There are destinations that offer a beautiful backdrop, and then there are rare places that manage to create a genuine shift in how people feel, connect, and engage with each other. Our recent family office retreat at ÀNI Private Resort Thailand delivered exactly that: the kind of experience that not only resets the body and mind, but also strengthens the relationships that sit at the heart of successful private markets.

George Ralph of RFA highlights the importance of strong cloud security practices for organisations in highly regulated industries, with a focus on shared responsibility and risk management.

If you invest in private markets, you know the problem. Quarterly capital account statements, capital call notices, financial statements, tax documents, investor letters, all arriving in different formats, from different portals, at different frequencies. All as PDFs. All requiring someone to manually extract, normalise, and enter the data before any meaningful analysis can begin. In Episode 14 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, Mike Muniz, co-founder of Canoe Intelligence, explains how the firm built a technology solution to this universal problem and why COVID turned out to be its most powerful growth catalyst.

AYU members from across the alternative funds and family office community gathered on 20th November in the heart of Mayfair for our monthly drinks event. The evening provided a relaxed and welcoming setting for guests to reconnect with peers, forge new relationships, and exchange perspectives on the evolving alternatives landscape. Conversation flowed naturally as professionals from a broad range of strategies and backgrounds came together in an informal environment, further strengthening connections within the AYU community.

A huge thank you to our friends at AlphaSense for sponsoring this event.

Family offices are increasingly in the crosshairs when it comes to technology risk not because they are heavily targeted by hackers, but because many are operating with outdated systems, fragmented data, and little to no internal tech expertise. In Episode 15 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, we sat down with George Ralph, Director at RFA, to talk about AI adoption, cybersecurity, data centralisation, and the practical steps family offices can take to protect themselves and operate more efficiently.

George Ralph of RFA discusses how financial firms can avoid wasting money by taking a smarter, more strategic approach to cybersecurity spending.

AYU Dubai Cocktails, powered by AlphaSense, took place last week at The Ritz-Carlton, coinciding with the SuperReturn Middle East. The evening brought together AYU members, guests, and new connections from Dubai and the wider region for an elegant networking experience.

We are grateful to AlphaSense for sponsoring this event.

On November 4th, we hosted an exclusive members-only brunch in London with a focus on how family offices are harnessing AI. Guests enjoyed a relaxed brunch setting designed to foster meaningful peer-to-peer connections and candid conversations around the practical applications of AI in the financial world. The event featured a panel discussion exploring how AI is shaping the future of investment management.

AlphaSense discusses how investment managers are increasingly adopting domain-specific AI tools, outlining key use cases and strategic approaches to integrate AI into workflows to drive efficiency and generate alpha.

After 12 years at Goldman Sachs advising the chief investment officers of sovereign wealth funds and pension plans, Julia Rees Toader has looked at approximately 20,000 portfolios built by professionals for wealthy families. Her conclusion is provocative: most of them are wrong. In Episode 13 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, Julia founding partner of outsource CIO firm PrinCap explains why, and what better portfolio construction looks like for family offices.

This article by Canoe Intelligence examines the rapid rise of family office investments in private markets and highlights how AI-driven automation is transforming data management and operational efficiency.

Episode 12 of the AYU Family Office Podcast is a special debrief. Rather than a guest interview, Gus Morrison and Lucy Sermon unpack the highlights, insights, and moments that defined the AYU Family Office Summit held at Chiswick House and Gardens in London.

A distinguished gathering of family offices, representing billions in investment capital came together for the AYU Family Office Summit, a day filled with meaningful connections, insightful discussion, and opportunities for collaboration.

“Family offices are very good at preparing the wealth for the children. They are not very good at preparing the children for the wealth." In Episode 11 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, Jess McGawley consulting psychologist and founder of Dallington makes the case that the human side of wealth transfer is the most important and most neglected part of succession planning.

Financial firms, including investment funds, have been gradually integrating AI into their daily operations to enhance efficiency. George Ralph of RFA explains one of the most impactful use cases of AI in funds is optimising portfolio and asset management.

An unforgettable evening of Swiss elegance, artistry, and conversation with The Ultima Collection.

There are some stays that linger long after you’ve checked out, etched into memory by a rare combination of setting, design, and atmosphere. Our recent two-night retreat at the penthouse of The Ultima Collection in Geneva was one such experience — an escape that transcended hospitality to feel more like inhabiting a work of art.

AYU members gathered for an enjoyable afternoon to mark the summer season in the city. The event provided a welcoming setting for drinks, conversation, and valuable networking, with guests reconnecting with familiar faces and forming new connections. Held in an iconic London beer garden, the informal atmosphere offered the perfect opportunity to take a break and enjoy the summer air together.

As family offices grow in sophistication and scale, their approach to investing is evolving rapidly particularly when it comes to co-investments and direct deal participation. In Episode 7 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, Gus Morison speaks with Christine van der Mescht, Strategic Relationship Manager at RisCura, about how family offices are approaching co-investments, why relationships sit at the foundation of everything, and how the global investment landscape is shifting for private capital.

The Vanderbilt family lost what would today be billions of dollars across just a few generations. One of the most frequently cited reasons is misalignment of values, of identity, of purpose across family branches. In Episode 9 of the AYU Family Office Podcast, India Woolridge, founder of brand strategy consultancy Catalyst, makes the case that this kind of failure is entirely preventable and that brand strategy, properly understood, is the tool that prevents it.