Family Office & Governance

Board & Governance Structuring

We design governance frameworks for family offices and family holding structures — board composition, committee architecture, decision-making authority and oversight mechanisms that provide accountability without stifling family decision-making.

Governance Scope

  • Family office board composition & design
  • Investment committee structure & mandate
  • Family council design & charter
  • Delegation of authority framework
  • Governance documentation & minutes protocol
  • Annual governance review process
What We Deliver

Our Advisory Services

Family Office Board Design

Advisory on board composition — executive directors, independent non-executives, family vs professional balance — and the board's role in overseeing the family office's investment, operational and governance activities.

Investment Committee

Design of the investment committee — membership, meeting cadence, decision authority, quorum and voting rules — and how it interfaces with external investment managers, the family office team and the family board.

Family Council Design

The family council is the forum for family engagement, communication and education on shared wealth. We design the council structure — membership criteria, meeting format, relationship to the board and decision scope.

Delegation of Authority

A documented matrix defining who can approve what — by type, amount and risk — across the family office. Eliminates ambiguity and creates the accountability framework that protects everyone in the structure.

Governance Documentation

Board charter, committee terms of reference, governance calendar, minute templates and resolution registers — all produced to institutional standard and designed for consistent use over time.

Annual Governance Review

Design of the annual governance review cycle — assessing governance quality, updating documentation, reviewing committee effectiveness and incorporating lessons from the year — ensuring governance improves over time.

Our Approach

Built for Real Outcomes

Family governance without structure is family opinion without accountability. The larger the family, the more critical it becomes to have documented governance — because informal arrangements fail under the weight of complexity and changing relationships.

We design governance frameworks that are appropriate to the scale and complexity of each family — not institutional governance transplanted into a family context, but family-appropriate governance built with institutional rigour.

Governance Structures We Design

  • Single principal with professional advisory board
  • Multi-generational family board with independent members
  • Investment committee alongside separate family council
  • Holding company board with subsidiary governance overlay
  • Trust governance integrated with family office oversight
  • Transition governance for succession to next generation

Governance Documents We Produce

  • Board charter & terms of reference
  • Investment committee charter
  • Family council charter
  • Delegation of authority matrix
  • Governance calendar
  • Minute and resolution templates

Governance Quality Indicators

  • Are all material decisions formally approved?
  • Is the delegation of authority documented?
  • Are board minutes complete and timely?
  • Is there a defined annual governance review?
  • Is the investment committee independent of execution?
DOA
Delegation of Authority — clarity on every decision
IC
Investment committee — independent of execution
Annual
Governance review cycle built into every framework
100%
Bespoke — family governance is never one-size-fits-all
Process

How We Work

01

Family & Structure Assessment

We map the family, the structure, the key decision-makers and the governance gaps.

02

Framework Design

We design the board, committee, council and delegation framework appropriate for your family office.

03

Documentation

We produce all governance documents — charters, matrices, templates, calendars.

04

Embedding

We support the first year of governance implementation to ensure the framework is used.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked

For family offices of significant scale, an independent non-executive director can provide valuable external perspective, professional expertise and a check on family dynamics that family members cannot provide for themselves. We advise on when independence adds value and how to find and appoint the right person.
A family board is a governance body with fiduciary responsibilities — it makes or approves significant decisions about the family's wealth and the family office. A family council is a broader engagement forum — it includes all family members (including those without board roles) and focuses on communication, education and family values rather than fiduciary decisions.
Good governance is enabling, not restricting. We design frameworks that provide clarity on authority and process without adding unnecessary process overhead. The test for any governance requirement is: does this protect the family from a real risk, or is it just process for its own sake?

Ready to Build Your Family Governance Framework?

Our team designs board and governance structures for family offices across UAE, UK and Europe — from single principal to multi-generational.