Ten Years at Louvre for Tom
Assistant Trust Manager Tom Creed has been part of the Louvre team for over a decade, combining career progression with success in a variety of sports. Tom reflects on his first 10 years with Louvre and looks to a bright future with the Group which, like his career, is going from strength to strength.
What was your role when you started with Louvre?
I started at Louvre straight from school in May 2008 as an Office Assistant, initially on a six-week temping contract. I loved the job and was delighted to be offered a full-time contract as an Assistant Trust & Company Administrator. When I first joined, my role was to work with the officers and managers above me on their client work, assisting them with some of the more basic tasks and shadowing them to gain further experience.
What role are you in now?
I am now an Assistant Trust Manager, in charge of a team of four. As well as managing the team on a day-to-day basis I also undertake various projects for the Group and still manage a small portfolio of my own clients.
What qualifications have you earned whilst being with Louvre?
I have completed the International Diploma in Financial Administration (IDFA) and am currently studying towards completing my STEP Diploma in International Trust Management later this year.
How else has the company supported you?
Louvre has supported my sporting lifestyle throughout my career. I used to play for Guernsey Football Club and not only did Louvre sponsor me, but they were extremely flexible in permitting me to travel to midweek away games and allowing me to make myself available for selection as much as possible. I then played island-level basketball for a season and have now moved on to playing rugby, and Louvre has provided me with great support to make early-evening training sessions and the occasional midweek physio appointment! Louvre has always shown great levels of support to its employees personally, as well as supporting local sport as a whole.
Did you ever think you’d work for one company for 10 years?
When I left school after completing my A-Levels I honestly wouldn't have pictured myself here 10 years on. Time has flown by so quickly and one of the main reasons for this is that it’s not a chore to me to turn up to work, I can honestly say I love my job and have a great working relationship with the team around me. One of the key points that Louvre can pride itself on is the family-like feel we have in the office: everybody looks out for one another and it's a great, close-knit team.
What else has happened in those 10 years?
In my early years I managed to have some nice holidays abroad and this was supported by a great ‘travel allowance’ perk that Louvre provides to its employees. Since then I’ve met my wife and we have two children, who are now four and two years old. For both children I was supported with a Paternity Leave package and also flexible ‘returning to work’ hours. I’ve also had the opportunity to move around the different admin teams internally, which has given me exposure to a large proportion of our client base. This has been such a valuable learning tool as it’s given me the opportunity to work with clients all over the world, with ranging complexities and servicing needs.
How has the industry changed in this time and what do you think the next 10 years might bring?
A lot has changed in 10 years. For example, when I started I was looking after a lot of what we now call ‘vanilla structures’: a trust owning a company, which in turn owns property. UK legislation led to many of these structures consolidating into just one vehicle, which prompted clients to use offshore trusts for more complex asset classes or very niche tax initiatives. This meant that we as administrators were constantly learning and adapting to assist our clients.
In the next 10 years, I expect to see more of the same: more complex clients looking for more complex and specific structures. I also feel that the Guernsey Foundation Law offers an attractive alternative to the conventional trust or company, which I predict will grow in popularity in due course. I can also see Guernsey losing its ‘tax haven’ reputation and evolving into one of the world’s leading international financial centres.
What are your personal work goals for the next few years?
I plan on completing my STEP exams this year, I then want to continue my career progression from Assistant Manager all the way through to Senior Director. I also look forward to continuing to work with and develop the junior staff here at Louvre, helping them to advance much like my current managers and directors helped me to progress to my current role. I also plan on helping the business grow by getting out there with our Client Relationship Manager later this year and seeing what new business we can bring in to help us grow even further.