Strategic advisory

Overview 

The client requested advice and assistance to contextualise perspectives on global investment issues in current academic debate and to help promote them as a mission statement that transcends the family office’s direct equity investments. 

Work 

We worked closely with the client to create the concept of “Engaged Capital,” which aims to increase productive investment globally. We drafted an academically grounded foundation paper and opinion pieces placed in global publications, while helping the client to position the family at the forefront of these issues. 

We continue to provide ongoing advice to the client on their global expansion plans, including introductions to like-minded families in Asia, Europe, and the US. We have also worked in tandem with a leading business school to publish a peer reviewed paper. 

Impact

Due to our support on thought leadership, media engagement and practical advice regarding their global expansion, the client’s network has expanded, and their name recognition has been enhanced among private investors globally, encouraging better access to private investment deals in the future.   

Overview 

Our client has a large mining stake in West Africa and needed to understand country risk in Sierra Leone for a potential large transport project. 

Work 

We provided a country risk outlook for Sierra Leone assessing the political, macroeconomic and operational risks for a large infrastructure project. We mapped the key decision makers in the country that would have influence over the success of the project, consulting with our network in West Africa and elsewhere to inform the assessment. We presented to, and discussed the findings with, senior management. 

Impact

The client was able to understand the risks of the large capex project ($1bn+) and to take an informed decision about feasibility. 

Overview 

Our client sought to invest in a private equity vehicle based in the Cayman Islands, which, because of the EU’s recent blacklisting of that jurisdiction, the client was no longer able to access. The client asked us to provide our best assessment of the likelihood that the Cayman Islands would be removed from the EU’s list of jurisdictions of concern. 

Work 

We produced a short analysis based on dozens of stakeholder interviews in Brussels, Georgetown, Washington DC and Paris. Based on our research we were able to determine with a highly significant level of confidence that the EU would likely remove the Cayman Islands from its “blacklist”. 

Impact

Our work allowed our client to sequence their investments into a well-regarded global private equity vehicle without violating the client’s investment policy statement.