John Chew is a veteran in the wills and trust industry with 26 years of experience. He has been General Manager and Director in large and reputable trust companies in Singapore and the British Virgin Islands. He has also worked in various financial capacity and company management including in England, Bermuda, and Canada.
From 1994 to 2002, John was General Manager of one of Singapore’s oldest and largest trust companies, the British and Malayan Trustees Limited, listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. John led British & Malayan Trustees in managing estates, trustee for loan stocks, bond issues, and unit trust funds and properties management.
John was also a Trust Director at Rawlinson & Hunter Singapore for 3 years and in the British Virgin Islands for 9 years. John also worked at a Private Family Office for an ultra-high net worth family in Singapore.
John is vastly experienced in:
- general management and administration, accounting, and all internal controls, marketing, personnel and IT matters.
- compliance and all reporting to the Singapore stock exchange for BMT.
- Managing cash flows, money markets for all clients and companies.
- Providing advice on the structuring of trusts, estate planning, wills, and executorships.
- Compliance for AML. FATCA, CRS and regulatory requirements.
- Negotiation with bankers, lawyers, and proposals to clients.
- Investment Committee making decisions and managing clients’ assets of properties, stocks and shares and fund deposits.
- Responsible for business development and bottom line.
- Solely responsible for negotiating a loan of S$100 million for the development under a trust.
- Overseeing the management/operation of the completed development called “Treetops” serviced apartments at Orange Grove Road, which has been touted as the best-serviced apartments in Singapore.
- Creation of trusts, structures and underlying companies, private trust companies and share trusts.
- Servicing and maintenance of trust clients and their assets and accounting; maintenance; tax planning issues and investments including many renovations of shophouses, flats all over Singapore for various Trusts.
- Working and liaising with clients, other professionals and legal advisors on complex and taxation issues and investments.
- Audit and accounts preparation of trusts and companies and review of clients’ accounts and audit on behalf of clients.
- Servicing and maintenance of companies incorporated in BVI and providing advice on proper management of companies according to regulations.
- Ensuring the Company’s own internal procedures and local laws and regulations are always adhered to; Assess and analyse own Company’s risks consistently.
- Prepare all trustee’s resolutions and companies resolutions.
- Reviewing and advising on simple to complex agreements and contracts for corporate clients and group of companies where we act as corporate directors.
- Providing advice to clients pertaining to the formation and the compliance of offshore companies; lapsing of BVI companies and liquidation of BVI companies no longer required.
- monitoring, updating, checking, attending to queries and ensuring full compliance of BVI regulations with all matters relating to KYC and AML issues.
Using his wealth of experience, John assists PKWA Law’s lawyers in wills, trusts, including structuring of trusts, estate and succession planning.
Qualifications
The Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants-UK Associateship in 1981 (ACCA);
Fellowship in 1986 (FCCA);
Associate Financial Planner (Singapore) in 2003;
TEP - Member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in 2004.
