FIDES TRUSTEES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Investec Bank ( UK ) Limited As a Private Banker
- Our Team - Consultant - Ilan Kapelus
Ilan has a wealth of experience in Trusts, international tax planning, investments, property and corporate finance transactions and although born in South Africa has lived and worked in Paris, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Alderney (Channel Islands), Geneva and London.
Ilan's career in the financial services industry commenced as a junior executive for Stenham Plc in 1996. His role there has included managing their Channel Islands based Trust company, managing a significant portfolio of clients, assisting in creating the Client Services division of the business and managing a variety of complex corporate transactions.
In 2001 Ilan joined Investec Bank (UK) Limited as a private banker. He was also party to several significant property finance transactions and passed the FSA exams affording him the licence to conduct investment business.
Ilan was invited to invest in the SwissIndependent Group in 2004, where he became a Director and General Manager of the Geneva based Trust Company and was instrumental in the creation and success of SwissIndependent Properties SA.
Ilan left SwissIndependent in 2010 to form Fides and is the Managing Director of Fides Properties and a Director of Fides Consultants.
He holds a degree in Business and Hospitality Management.
Ilan is married and has two children and whilst he lives in London, he is a frequent traveller. Ilan is a keen golfer and enjoys fine food and wines, Art and Theatre.
His languages are: English, French and Hebrew.
Job Titles:
- Director of Stenham PLC
- Our Team - Consultant - Ivan Kapelus
Ivan has an extensive legal and international tax planning background and holds a BA LLB from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and an LLM (Tax) from Kings College, University of London.
He joined a leading South African law firm Sonnenberg, Hoffmann and Galombik (now Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs) as an Articled Clerk in 1966 and became a partner of the firm in 1971. Appointed Head of the Litigation department in 1978 and occupied this position until 1981 when he resigned to migrate to London.
Ivan was a founding partner and subsequently shareholder and director of the International Trident Trust Group from 1981 to 1991.
After a sabbatical from 1991 to 1993, Ivan practiced as a partner of the International Law Firm of Green, David Conway and Sonnenberg Hoffmann and Galombik in London from 1993 to 1996.
In 1996 Ivan became Director of Stenham PLC and later Managing Director of Stenham Gestinor Plc - a diversified financial services business including Trust and fiduciary services, Property Investment and Management and Asset Management.
He retired from Stenham in 2000 due to ill health, but has continued to be involved in clients' affairs, as well as property investments. Ivan plays an active role as Chairman of the Fides Group.
Languages: English, Afrikaans, as well as some Spanish, German and French
Job Titles:
- Our Team - Linda Kove - Senior Trust Officer
Linda has been working in the Trust industry for more than 20 years. From an accounting background, she initially dealt with Trust structures' accounts at MeesPierson Intertrust Management SA, before joining Rawlinson & Hunter SA in 2005 where she became Senior Trust Manager from 2009 and managed a number of varied Trust structures for high and ultra-high net worth families.
Linda joined Fides Trustees SA in 2022. Linda is TEP qualified and obtained her diploma in International Trust Management of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in 2010. She is a member of STEP and speaks French and English.
Martin can count over 43 years' experience in the trust and fiduciary industry working in a number of jurisdictions. Although he has spent the last 28 years in Switzerland his career started in 1974 with National Westminster Bank in Southampton as a trainee trust administrator. In 1982 he relocated to the Jersey company of NatWest where he gained a range of experiences and rose through the ranks, working in securities settlements, fund administration and trust administration.
When the Nat West Offshore Group rebranded under the Coutts brand in 1989, Martin was one of the pioneering people in being relocated to Switzerland where he has remained ever since working initially in Lausanne and then in Geneva.
In 1997 Martin left Coutts to join an independent trust company where, after a few years, he became a director and minority shareholder. During that time Martin also gained experience on a short assignment to Bahamas.
Martin again joined a bank owned trust companyin 2003 and helped to set up the Geneva trust company of the Rothschild Group where he worked until 2007.
The Horizon Group based in Jersey invited Martin to help set up their Geneva associated company in 2007. Later Martin undertook a Management Buyout of the Geneva company and established Ariannol Trustees (Suisse) SA as the new flagship company.
Ariannol joined with the Fides Group in 2017 and Martin accepted a position as director of Fides Trustees SA as well as retaining his executive position within Ariannol.
He holds the Trustee Diploma of the Institute of Financial Services and is a member of STEP and the Institute of Directors.
Martin is married for over 30 years to his Zurich born wife and he holds dual Swiss and British nationalities. They have 3 grown up children all resident in Switzerland. In his free time Martin enjoys travel and reading as well as outdoor pursuits, in particular cycling, walking, swimming and winter sports.
Job Titles:
- Our Team - Oliver Donagher - Director
A native of Ireland, Oliver started his career in Jersey almost 20 years ago following his graduation from the Athlone Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree. Working for an independent boutique Trust Company Oliver built up a proven track record in the development and management of new and existing client relationships. He gained valuable experience in dealing with clients from all walks of life as well as professionals such as lawyers, accountants and tax advisors which helped him in recent years as he became involved in more complex tax re-structuring exercises.
In 2008, Oliver joined the Horizon Group and helped to develop the businesses in Jersey, Cyprus and Geneva over a four year period. In 2012 he moved to moved to Geneva to work solely for Horizon (Suisse) SA and following a management buyout he was invited to join the Board of the newly formed Company, Ariannol Trustees (Suisse) SA as a Director and later became a minority shareholder.
Ariannol joined with the Fides Group in 2017 and Oliver accepted a position as Director of Fides Trustees SA as well as retaining his executive position within Ariannol.
Customer service and loyalty is core to Oliver's values. He is regarded as a trusted advisor, enthusiastic and career driven as well as being a motivated and an ambitious individual.
Outside of work, he enjoys travelling extensively with his wife Tina and living amongst the Swiss Alps he is making most of the skiing during the winter months and trekking during the summer. Oliver follows the Irish rugby team and also likes the odd pint, here and there!