An Interview with Irina Phillips

Tell us about how your move to Monaco came about? 

As an experienced private banker, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with many incredibly talented and inspirational people, several of whom become part of my social and professional network. This is why I love working with private clients! Even though I was settled in London, the offer to join Plurimi Wealth Monaco SAM, an independent asset manager based in Monaco sparked my curiosity. I have worked in the past with several Plurimi colleagues and knew that they continue to attract the top talent in the industry. Many of my clients either have links with or spend time in Monaco, Italy or the south of France and throughout my career I have been a regular visitor to the Principality. Over the last two decades I have witnessed how much Monaco has changed to become an attractive home for global entrepreneurs and their families. Many are excited to join a unique and vibrant community that thrives in such a wonderful location. Situated on the beautiful coastline of the Cote D’Azur, Monaco is well known for being a very secure environment in which to live. Increasing the Principality is recognized for hosting internationally renowned events and professional conferences throughout the year. It is one of the most active hubs for private banking and wealth management services, offering unparalleled networking. These hugely attractive features convinced me to embrace this opportunity and I’m thrilled to be taking the next step in my career here. I must say a big thank you to the team at Plurimi for their tremendously warm welcome and support with the move. They have made me feel right at home in Monaco already.

Tell us more about the Plurimi Group? 

Plurimi stands for “of most value” in Latin. Plurimi Wealth LLP, was founded in 2007 in London, as a wealth manager serving high and ultra-high net worth individuals, family offices and institutions. Since then, Plurimi Wealth LLP now sits as part of the Plurimi Group of companies with licenced offices in Dubai and Monaco. The Plurimi Group is a home of like-minded, entrepreneurial professionals, dedicated to providing truly client-centric holistic wealth and investment management service. Monaco is the most recent office to be launched, picking up on the continued trend of wealthy families making the Principality their home. In Monaco we are authorised by the CCAF to provide advisory and discretionary services.

The Plurimi Group currently oversees in excess of USD 6bn of assets. We have a solid track record for managed solutions, have built long-term relationships with our network of counterparties and, most importantly, earned the trust of our clients. We’re focused on bringing holistic investment ideas to our clients from our platform.

What kind of clients do you work with? 

The Plurimi Group works predominantly with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients with assets in excess of EUR10m, earmarked for various investment opportunities, who may be seeking personalised and comprehensive investment solutions for their current and future financial needs. I work with clients are entrepreneurs, who may experience a wealth event or are thinking of transferring their wealth to the next generation. Additionally, I also work with trust companies, law firms and tax advisors to develop solutions suitable for each clients’ particular needs, as personal circumstances are never the same. Luckily, I have a depth of experience in dealing with such complex projects, having spent many years working in two large global consulting firms and the top private banks. Once the strategy and risk parameters are agreed, we offer the best advisory or discretionary solution available and execute these for our clients. To ensure that the selected investment strategy is monitored and adjusted appropriately, we offer consolidated reporting across a range of private banks. Our clients tend to be time-poor and therefore our ability to simplify reporting and analysis, and keep all their important records in one place, is always appreciated.

Where do you think you add most value? 

Without a doubt, it is our experience, entrepreneurial approach and total dedication to finding a solution suitable for each client – after all we must live up to our “of most value” name”! Most of our clients use several private banks for different investment strategies and to diversify their risks, particularly considering the recent turbulence within the global financial sector. Often, depending on the number of private banks they deal with, complexity of the holding structures, family dynamics and business interests, clients conclude that they need an independent firm to oversee this important part of their life. Our multi-disciplined, talented team of professionals can act as a sounding board to develop, implement, review and ensure that our clients’ investment objectives are met in the most efficient way possible.

What will you miss about London? 

Familiar faces and a very vibrant cultural life. I am a supporter of Almeida Theatre in Islington and local communities in the borough, which was my home for over 15 years.
Given the proximity of Nice airport, it is extremely easy to travel to London as well as other exciting locations so I hope to continue enjoying all that the capital has to offer and to maintain my connections there. I should probably add here subject to the number of days I am allowed to spend in the UK. Of course, my friends and colleagues are welcome to visit me in sunny Monaco instead!

What are you looking forward to about Monaco? 

There are so many things that I plan to do and explore in Monaco and the surrounding areas. Mostly I am looking forward to meeting new people, becoming a part of the community and bringing new opportunities to my clients. Improving my French and sailing skills are also high on the agenda. So, if anyone from PCD network is willing to share their knowledge on how to master all these, I am all ears.