Martin Chesler is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Clermont. He joined the Group as CFO from JP Morgan in 2003 and has led the Group’s transformation and growth for over 15 years. Martin acts as a strategic advisor to high-net-worth families and international businesses and is a director of several regulated financial services firms, including being authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as a director of Spring Finance Limited, a UK based FCA regulated mortgage lender. Born in South Africa, Martin graduated from the University of Cape Town in Commerce and Accounting and has been a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1999.

Elliot Goodman is the Group Managing Director of Clermont. He joined the Group in 2013 and was a key driver behind its growth in Switzerland, the BVI and the United States. Elliot has extensive experience in establishing and administering complex tax and estate planning structures for high-net-worth individuals and families and advising them on family governance matters. In 2010 Elliot was listed by Private Client Practitioner as one of the top 35 private client professionals under 35 globally and in 2013 was added to the Citywealth Leaders List (where he continues to appear). In 2020 Elliot won the Citywealth Client Rating Award, an award voted for exclusively by end clients, and won Trustee of the Year – Switzerland (Bronze) in the 2022 IFC Awards. Born in London, Elliot graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Architecture before qualifying as a Solicitor (England & Wales) in August 2002. He is also a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Jeff Margolis is a founder of the Clermont Group. He has over 35 years’ experience in the trust industry, having set up his own international trust management business in 1985 before merging it with Norman Epstein’s business to form the Clermont Group in 1996. Jeff qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Cape Town in 1963 and practiced there until 1979, becoming a partner of Epstein, Bloch & Co (now Grant Thornton). Following emigration to the UK in 1979 Jeff continued to practice as a Chartered Accountant before becoming a shareholder in a licenced deposit taking business. Jeff also co-founded Spring Finance Limited, a UK based FCA regulated mortgage lender, and the Cheval Bridging Finance Group which became a leading player in the regulated bridging finance market.

Sharon Shapshak is the Group Chief Financial Officer of Clermont and has been a member of the executive team since 2007. Sharon graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and qualified as a South African Professional Accountant in 1982. She spent 16 years in public practice in Johannesburg, including heading up the tax department of Octagon Chartered Accountants. Sharon joined London City firm Civvals Chartered Accountants following her emigration to the UK in 1999, where she became a partner.

Valerie Dagnaud is an executive director and team head within the Clermont Group. Valerie joined Clermont in 2002 after 10 years working with high-net-worth clients at an international investment banking and brokerage firm. She has over twenty years’ experience in offshore trust and company administration, formation of estate planning structures, meeting global compliance obligations, and executing investment and property transactions for high-net-worth individuals and families. She is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Michelle Schoeninger is an executive director of the Clermont Group and joint Head of Swiss Operations. Michelle began her trust career in 2005 in a leading bank in Zurich, Switzerland. Prior, although a lawyer, she worked for several years as a trader. Moving to Geneva, Michelle worked for Summit Trust International Group and Investec Trust (Switzerland) SA, before joining Clermont in 2013. Her legal and finance background give Michelle the necessary tools to manage complex trust structures, which vary from investment vehicles for liquid assets, art collections, commercial and residential properties, private equity, charitable structures, private trust companies and family offices. Michelle speaks 6 languages and has an MBA in finance.

Kim Grover is an executive director of the Clermont Group and joint Head of Swiss Operations. Kim is TEP and FIA qualified with over 20 years’ experience of trust and corporate management, cross border estate and wealth planning. Kim manages complex family office structures for ultra-high net worth families, with particular emphasis on planning for UK resident non-domiciled persons and US persons. Prior to joining Clermont in 2015, Kim worked for an independent trust company in Jersey, Channel Islands and subsequently in Geneva. Kim particularly enjoys working with international families and helping to find a cohesive, multigenerational commitment to the management of family wealth.

Tanya Scantlebury is the Managing Director of the Group’s British Virgin Islands office. She is a native of London and was Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2005. She began her professional career as an in-house advocate and deputy team leader for a national firm of solicitors in the United Kingdom. In 2010, she was Called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court – British Virgin Islands. In 2011, Tanya relocated to the BVI and was employed as a civil and commercial litigator, before moving in-house as senior legal counsel for an international trust company where she advised on a vast range of contentious and non-contentious multi-jurisdictional trust and corporate matters. In 2016, Tanya joined Clermont and has been integral to the Group’s expansion in the BVI. In addition to her legal qualifications, she also holds TEP designation from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths in the BVI.

Gavin Lief is the Managing Director of Clermont UK’s Trust and Corporate Services operation. Gavin previously held a leadership role for over 20 years’ for a multinational trust and fiduciary group including managing their UK corporate services office. Gavin establishes and administers UK Trusts and Companies as well as providing key contact services to a number of Group clients. Born in South Africa, Gavin graduated with a Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town.

Mark Anderson is the Group Chief Operating Officer. Born in South Africa, Mark graduated from the University of South Africa in Commerce and Information Systems and completed his Post Graduate studies in Information Systems with the Open University. He has over 20 years’ experience leading delivery, project and operational teams in the Wealth and Financial Services industries and joined the Clermont Group in 2018.

Nigel Lee is the Head of Mauritius Operations for the Clermont Group. He graduated from Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia with a degree in Mass Communication and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He has more than 10 years’ experience in the Global Business Sector in Mauritius with previous roles as Deputy Head of China Desk for DTOS Ltd and Chief Representative of DTOS International Ltd, Shanghai, China.

Didier Parsad is the Head of Accounting and Finance in Mauritius for the Clermont Group. He is a Fellow of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a member of the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants. He has more than 10 years of experience in the global business sector with extensive knowledge in accounting and tax planning as well as structuring and administering companies and trusts in Mauritius. He joined the Clermont Group in 2019.

Tania Steven-Jennings is senior relationship manager for the Clermont Group. She graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2000 with a master’s degree in Tax and Company law and was admitted as an Attorney and Notary Public of the Cape High Court. She began her legal career in the Trust and Estates department at Cliffe Dekker in Cape Town before moving into the private client space and focusing of estate planning for high-net-worth South African families. Following her emigration to the UK, Tania joined Clermont in 2015. Tania holds a TEP designation from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is a member of FISA with over 15 years’ experience in trust and estate planning for South Africa families in relation to both their local and cross boarder estate planning.

Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey, J.D., LL.M, is a key consultant and adviser to the Group’s operations in the United States where she is an attorney, licensed to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina, with over 15 years of experience in business planning, estate planning, and trust administration. Jennifer is also on the faculty at the University of Delaware, Lerner School of Business and Economics, serves as the Director of the Trust Management Minor, and teaches Business Law, Fiduciary Income Tax, Trust Management Symposium and Trusts and Other Fiduciary Entities. Jennifer received her Master of Laws in Taxation from Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law, her Juris Doctorate from Delaware Law School, cum laude, and her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. Prior to focusing her practice in the area of business planning, estate planning and trust administration, Jennifer served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Lauren Ker is the Managing Director of Clermont Trust (Guernsey) Limited and a Chartered Accountant with a Masters in Tax from the University of Cape Town. Lauren was the MD of Rock Trustees Limited prior to joining Clermont, having gained valuable experience at KPMG and Moore Stephens advising financial services firms on tax and M&A transactions in Guernsey and South Africa respectively. Lauren has also worked in the UK social investment sector where she worked on +£100m funds investing in charities and social enterprises.

Dean Southern is an Executive Director at Clermont Trust (Guernsey) Limited. He joined the company following their acquisition of Rock Trustees Limited in May 2023. With over 11 years of experience as a Director at Rock Trustees Limited, Dean has extensive knowledge in managing a portfolio of structures for ultra-high net worth families, with specific expertise in UK commercial property and private equity investments.