Interview -
Meet the team - Martin Dyer
In this week’s feature, we talk to Martin Dyer, Head of Asia in our International team.
What is your area of expertise?
I joined Arbuthnot Latham in 2016 and established Asia as a new market for the bank. Since then, our client base has grown exponentially in the region, and in 2021 we formed the Asia Desk, which I run for the bank’s International team.
I specialise in looking after clients who reside in and/or originate from Asia. I have been working with clients in the region for the last 16 years of my 24-year private banking career, with a particular focus on Hong Kong, Singapore and India.
My team and I provide tailored banking, mortgage and wealth management services and we pride ourselves on taking the time to really get to know and develop relationships with our clients, which includes travelling to Hong Kong and Singapore to meet them in person.
What challenges are clients facing at the moment?
The single biggest challenge is global inflation and the knock-on effect this has had on interest rates, particularly in the UK. Many of my clients diversify their global asset base with investment in UK real estate. They typically take debt with Arbuthnot Latham for liquidity, succession or tax planning purposes.
With many clients buying property to let, rising interest rates has affected the net return on these investment properties. As a result, they are needing to use funds they had set aside for other purposes to service the rising interest costs.
A recently stronger pound has compounded the issue further for international clients, but where possible we offer solutions to minimise the currency impact.
What do you think sets Arbuthnot Latham apart in the market?
It is the personal touch and bespoke nature of Arbuthnot Latham’s service. In Asia, private banks tend to be more product-driven, with high assets under management requirements to become a client.
At Arbuthnot Latham, we can support clients with £500,000 of borrowing, deposits or investments, giving a client the opportunity to experience our services without having to make an initial commitment of many millions.
Be it a mortgage, a fixed-term cash deposit or a discretionary investment portfolio, we give advice that is suitable to a client’s financial situation and goals, rather than selecting from a range of ready-made options.
One of my clients in Hong Kong once told me, as a compliment, that she “…didn’t think banks like Arbuthnot existed anymore!”. The desire to have a long-term relationship with our clients really sets us apart in Asia.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a passionate football fan, although I prefer not to mention it too loudly this season based on my team Liverpool’s performances! I spend any free holiday time in Tuscany with my family at our home near Cortona, pretending to be an Italian wine connoisseur when I’m not bathing in the pool or consuming my body weight in gelato, pizza, and pasta!
Further reading
International
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