Summit Trust International

FOUNDED IN GENEVA as Close Trustees in 1999, a joint venture with Close Brothers Group, Summit Trust International is now 100% controlled by the senior management team.

The company acts as trustees for distinguished families and business people from all over the world, and enjoys an exceptional reputation among HNW advisers for dealing with high value and highly sensitive situations to help recover or restore the family fortune where trustees or family members have failed to perform or have misbehaved.

Summit has developed a reputation for engaging in complex trust business. This involves a) taking on and working through difficult trust situations, and b) owning as trustees unusual non-portfolio assets. These include operating businesses, shipping and aviation assets, art collections and worldwide real estate from Caribbean development plots to London hotels and African safari lodges.

Summit has taken ownership of an increasing number of complex cases in which other trustees have failed. Typically there exists a liquidity crisis, a distressed operating business situation, family disharmony or ‘simply’ the need for a good administrative clean up and restructuring. Such high stakes, emotional situations require the most personal, pragmatic trustee service.

Summit’s strapline since its founding has been ‘Solutions for Continuity’. Three founding members – Daniel Martineau, Stella Mitchell-Voisin and Robin Lee-Smith – have continuously led the business since 1999. The other three members of the management board – Clare Usher-Wilson, Joanne Morse and Sandra Nanni – were all promoted out of Summit’s ‘home grown talent’. The combined management team of six have collectively dedicated 106 years to Summit.

Further depth is provided by team leaders Tara Hopwood and Alona Golling, and James Long who heads the Cayman Office, all of whom have garnered industry recognition. The Summit reputation for nurturing, mentoring and training exceptional professionals was recognised by the firm obtaining the highest Platinum Employer status by STEP in June 2020.

FOCUS

Complex, high-value Trustee Services; Exceptional professionally trained staff; Continuity of staff means continuity of relationship

summittrustgroup.com