Willem-Joost de Gier

Spear’s Review

Willem-Joost de Gier and Richard Bagnall-Smith were prompted to establish Cadell when they realised just how many art assets were held in trust. Based on this initial insight, the pair assessed how much the trustees – who are legally accountable for their decisions – relied on advice from unregulated dealers and brokers. ‘We decided to create a business devoted to solving this issue,’ says de Gier.

This more regulated offering appears to have been gratefully received, with Cadell’s clients including law firms, professional trusts, private banks and family offices across the UK, Switzerland, Channel Islands and Monaco.