Spear’s Review

Managing director Winston Yap has built what is widely regarded as one of the largest client books in UBS’s UK business – the majority of which he has originated himself since beginning to build his own practice in 2018.

The wealth manager’s client base spans private equity and hedge fund professionals, entrepreneurs, senior executives and inherited wealth holders, with ‘around a third’ having an international dimension. Cross-border mobility is a recurring theme in his practice, and he advises clients who are relocating to and from the UK, helping them structure their finances accordingly.

Philanthropy is a particular specialism and passion. For Yap, it is not simply a tax-planning tool: ‘It’s another way of introducing wealth to the next generation, really sitting down with the next generation and talking as a family in terms of what the values are that are important to them.’ UBS's Optimus Foundation reinforces this, providing match funding of up to 10 per cent on client donations across climate, health and education.