FAMILY OFFICE & SUPPORT
Business families are constantly being hounded by two important priorities, which are governance and wealth protection. As businesses expand, it becomes increasingly important for families to have greater control and oversight. Studies have shown that less than 15% of family businesses continue into the third generation. Setting-up of a Family Office platform enables families to tackle the key challenges embodied in efficient transfer of wealth to future generations. A Family Office is a private company of professionals who are dedicated exclusively to the investment and personal needs of one family.
Family Office setup support function at Treeline works with families wishing to establish their own independent family office. For setting up a family office, we help to develop a business plan detailing family governance policies, manpower requirements, services to be rendered, operating procedures, investment management policies, asset allocation, IT infrastructure needs, etc.
Need of Family Office
Families in Transition: One of the ideal periods for establishing a family office is when the family is transitioning from one generation to next. As the family grows, individual members have varied interests and goals. Striking an agreement with all before passing on the baton pave way for potentially less disputes, efficient wealth transfer and agreement on family shared values and principles.
Wealth Diversification: For many successful business families, most of their wealth is tied up in companies they founded. Family office provides a platform to develop and implement a systematic investment plan to diversify and grow the surplus wealth. Asset allocation is arguably the most fundamental strategic decision and is also arguably the most challenging.
Better Governance: Business families almost always have an informal set-up within the operating business to serve various familial needs. Personal transactions are also combined with business thus leading to weak control. A family office can lead to provision of better governance and management structure. Separation of family personal transactions from operating businesses yields numerous operational and strategic benefits.
Benefits
Investment: The scale of combined family wealth and the set-up enables family offices to get access to investments that are not otherwise easily available to individuals. Additionally, professional management, centralization of investment operation and consolidated reporting helps in control of global, multi-currency assets held by the family.
Governance: Policies relating to family governance form the bedrock of how the family stewards its wealth. Pre-agreed policies mean that the responsibilities are clearer, and the decisions are faster. Further, various committees and the communication infrastructure can be leveraged upon to maintain objectivity and transparency.
Family Support: Family offices strive to make lives easier for family members by managing their personal needs and providing administrative services like paying bills, reviewing expenses, ticketing, staffing, preparing for education, healthcare etc. Development programs for next generation family members, evaluating their strengths & weaknesses and implementing formal training plans are also coordinated by family offices. Centralization of these services aids in cost efficiency and better control.
Activities
Family Office Organization:
- Family governance structure and committees
- Employment and succession policy for family members and relatives
- Family communication policy and conflict resolution mechanism
- Policy for share ownership, transfer and exit
- Policy for family support activities
- Philanthropic objectives and disbursement procedures.
Investment Management:
- Understand investment objectives, existing investments, financial situation and risk appetite
- Frame investment policy including asset allocation for optimal returns
- Investment / dis-investment proposal templates
- Investment performance and reporting
- Business metrics for operating entities
- Policy and procedures for disbursement and monitoring of seed capital.
Infrastructure Set-up
- Family office organization structure and job descriptions
- IT infrastructure setup including business application implementation support
- Chart of accounts, accounting policies and procedures
- Document management and retention policies.
Treeline helps families to establish their family offices by formulating ground rules for better governance and management. Our expertise help in designing solutions which result in successful partnership between the family and their family office, with the diversified capabilities of our multi-skilled team comprising of investment professionals, governance practitioners, certified accountants and IT experts.