Issue 10 2020

CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 10 2020 7 , Feb20350 A Global Company With An Entrepreneurial Mindset Established in 2012, RIF Trust’s overall strategic direction is to provide private clients with innovative investment management, second citizenship & permanent residency solutions in order to help them achieve their long-term investment and family succession goals. To start, Mimoun gives us a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its client base. “Originally, I come from a banking background. For the first 15 years of my career, I was working with different international banks, sovereign wealth funds and family offices throughout the Middle East and Africa. “Eight years ago, I anticipated a growing demand amongst high-net-worth individuals and investors in the Middle East and Africa seeking second citizenship or residency. So, without hesitation, I founded RIF Trust to address this demand for citizenship and residency through investment solutions, and dedicated my time and effort to become a specialist in this booming industry. Through hard work and perseverance, I have built our company from two people in the UAE to the largest global investment migration advisory in the Middle East and Africa, with over 30 staff members at our headquarters in Dubai and another 50 team members spread over 12 countries.” Coming from an immigrant background having been born Based in Dubai, RIF Trust are one of theMiddle East’s leading residency and citizenship advisories, providing outstanding service, a smooth process and transparency. Following his success, to find out more we caught up with CEO, Mimoun Assraoui. in Morocco, raised in France and having proudly lived in the UAE for 16 years, Mimoun is familiar with immigration and the impact it can have on private clients as they aim to achieve their long-term investment goals. “This business has allowed us to fulfil our core value of giving our clients and their families the freedom to become global citizens and to achieve their full potential. When RIF Trust was first formed, my mission was focused locally on combining my passion for banking with immigration to educate UAE residents about the benefits of investment migration, which was an unknown niche industry at the time. With a small team behind me, I found myself constantly having to prove the legitimacy and benefits of our service.” However, with the passage of time and the vast amount of information available online, the firm’s mission has slowly shifted away from education, moving towards growing a global brand as Mimoun goes on to explain. “Following the merger with the Latitude Group, we now have the expertise and size to expand into new countries around the world offering our services to locals and working with governments to develop new programmes.” Across the Middle East many of its competitors can offer private clients investment management solutions, however as Mimoun further explains, RIF Trust with their experience and client approach have risen to the top in recent times. “Due to our global presence and size, we can offer over 20 different programme options for our clients, ensuring that they have a wide range of solutions to choose from in the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. “Guided by a diverse board of directors who are pioneers in our industry, with a combined 100 years of experience in both building and offering citizenship and residency by investment programmes, we have maintained our leadership position and remained ahead of our competitors through our sheer hard work. Unlike our direct competitors that are focused mostly on B2B or government relationships, we have a client centric approach and take care of our clients, so much so that a lot of our business comes from past client referrals or positive word of mouth.” As a global company with an entrepreneurial mindset, RIF Trust are committed to improving the lives of each of their clients every day. Moreover, as Mimoun goes on to explain, the firm’s employees play an integral role in that regard. “Our people are our most important resource and we treat employees, clients and partners like family. Arguably, our high rate of retention is down to the fact we take the time to build a strong bond with each of our stakeholders. In the office, we are constantly learning and researching with regular training sessions to ensure we are experts in our industry. As our organisation continues to grow, we desire all our employees to make an impact and take the initiative each day to help make us stronger.” Finally, Mimoun comments on the future of RIF Trust and the plans in place for 2020 and beyond. “Many people around the world have been isolated during this pandemic, however once this virus has passed, many people will reflect on how they can better prepare themselves and their families in case of another life-changing event occurring. Inevitably, this will lead many to consider a second citizenship or residency to ensure the continued security and mobility of their family in the future. Moving forward, with people being our greatest asset, we will continue to be very selective about who we hire, focusing on recruiting people with an entrepreneurial mindset who have new ways of thinking to help us continue to be a market leader in our industry.” Company Name: RIF Trust Contact Name: Brandon Ing Web Address: www.riftrust.com