As one of the handful of people who were at Sanctoras on the day of launch, I was delighted when James asked me to write a reflection on the first 18 months of our story. 

From strength to strength

Since opening for business in May 2022, it is no understatement to say that Sanctoras has gone from strength to strength. We have grown from a small team of three individuals who worked across everything - the technical advisory work, client engagements, business development strategies, marketing and managing our internal finances - to a versatile and busy team of seven based across three locations. Since that day in May, we have recruited several permanent additions to the team including Aimée Dolbear, Ed Maycock, Joey Morling and Kush Peshin. It is obvious to me that all members of the team have contributed significantly in their own areas to our firm’s rapid growth. 

‍The growth of the Sanctoras client portfolio

Over the last year or so our small team has established a private client advisory practice with an enviable client portfolio which boasts a calibre of companies, trusts and individuals that many of the larger firms would be proud of. On top of this we have expanded our offer to include divorce and single joint expert instructions, visas and immigration services as well as all the elements included in family office work.  

Committing to philanthropic work

Aside from the day job we also set up a new charity, registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales. Our charity - The Sanctoras Foundation - has been created to help young people with great ideas and exceptional potential to access opportunities which might not naturally come their way. Sanctoras as a business has also made the formal commitment to donate 5% of our net profits to our foundation in order to support projects which give back to the communities which we work in, and have come from.

‍Thanks to our network 

As a whole team we would like to thank each member of our network for their amazing support in our first year of business. I would like to say from my point of view that it has been a privilege to work closely with you, whether we have been providing advice and support to you or your clients, or vice versa! 

‍Our gracious leader!

Personally I feel that special thanks to our Founder and leader James are definitely in order. As cliché as it sounds, without James none of this would be possible! He placed a huge amount of trust in me since our launch, and I feel that I have thrived with his trust and support. It has been a pleasure to have been here from day one of the Sanctoras story and see our growth unfold.  

As a small team located in two separate time zones, we often get asked about the struggles of working remotely, but James, with his fabulous communication style and people management skills, has made the challenges of remote work non-existent.

Incredibly it wasn't until 12th July 2023, after over a year working closely together, that the whole Sanctoras team finally had the opportunity to get together in person at the inaugural Sanctoras Team Day! The focus of the day was to work on strategy, discuss performance, gather thoughts and opinions from across the team. And of course to have a night out together in London Town.

‍Looking to the future…a new colleague and new service

There is so much in the pipeline for Sanctoras over the coming months. But the top three have to be a: new colleague, a new service and a colleague relocation.

On the 9th of October we welcome another new starter - a well-known and well-respected person from the private client sector. Watch this space for the announcement of his arrival.

In terms of new service, led by Kush and James, we are imminently launching our client accountancy services.

Finally, associate Ed Maycock will return to the University of Durham until July 2024 to complete his studies. Whilst we will miss his full-time presence in the team, we are really happy to say that Ed and James have agreed that Ed will continue to work with Sanctoras during his final year, after which time we look forward to him returning to our team full time.