Created in 2002, the independent and international shop TrustConsult Group’s mission is to protect and develop the assets of its clients, whether they come from the private or institutional sector. It is established in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Dubai and very soon in Monaco.
TrustConsult Group specialises in the creation, management and administration of regulated and non-regulated companies, trusts and foundations, as well as transaction, private equity and real estate advisory services. In order to differentiate itself from its competitors, Christian Buhlmann decided to make TrustConsult a company closer to its clients. This gives them the opportunity to contact the general management directly in order to obtain all the information they deem necessary.
TrustConsult’s values: international, independence, availability, humility, offering solutions adapted to each individual.
The team behind the TrustConsult group
Christian Bühlmann: Group Chairman & Founding Partner
Alban J. Calcagno: Group Vice-Chairman
Jean-Bernard Zeimet: Group Board Member
Michel Caillard: Board Member M & A
Vishal Sookloll: Deputy CEO
Luca Congiu: Group Business Development
Lorenzo Lopez: CEO, Belgium
Tania Carvalho: Group Executive Assistant
Julien Machuca: Manager, M&A, Private Equity, Property.
Mehdi Ghassemi : Project Manager Property development
The various services offered by TrustConsult Group
The independent and international shop offers several services to its customers.
TrustConsult
As an original service of the international shop founded in 2002, Christian Buhlmann TrustConsult offers individual support to customers who wish to structure their small or medium-sized business, whether regulated or not. The support is provided in four areas:
Wealth structuring and planning: this first phase supports clients in the analysis of needs, risk analysis and tax analysis. In accordance with the legislation, the mandatory AML and KYC checks are carried out. A study of the current situation is also drawn up. Finally, this first phase includes the design, planning and implementation of services. Experts are consulted throughout this first phase.
Creation and administration of funds and companies: this second phase takes care of the selection of partners, banks, notaries, lawyers and the establishment of an audit. Contractual and regulatory negotiations. Assistance in the drafting of contracts and social documents. Governance and administration.
Accounting and financial reporting: this third phase assists clients with administrative management, i.e. accounting, VAT and tax declarations, but also with financial, fiscal and regulatory reporting. Finally, audit assistance is provided.
Rental of offices and infrastructure: this last phase assists the client in the finalisation of its asset structuring project, i.e. office rental, website hosting, seconded staff, telecom and IT infrastructure.
TrustConsult Trustees
This service, created in 2014, is involved in the creation, implementation, management and administration of trusts and patrimonial foundations.
Wealth planning: this phase takes care of defining the type of trust, securing the assets, defining the objectives and defining the status (legal or natural person).
Types of trusts: family trust (allows the grouping of a client’s possessions for the present or future needs of family members), ad hoc trust (company created for a specific purpose and which ceases to exist when it is reached), fixed term trust or investment trust.
Private Trust Partners
Created in 2017, this service was designed to meet a specific and recurring need of TrustConsult Group’s clients. To increase efficiency, this private equity service relies on the network of the parent company. Its aim is to accompany clients in their transactions and alternative investments.
Selection: analysis of performance, personalities involved and exclusivity.
Qualification: validation, financial and technical management, legal management and networking.
Negotiation: accompanying the client, providing advice and independence.
Withdrawal / Conclusion: assisting the client in the final phase of the private equity investment includes withdrawal, formalization and closing.
An update on private equity
Private equity, or capital-investment in French, is a type of investment that consists of injecting funds into one or more companies, whether listed or unlisted, in order to help them grow.
The simplest definition of private equity is as follows: shares that are not publicly listed or traded. As a source of private equity capital, private equity is actually provided by wealthy individuals and companies that buy shares in private companies or acquire control of public companies that are considering privatization and eventually delist from public stock exchanges. The private equity industry is largely composed of large institutional investors, such as pension funds, and large private equity firms financed by a group of accredited investors.
Since the basis of a private equity investment is a direct investment in a company, often to achieve a significant level of influence over the operations of the company, a fairly large capital outlay is required, which is why larger funds with deep pockets dominate the industry. The minimum amount of capital required for investors may vary depending on the company and the fund. Some funds require a minimum investment of $250,000; others may require millions of dollars.
The motivation behind such commitments is, of course, the search for a positive return on investment. Partners of private equity firms raise funds and manage those funds to achieve a favourable return for their shareholder clients, typically with an investment horizon of four to seven years.
This type of investment offers the investor a good prospect of long-term capital appreciation in addition to allowing them to participate in the creation or development of innovative small businesses. Private equity is therefore reserved for sophisticated investors with an entrepreneurial spirit. It is also interesting to note that despite the various crises that have been experienced, private equity is still in good shape. In spite of the high risks, it is therefore a rather safe investment, provided that professional expertise is sought, and TrustConsult , as an international and independent boutique founded by Christian Bühlmann, is ideally positioned from this point of view.
TC Property Partners
The latest service offered by TrustConsult Group, implemented in 2018, it provides the Group’s clients with support, advice and project management in their real estate investment operations.
Real estate development: investment in real estate development operations (construction of housing, residences dedicated to tourism and leisure, offices or commercial or industrial premises and development of subdivisions).
Activity as a property trader : TrustConsult Group offers you to acquire and sell real estate such as buildings, houses, company funds or shares of real estate companies of the SCI (Société Civile Immobilière) type.
Real estate investment advice: finally, to advise clients in their real estate investment projects, this branch of TrustConsult Group assists them in creating, boosting and optimising their assets.
This service is available in the following jurisdictions Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium and Hungary.
An update on real estate investment
When it comes to investments, real estate is a safe investment. When talking about financial investments in general, there are three aspects to consider: returns, risks and the potential for capital gains in the medium and long term. It is here that investments in real estate are very interesting because the returns are high and the risks fairly low. In addition, depending on the region, the potential for added value is also interesting. Moreover, in recent years, mortgage rates have been historically low and make it possible to obtain a leverage effect with even more attractive returns on equity.
Finally, if we look at the statistics for the last 20 years, we see that real estate has increased in value and generally protects against inflation. However, prices are stabilizing.
There is no such thing as zero risk; every financial investment carries risk. However, when it comes to real estate, the risks are very low, but it is still important to entrust management tasks to professionals like TrustConsult Group.
TrustConsult Group therefore presents itself as an international and independent boutique that specialises in protecting and developing the assets of its clients. Its comprehensive services with a high added value enable investment in various areas such as private equity and real estate. Working together with entrepreneurs, Christian Bühlmann’s company helps companies in their management but also in their creation.
Christian Bühlmann holds an HEC-style economic education obtained in Belgium and a specialized education in Finance in Brussels. Since 2004, he has also been registered in Luxembourg as a chartered accountant. He founded the international and independent boutique TrustConsult Group in his Luxembourg room in 2002. This idea came to him when he noticed the low level of service of several shops on the Place. Since then, the company has been a real success with an international clientele.
