The Next Era of Wealth Management: Talent, Technology and Trust

Crestbridge Family Office Services’ Chief Executive Officer, Heather Tibbo was recently named ‘Leading CEO’ at the WealthBriefing MENA Awards 2025.

In this interview Heather Tibbo discusses her recent award win and gives insight into what it takes to build and sustain a high-performing team.

What was the way your colleagues made a difference?

Recruiting the right colleagues, from technical skillset and industry experience to attitude and cultural fit, has always been a foundational priority for our firm.

Independent and privately-owned, we are in the enviable position to ensure we take on new business only when we are fully and correctly resourced to deliver the high service levels our clients expect.

Leveraging our collective strengths and our shared service culture has helped us thrive in the Middle East. By providing considered, high-quality, flexible solutions to our clients across the region, our colleagues have consistently delivered against our commitment to service excellence.

Investing in our people has demonstrably paid dividends, both in the stability of our Middle East client base and our strong organic revenue growth.

How do you intend to remain on the front foot and continue to set a high standard?

Over the last year we have significantly strengthened our executive leadership team. We have also invested heavily in bespoke technology to support every stage of the client journey, as well as enhance our internal operations. These statements of purpose represent a commitment to our future, in which we believe certainty and peace of mind will be increasingly sought after by leading global families.

In a sector that grows ever more competitive and complex, our independence and privately-owned status, coupled with our cultural agility and flexibility, place us strongly in a position to meet clients’ emerging needs. In highly active and dynamic markets such as the Middle East, this differentiation will enable us to continue setting the industry benchmark.

In what ways were you able to deal with challenges and problems this time around? What lessons have you learned?

Our team have the experience to recognise that, whatever our commitment to preparation, process, and foresight, unforeseen challenges can occasionally emerge. However, when client relationships are built on authentic, long-standing trust, the process of openly and honestly addressing challenging situations becomes immeasurably easier.

Our growth has been driven by constantly nurturing these strong, long-term client relationships. In the Middle East, this approach reflects the region’s values, as families appreciate our understanding of local markets, their unique needs, and our international outlook.

An additional strategic priority that we believe has helped reinforce the strength of our client relationships is proactive investment in new systems, processes and platforms. This dynamic approach to delivering a well-executed and streamlined experience has further built client confidence.

Where do you see the wider wealth management sector going in the next five years?

Over the next five years, reputation and proven expertise will remain central as global uncertainty grows. The rise of intergenerational wealth transfer will shift decision-making to next-gen clients, whose global mobility and multi-jurisdictional outlook are reshaping expectations.

AI will further transform the sector through more intuitive, secure and digitised services, easing administrative demands but exceptional in-person service will continue to be the key differentiator.

This article was published on 9 December 2025 in Acclaim magazine – The WealthBriefing MENA Awards 2025.