Welcome to the first edition of Family Office Global for 2025. The new year that is already shaping up to be challenging, some might even say exhilarating. We have the exponential growth of AI, the extreme volatility of bitcoin, trade wars and a wholesale revision of the CSR and green business agendas. And this is only January! Will Heathrow’s third runway become a reality? Will US flags fly above the Panama Canal?

At GPFO our mission is to help the global community of family offices navigate choppy waters, and FOGs, our flagship publication, provides a platform for members to share insights and encourage debate about the big issues of the day. With this in mind, this new edition brings you a selection of articles that speak directly to some of the most urgent issues at the top of your family office in trays.

At a time when questions are being asked around net zero assumptions, Valeria Dinershteyn, Director of Sustainable Investing Client Engagement, EMEA at Northern Trust Asset Management, addresses misconceptions around net zero investing, including the perception that net zero means high risk.

Ben Palairet, Head of Europe and Strategic Partnerships at GPFO, weighs up risks and rewards of private equity’s entrance into the wealth management industry. In his second article, Ben looks at Rupert Murdoch's recent attempt to alter the terms of his family trust, which has sparked important discussions in the world of family office governance.

With AI at the forefront of our minds, Mike Gill, principal of Gill & Co, considers the need for family offices to embrace operational technology to enhance efficiency through automation and have greater process transparency. Mike shares insights from his experience of creating and implementing Serreus Global Technology, an advanced platform to manage operations and assets in one place. It is a system designed by a family office for family offices with institutional grade performance.

There has been huge political change on both sides of the Atlantic, with big implications for family offices. Bruce Anderson, our regular political commentator, takes stock of Kemi Badenoch’s first months as leader of the Conservative Party and asks if she will be able to return the party to power. Meanwhile, Michael J. Oliver, co-founder of GPFO, says history has much to teach us about Sir Keir Starmer and Labour’s quest to establish itself as the party of government.

If you have fancied owning your own private jet to avoid airport queues as you travel from meeting to meeting, Henry Goatcher has the lowdown on the benefits of taking to the skies in your own aircraft. Henry founded Gatehouse Limited as an independent private aviation advisor in 2023, following a career managing jets within Single Family Offices.

Lieutenant General (retired) Richard Nugee tells us about the inspirational Scar Free Foundation, the only medical research charity working to revolutionise the way we prevent and treat scarring. Richard is chief executive of this small but mighty organisation, whose mission is to ensure that scar-free healing becomes a reality. Please support Richard and his colleagues to help them to help others.

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Martin Barrow

Editor