Welcome to our series, ‘Meet the Team’, where we meet the people behind the businesses in the Channel Islands to find out what they’re doing and what makes them tick.
Today, we meet Sharon Coburn (pictured), Associate Director of the People & Culture team at Saffery Trust.
1. Tell us about your background and previous experience
I was born and educated in Guernsey and started working in Human Resources (HR) around 30 years ago. I found an affinity for helping colleagues to achieve their career goals and supporting businesses in meeting their objectives.
The HR landscape has changed a great deal over the last three decades and, alongside this, the scope of my own role extended to include facilitating the transition of staff during mergers, acquisitions, and sales of businesses. While this was great experience, something that attracted me to Saffery Trust was its stability as a long-established, independent firm which does not seek to merge with other organisations.
As a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute, I understand the challenges of undertaking professional qualifications while in full-time employment, and the positive impact of study for career development.
Drawing on my experience of working within a multi-jurisdictional environment, I look forward to working collaboratively with the teams across Saffery Trust’s five global offices and supporting innovation across the firm.
2. What’s the most interesting thing you’re working on right now?
I have joined Saffery Trust at a really exciting time for the firm. We have over 100 staff in Guernsey for the first time in 2.5 years and are continuing to roll out our new Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which looks at the culture of the firm to ensure that everyone feels as though they belong and are valued.
Our EVP sets the tone for what employees and potential employees can expect from Saffery in terms of our culture and our approach to wellbeing, development opportunities, the type of work our people can expect to get involved in as well as our remuneration and benefits package. In addition, it gives Saffery an opportunity to talk about how it has gained such a credible reputation both as a service provider as well as a fantastic employer.
It cannot be underestimated how key it is to create and maintain a culture which is positive, respectful, fair, supportive and values its people as well as giving our people the opportunities to progress and develop to the very best of their ability. These are all traits which I see daily, and places Saffery Trust firmly in the category of an employer of choice.
3. What makes Saffery Trust’s People & Culture team stand out?
At Saffery Trust, potential meets personal.
Our People & Culture (P&C) team understands that employment is just one part of a person’s life, and that each segment can affect another.
At Saffery Trust, potential meets personal.
I am a Mental Health First Aider and each of the P&C team members are Mental Health First Aid Champions. It is hugely important for P&C professionals to demonstrate emotional intelligence and be able to consider our people’s wellbeing, not simply key performance indicators.
It is this approach which ensures that our people feel supported and able to raise concerns without judgment.
Saffery Trust boasts an impressive staff retention rate of 95% across its offices (year ended 2023) and we have many long-serving staff, including over 30 years of service, which is a testament to the fact that this is a fantastic place to work.
4. Describe your job in three words.
- Varied
- Collaborative
- Challenging
5. What trends are you currently seeing at work?
Across most industries, there is a growing trend of staff prioritising a healthy work-life balance, which is supported within Saffery Trust. We understand that the perfect balance is subjective, what works for one person may not be suitable for another. With that in mind, we introduced a flexible working policy for all team members, without the restriction of core hours, to enable our people to find the right balance for their own lives.
Our directors demonstrate the benefits of flexible working. This director-led approach helps to empower staff to do the same. For example, Guernsey and Cayman Director, Lisa Vizia, will utilise her flexible working hours to undertake sea swims in line with the tides, and is open about the personal and professional benefits of taking time for wellbeing.
I believe prioritising a healthy work-life balance is a trend set to continue and Saffery Trust are ahead of the curve in the level of flexibility offered to its staff.
6. What do the next few years look like for you and the People & Culture team?
In alignment with the goals of our EVP, the P&C team will continue to look for opportunities to support our people, and the wider community. We run several initiatives, including lunch’n’learn sessions which cover a broad spectrum of topics from technical expertise and career development to mental and physical health. The ‘lunch’n’learn’ sessions are something that will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our people and the business, alongside other wellbeing initiatives to promote a healthy work-life balance.
We regularly review our policies and procedures to ensure we are as effective as possible in supporting our people and, by extension, our clients. Looking forward, this will include further development of our performance management framework and building on our collaborative working with our other offices.
7. How do you measure success?
For Saffery Trust, ‘success’ is delivering a first-class client service and supporting opportunity and enabling success for our clients, intermediaries, and staff alike.
Our Performance and Development frameworks consider individual career goals, learning objectives and contributions to corporate social responsibility initiatives. This holistic approach ensures that ‘success’ is measured across a broad spectrum and focuses on the individual.
8. What benefits are there of being based in the Channel Islands?
Living and working in the Channel Islands offers a multitude of benefits both for our clients and for our staff.
For our clients, Guernsey benefits from close relationships with the UK and EU, while maintaining protection from the political, legal and fiscal unpredictability of each.
Guernsey’s independence in governing itself aligns with the independent ownership structure at Saffery Trust; we have the expertise to plan for the future and the flexibility to adapt in the moment.
Our Guernsey office is in a beautiful location on the east cost of the island, and our staff benefit from sea views with a beach directly opposite the office.
Our team works collaboratively with each of our other offices – in the Cayman Islands, Dubai and Switzerland – and staff who visit Guernsey from other jurisdictions will often comment on how fortunate we are to live and work in such a beautiful place with a close-knit community.
9. What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time?
- No-one has it all figured out, no matter how together someone may seem.
- Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake, the most important thing is to learn from your mistakes.
- Take enjoyment from and appreciate the simple things – be happy, laugh and have fun.
- Ask questions, be inquisitive, don’t be afraid to try new things and never stop learning.
- Have confidence and speak up for yourself no matter how daunting it might be.
- Always be kind, considerate and compassionate.
- Stay true to yourself and be the best version of you.
10. How do you spend your free time?
I like to be active and enjoy going to the gym, cycling and daily walks with my Labrador, Reggie.
I also enjoy yoga, reading, travel, spending time with family and friends and a good coffee.
Saffery Trust‘s Guernsey office is a leader in multi-jurisdictional, complex structures and non-standard assets, including cryptocurrency and digital assets. The wealth of experience of our team also allows us to act as successful mediators in contentious work confidently and competently, where other providers may shy away. For more information, get in touch by email or telephone on +44 (0)1481 721374.
