Introduction
In today’s fast-paced environment, where technological advancements and market dynamics shift the playing field almost overnight, the tension between innovation and risk management has never been more pronounced. The allure of the next big product, investment, or market trend often collides head-on with the responsibilities of safeguarding client interests, adhering to regulations, and managing operational risk. Striking a balance between these two forces is not just an aspiration—it’s a necessity. That’s why at Kingsbury & Partners, our Product & Risk Committee (PRC) sits at the heart of our decision-making process, ensuring that bold ideas do not outpace our commitment to due diligence and prudence.
Fractured Trust
The offshore market has long been marred by opacity, a lack of accountability, and a tendency to prioritise short-term gains over long-term value. What we see are clients and partners left frustrated, resentful, and distrustful of the very institutions that are meant to serve them. We believe this is a fundamental breach of their fiduciary responsibility.
Too often, products are pushed to market without adequate due diligence, exposing clients to hidden risks that only become apparent when it is too late. This lack of foresight has eroded trust and led to outcomes that fall short of clients’ expectations.
The creation of the Product & Risk Committee was a direct response to these challenges and shortcomings; aimed at restoring trust in a market that too often operates in the shadows. It is an embodiment of our core values: discovery, guidance, and partnership.
The Committee’s Role
The Product & Risk Committee operates under the authority of the Board of Kingsbury & Partners, with a mandate to oversee the development, evaluation, and management of our product and service offerings. Its mission is twofold: to drive innovation in our solutions and to ensure that every product is subjected to the most exacting standards of risk assessment, bringing a level of scrutiny rarely seen in the market.
The Product & Risk Committee enhances our governance framework by providing a structured, disciplined approach to decision-making. Through its careful deliberations, the Committee brings a level of accountability that elevates the entirety of Kingsbury & Partners.
Each decision is made with full transparency, and findings are made available to our clients and partners. This openness is not just procedural—it is a deliberate stance against the culture of secrecy that too often undermines client trust. By offering a clear window into our decision-making processes, we empower clients to make informed choices, grounded in knowledge rather than speculation. Similarly, as Chairman of the Product & Risk Committee and Co-Founder, John Hubball, comments ‘’the success of Kingsbury & Partners is predicated upon on the products and services we recommend to our clients and partners. Therefore, we saw it imperative that an independent committee must be appointed and instructed with having the final decision on the offerings we associate with. For transparency, and to keep the committee honest, we publish our independent risk committee reports on each product we either approve or reject.’’
First Steps
The Product & Risk Committee has already turned its hand to private markets and the opportunities abound in the offshore market. The growing appetite for private market investments, and the vast adoption of these offerings by the wealth management industry has been staggering. The benefits of increased diversification and potential for higher returns coupled with reduced volatility has been just some of the driving forces behind this tidal wave of interest. Whilst the benefits are compelling, they come with the risks of lack of transparency and regulation and little solid information or historic data.
It is for these reasons the Product & Risk Committee, and our Private Markets division, has developed its criteria for the assessment and evaluation of private market opportunities according to its risk-adjusted return matrix. A nuanced understanding of the risk-reward equation is required to not jump at potentially speculative, high risk or downright fraudulent opportunities. We know that risk, when carefully calibrated, is the engine of growth. However, unchecked, it’s also the harbinger of catastrophe. The committee’s job is to identify where that line lies, to ensure that we are never tempted into reckless ventures that might jeopardise our clients’ interests or our own reputation.
It is surprising how many ‘reputable’ wealth management and investment advisories fail to undergo the most basic of due diligence let alone arrange for their own Investment Committees.
To The Future
Kingsbury & Partners is one not to fear innovation, but this must be tempered by a coherent approach to risk management to underpin the decision-making process and prevent unnecessary risk-taking. The creation of the Product & Risk Committee is grounded in the seriousness of the fiduciary responsibility we are entrusted with on behalf of clients and partners.
We are dedicated to ridding the offshore market of its most pernicious elements and the Product & Risk Committee goes a long way to affirm this, without which we would be being disingenuous to our purpose as a company and the legacy of transparency, accountability, and principled leadership we wish to build.
The work of the Product & Risk Committee has only begun for Kingsbury & Partners and to set a standard that is demanded for the protection of clients and partners in the offshore market. Because in the end, our clients and partners deserve the knowledge that those who they entrust are ultimately engaged in serving their long-term interests.
This is the essence of what we do.
