HNW Insurance – developments and opportunities

Lee Sleight is Head of Business Development, Asia, and is responsible for designing tailored private wealth and succession planning solutions, working closely with Asia-focussed distribution partners, for UHNW clients and their families that protect, preserve and pass on their legacy to future generations. Lee has over 20 years’ experience in the wealth assurance industry across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Joining Lombard International Group in 2004, Lee successfully led the European Complex Case Structuring Team, where he built a unique track record, working in partnership with advisers to global UHNW families to offer Private Placement Life Insurance based solutions catering for their increasingly complex wealth and succession planning needs. Lee is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Born in the UK, Lee has lived in Germany since 2005 and worked in Luxembourg since 2001. A father of 3, Lee is also an avid trail runner and triathlete.

Mark Smallwood TEP is based in the UK from where he advises predominantly Asian UHNW families on the structuring and ongoing administration and management of their estate and succession plan, family office, investment process and governance. He sits on the Business Advisory Council of a successful privately held business spanning multiple jurisdictions. After nearly 35 years in financial services across the global, including the UK, Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore and having held senior positions in one of the leading global private banks, Mark has unique insights and brings an independent, unconflicted view which enables UHNW families to objectively evaluate their decision making process.

Rohit Ganguli is the Head of Wealth Planning Asia at EFG Bank, he has two decades of experience working with clients to assist them in achieving their wealth planning objectives especially in relation to succession, legacy and asset protection needs. This often involves the use of trusts, foundations, corporate entities and other holding vehicles. Rohit is responsible for all aspects of the insurance activity in EFG in Asia. This involves supporting all insurance related discussions – including identifying life insurance referral opportunities based on clients’ wealth and liquidity planning needs, extensively interacting with external counter parties (such as insurance brokers and carriers) and also actively engaging with related stake holders within the bank. He manages all discussions around single family offices (SFO) and works closely with clients on the benefits and processes involved in the set up of SFOs. Rohit has a background in accountancy and also holds a Master’s degree in International Tax Law from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He is a registered trust and estate practitioner (TEP) and holds a diploma from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is also certified with the Singapore College of Insurance. He has worked across geographies and has been with Big 4 consulting firms and MNCs prior to joining the bank.

David Varley is Chief High Net Worth Officer at Sun Life Financial in Hong Kong. He specializes in HNW and Ultra HNW Planning and Insurance Structuring solutions for clients and families in Asia. He has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, with an Honors in Management, and a thesis in Innovation – from Melbourne University. Previously he was Head of HNW for Asia for AXA, and Head of International Business for Aviva.

Woon Shiu has over 20 years of expertise in marketing, client development and professional training in family office structuring, trusts, high-net-worth life insurance and estate planning in Asia Pacific (especially China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia). Over the years, Woon Shiu has handled multiple landmark transactions, advising ultra-high net-worth individuals and founding members of banking conglomerates on matters relating to taxes, multi-generational endowment funds, planning of global assets, and much more. Woon Shiu is also an adjunct professor at the Wealth Management Institute (in Nanyang Technological University) and regularly lectures private bankers, lawyers and trust practitioners on wealth structuring and estate succession. He has also spoken as a guest lecturer at universities in China, and his views on family businesses are regularly featured in the Financial Times, Barron’s Asia, Singapore Business Times, China Daily and other renowned publications. Woon Shiu has advised numerous ultra-high net-worth families across Asia Pacific in the areas of strategic structuring of their estate and succession planning. He commonly engages multi-generation families, giving them advice on successfully establishing and implementing their desired family governance and philanthropic strategies. He holds a STEP certification and is a Solicitor in England and Wales, as well as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore. Woon Shiu is fluent in English and Mandarin – often lecturing in both languages – and is also conversant in Cantonese, Hokkien and Hainanese.

A wealth management and insurance professional with over 15 years of experience in the High-Net-Worth / Ultra-High-Net-Worth life insurance industry, Gaya Vythes joined IPG Howden in January 2021 as the Chief Commercial Officer and is responsible for wider Group initiatives with a focus on expanding the company’s footprint in the Middle East and Europe, developing alternative business ventures and enhancing the platform. She spent the last 12 years with JLT/PCS by Mercer where she expanded the International Team as well as setting up offices in Geneva, Zurich and Dubai. She then became Deputy Group CEO where she was in charge of Southeast Asia, International, Marketing & Development as well as Training for the Group. Gaya holds a Bachelor of English (Hons) in Computer Systems and Electronics from Kings College London.

David Varley is Chief High Net Worth Officer at Sun Life Financial in Hong Kong. He specializes in HNW and Ultra HNW Planning and Insurance Structuring solutions for clients and families in Asia. He has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, with an Honors in Management, and a thesis in Innovation – from Melbourne University. Previously he was Head of HNW for Asia for AXA, and Head of International Business for Aviva.

Woon Shiu has over 20 years of expertise in marketing, client development and professional training in family office structuring, trusts, high-net-worth life insurance and estate planning in Asia Pacific (especially China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia). Over the years, Woon Shiu has handled multiple landmark transactions, advising ultra-high net-worth individuals and founding members of banking conglomerates on matters relating to taxes, multi-generational endowment funds, planning of global assets, and much more. Woon Shiu is also an adjunct professor at the Wealth Management Institute (in Nanyang Technological University) and regularly lectures private bankers, lawyers and trust practitioners on wealth structuring and estate succession. He has also spoken as a guest lecturer at universities in China, and his views on family businesses are regularly featured in the Financial Times, Barron’s Asia, Singapore Business Times, China Daily and other renowned publications. Woon Shiu has advised numerous ultra-high net-worth families across Asia Pacific in the areas of strategic structuring of their estate and succession planning. He commonly engages multi-generation families, giving them advice on successfully establishing and implementing their desired family governance and philanthropic strategies. He holds a STEP certification and is a Solicitor in England and Wales, as well as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore. Woon Shiu is fluent in English and Mandarin – often lecturing in both languages – and is also conversant in Cantonese, Hokkien and Hainanese.

Rohit Ganguli is the Head of Wealth Planning Asia at EFG Bank, he has two decades of experience working with clients to assist them in achieving their wealth planning objectives especially in relation to succession, legacy and asset protection needs. This often involves the use of trusts, foundations, corporate entities and other holding vehicles. Rohit is responsible for all aspects of the insurance activity in EFG in Asia. This involves supporting all insurance related discussions – including identifying life insurance referral opportunities based on clients’ wealth and liquidity planning needs, extensively interacting with external counter parties (such as insurance brokers and carriers) and also actively engaging with related stake holders within the bank. He manages all discussions around single family offices (SFO) and works closely with clients on the benefits and processes involved in the set up of SFOs. Rohit has a background in accountancy and also holds a Master’s degree in International Tax Law from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He is a registered trust and estate practitioner (TEP) and holds a diploma from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is also certified with the Singapore College of Insurance. He has worked across geographies and has been with Big 4 consulting firms and MNCs prior to joining the bank.

Mark Smallwood TEP is based in the UK from where he advises predominantly Asian UHNW families on the structuring and ongoing administration and management of their estate and succession plan, family office, investment process and governance. He sits on the Business Advisory Council of a successful privately held business spanning multiple jurisdictions. After nearly 35 years in financial services across the global, including the UK, Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore and having held senior positions in one of the leading global private banks, Mark has unique insights and brings an independent, unconflicted view which enables UHNW families to objectively evaluate their decision making process.

Lee Sleight is Head of Business Development, Asia, and is responsible for designing tailored private wealth and succession planning solutions, working closely with Asia-focussed distribution partners, for UHNW clients and their families that protect, preserve and pass on their legacy to future generations. Lee has over 20 years’ experience in the wealth assurance industry across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Joining Lombard International Group in 2004, Lee successfully led the European Complex Case Structuring Team, where he built a unique track record, working in partnership with advisers to global UHNW families to offer Private Placement Life Insurance based solutions catering for their increasingly complex wealth and succession planning needs. Lee is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Born in the UK, Lee has lived in Germany since 2005 and worked in Luxembourg since 2001. A father of 3, Lee is also an avid trail runner and triathlete.

A wealth management and insurance professional with over 15 years of experience in the High-Net-Worth / Ultra-High-Net-Worth life insurance industry, Gaya Vythes joined IPG Howden in January 2021 as the Chief Commercial Officer and is responsible for wider Group initiatives with a focus on expanding the company’s footprint in the Middle East and Europe, developing alternative business ventures and enhancing the platform. She spent the last 12 years with JLT/PCS by Mercer where she expanded the International Team as well as setting up offices in Geneva, Zurich and Dubai. She then became Deputy Group CEO where she was in charge of Southeast Asia, International, Marketing & Development as well as Training for the Group. Gaya holds a Bachelor of English (Hons) in Computer Systems and Electronics from Kings College London.