BVI Finance held its 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 22nd January 2019 and elected three new directors to sit on the board for one and two -year terms.
With five positions to fill, a number of industry representatives from a diverse array of sectors covering the legal, trusts and banking sectors were nominated to join the BVI Finance board. Though the votes were close, the victors of the elections are as follows:
- 1-year term
- Claire Abrehart, AMS Financial – returning for an additional year
- Rexella Hodge, Vistra
- 2-year terms
- Peter Tarn, Harneys – returning for an additional two years
- Richard May, Maples and Calder
- Nick Bishop, Trident Trust
Abrehart is the Managing Director of AMS Trustees Limited and its subsidiary licensees operating in the BVI. She first arrived in the BVI over twenty years ago and has been working in the financial services industry since 1998. She has also often spoken at conferences inter alia in the BVI and China on matters ranging from disclosures and tax information exchange agreements; intergenerational wealth transfer in China and the use of BVI trusts for commercial and personal purposes. Claire holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies with a concentration in Marketing, a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing as well as a Diploma in International Trust Management from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”).
Tarn is the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Harneys and one of the leading corporate lawyers in the BVI, specialising in all aspects of the jurisdiction’s corporate law. He sits on several BVI Government advisory committees and is active in the IFC Forum providing authoritative information on the role of international finance centres in the global economy. Tarn has been influential in several BVI legislations, including the introduction of the BVI Insolvency Act 2003, the BVI Business Companies Act, and the recent Economic Substance (Companies and Limited Partnerships) Act, 2018.
Hodge has twenty-five years of experience in the British Virgin Islands financial services industry including an extensive knowledge of the regulatory environment, much of it gained while working with Vistra. Over the years, Hodge has attained a Certificate in Offshore Finance and Administration, with Merit, from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, a Diploma in Management from the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom, a Diploma in International Trust Management from STEP and most recently an International Diploma in Governance, Risk & Compliance with Merit from the International Compliance Association. She was promoted to Executive Director of Vistra in 2013, later becoming the Managing Director of Vistra (BVI) Limited in 2018.
May is the Managing Partner of Maples and Calders and head of the BVI Corporate and Finance groups. He advises on a variety of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, stock exchange listings and corporate reorganisations. May also advises investment managers and private equity houses on the structuring, formation and financing of investment funds and private equity funds.
Bishop is the Chief Operating Officer of Trident Trust Company (BVI) Limited having experience working in both trust companies as well as exchanges such as LIFFE/EuroNext as well significant international experience in the Middle East, Asia and also Luxembourg.
Commenting on the AGM results, Interim Executive Director of BVI Finance Lorna Smith, OBE, said: “I welcome the newly appointed board directors to BVI Finance. Being on the board of BVI Finance is one of the most important roles in the BVI and their combined and diverse international expertise will be of great assistance. BVI Finance looks forward to working closely with each of our new directors. I also recognise the outgoing directors, Rachael McDonald, Jerome Rubin - Delanchy and Michael Killourhy, who’ve made tremendous contributions to the growth of BVI Finance over the last few years and though not sitting directly on the board, I know they will continue making contributions to strengthen the international business and finance sector.”