Following the acquisition of Barclays’ trust business, in the first global trust business acquired without a private equity backer in a decade, The Communication Group plc announced the launch of the new company to media with international attention and over 100 pieces of coverage within a week.
The independent investor group, led by the Sarikhani and Nielsen families, acquired a majority shareholding in Barclays’ trust and fiduciary business and unveiled its new name: ZEDRA.
ZEDRA is a trust and fiduciary services business with more than 300 people serving clients across its core locations: Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, Singapore, the UK and Switzerland. Barclays will retain a stake of 19.9% in the company, reflecting both its interest in the ongoing success of the business and its commitment to supporting continuing relationships with clients and the advisory community.
Under Barclays’ ownership the company has developed and grown a market leading position and represents many of the most affluent and influential families, investors and organisations in the world. The new management team intends to double the size of the business within five years.
The acquisition of the business received approval from regulators in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and its new independence provides a platform from which the services it provides to clients and advisers can be expanded in both existing and new markets. The company’s ambitious long-term growth plans also represent a break with recent trends in the sector, it being the first global trust business to be acquired without a private equity investor for almost 10 years.
