The Matheson group has key offices in the Channel Islands, Hong Kong and the Caribbean and smaller operations in Mauritius and the Isle of Man, which provide a range of financial services including offshore trust and company administration, asset management and stockbroking. Listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, Insinger de Beaufort is established in seventeen countries with head offices in the Benelux, the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.

Taking charge of the Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man branches is Nick Landor, director of trust and fiduciary services, and Grahame Lovett, managing director of investments. According to Mr Landor, the acquisition has almost doubled the number of Insinger's staff to 290 in Jersey and Guernsey, which places the company in the top five Channel Island trust businesses. This is not surprising as Insinger has an already established strong asset management presence.

Graham Davin, executive director of Insinger de Beaufort said of the deal: 'This acquisition is an important development for us. It creates critical mass and brings with it experienced staff and a well-developed client base. The addition of these businesses will provide the scale of operation that supports a complex fiduciary business and provide volume and distribution for our securities and asset management businesses.'

However, Insinger is not content with a powerful presence in Europe: in addition to the Matheson acquisition, Insinger has brought on board Asian-based trustee, corporate management and fiduciary service providers, Brumby & Co. Brumby has an established physical presence in Hong Kong, Singapore, Labuan and Malaysia. The combined companies plan to form one of the Asia-Pacific region's fastest-growing private trust groups under the brand name of Insinger de Beaufort.

Brumby & Co. also expresses its enthusiasm over the merger, Frederik Van Tuyll, managing director of the Asia-Pacific operation, said: 'as part of Insinger, we will have the opportunity to greatly enhance our scope of services around the Asia-Pacific region. Our philosophy is to provide intelligent solutions for preserving wealth and maximising tax efficiency - and through this deal, and the expansion of our professional team and having access to Insinger's European and Caribbean network, we have expanded our planning and execution capabilities.'

Peter Woodthorpe, chief executive of Insinger de Beaufort's trust and fiduciary services, commented: 'Insinger de Beaufort is now positioned as a major trust company in the [Asia-Pacific] region, with one of the strongest technical support teams in Asia.' Perhaps Insinger de Beaufort is aiming for world domination, watch this space ....