going to gym class and unwinding and relaxing at
home!