Charlie Hoffman

Spear’s Review

Success, in terms of revenues for a wealth management business, will naturally follow if the service ‘puts the client at the centre of everything you do’.

That is the mantra Charlie Hoffman lives by, and which has helped grow the value of his book into the tens of billions of dollars. True to Hoffman’s philosophy, HSBC Global Private Banking’s structure forms a concentric circle around a client.

There’s an investment team, a credit advisory team, global solutions advisers who provide the client with a direct link to the wider investment bank, and a dedicated wealth planning team, all taking advantage of HSBC’s international banking nature. What Hoffman is most proud of, however, is the bank’s financing capability, especially since it has ‘lent an enormous amount of money’ to support his clients and their entrepreneurial ambitions.

Eager to credit his team for the high-quality work they put in, Hoffman sends a message of thanks around the office each week.

Adviser Profile

As a Spear’s UHNW manager of the year, it’s no surprise that Charlie Hoffman is leading the way as the advisor of choice for UHNW families who are largely based in or have links to the UK.

Charlie runs a small team that helps him look after each and every relationship. While small and select in client number, the book of business exceeds the books of some entire private banks in terms of assets under management. Charlie’s approach to client service is akin to a virtual family office – focusing, with specialists around them, on succession, planning, wealth management, lending and banking.

‘I have kept to our mantra over the years,’ says Charlie. ‘Keep the client at the centre of everything that you do and you will have the best outcome for client, bank and long-term relationship.’

The intrinsically international nature of HSBC and its clients means Charlie looks after client relationships that he might manage not just through the UK platform but also through that of Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore or the Channel Islands for example. ‘A global presence for private banks,’ he points out, ‘is pivotal for firms that want to both grow their client base and serve their clients to the best of their capability.’