Meet the speaker
Alexander von der Vellen
Alexander has spent a lifetime at the intersection of duty, wealth and trust. Born into an Anglo-Austrian family, he was educated in the UK and joined the British Army after university.
He subsequently enjoyed a second career as a senior international banker with Barings, JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Since 2005 he has guided families as a trustee and fiduciary architect in their work of preserving both fortune and purpose.
About this podcast series
“Your wealth can only last when your decisions outlive you”.
Alexander von der Vellen
Podcast Episodes
5. Discretionary trusts versus fixed interest trusts. Practical differences.
This session focuses on practical differences between discretionary and fixed interest trusts - not from a drafting perspective, but through how they behave over time. The discussion examines how each structure shapes control, flexibility, risk, governance and family dynamics, and why the most common regret is not choosing the wrong structure, but postponing the choice. This episode focuses on consequences in practice: certainty versus discretion, and which trade-offs families are prepared to live with.
6. Trusts and businesses. Holding, control and exit planning.
In this episode we examine how trusts are used to hold business interests and what that means for governance, succession and exit planning. The discussion explores the critical distinction between ownership and control, the tensions that arise between trustees and directors, and the recurring conflicts around reinvestment, family employment and authority. It also considers why exit planning is often the most testing moment for a trust-held business - and how trustee judgment, governance clarity and long-term discipline determine whether continuity or fragility follows.
12. Trusts and family governance. Preventing conflict before it starts.
This session examines how trusts interact with family dynamics, and how good governance structures can reduce misunderstanding, resentment and dispute.
13. Discretionary trusts versus fixed interest trusts. Practical differences.
A clear comparison of two core trust types. The session focuses on control, flexibility, risk and suitability rather than technical definitions.
14. Trusts and businesses. Holding, control and exit planning.
An exploration of how trusts are used to hold business interests. Governance, succession and exit planning are considered from both a legal and human perspective.
15. Trusts and asset protection. What they can and cannot do.
A realistic discussion of asset protection. The session explains legitimate protection versus false promises, and where trust planning crosses into danger.
16. Trusts and succession planning for international families.
This session looks at the additional complexity of cross-border families. Jurisdictions, culture, mobility and long-term planning are brought together in a practical framework.
17. The psychology of wealth transfer. Trusts as behavioural frameworks.
An exploration of how trusts influence behaviour. Incentives, dependency, responsibility, and maturity are examined - and why psychology matters as much as law.
18. When trusts fail. Real-world mistakes and lessons learned.
A candid session on failure. Poor drafting, weak trusteeship, family conflict and regulatory blind spots, and what can be learned from them.
19. Trusts in a changing regulatory world. What advisers need to watch.
An overview of regulatory pressure points. Transparency, reporting, scrutiny and how trustees and advisers can remain resilient.
20. The trust as a long-term institution. Stewardship, legacy and time.
The concluding session reframes the trust as a long-term institution rather than a planning tool. Stewardship, responsibility and the passage of time take centre stage.
