{"id":617694,"date":"2026-08-03T06:24:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T06:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/617694\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T06:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T06:24:13","slug":"from-fiduciary-foundations-to-pan-asian-growth-harmen-overdijk-on-leo-wealths-expansion-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/617694\/","title":{"rendered":"From Fiduciary Foundations to Pan-Asian Growth: Harmen Overdijk on Leo Wealth\u2019s Expansion Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n                            <strong class=\"m-0\" style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Leo Wealth is entering a new phase of Asian expansion, supported by a revised corporate structure, external growth capital and investment across its teams, technology and regulated capabilities. The firm has separated its US and non-US operations, with the latter encompassing most of its Asian business across Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nFor Harmen Overdijk, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Leo Wealth, the objective is to build a stronger pan-Asian wealth management platform while preserving the fiduciary and cross-border proposition at the centre of the business. A minority investment from Asia-based private equity firm Ocean Link is intended to accelerate that strategy through recruitment, licensing, organic expansion and potentially acquisitions.<\/strong>\n                        <\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>Leo Wealth is accelerating its Asian expansion<\/strong> following the separation of its US and non-US businesses, with the latter focused largely on Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>Ocean Link has provided dedicated growth capital<\/strong> through a minority investment, with all proceeds remaining in the business to fund expansion rather than providing liquidity to existing shareholders.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>Investment is being directed towards people, technology and regulated capabilities<\/strong>, including senior recruitment, expansion of the Hong Kong and Singapore teams, and stronger investment infrastructure.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>Additional licences could broaden the regional proposition<\/strong>, with Leo Wealth pursuing a Type 1 licence in Hong Kong and a securities licence to potentially offer onshore wealth management services in Japan.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>The firm differentiates itself through a multidisciplinary fiduciary model<\/strong>, combining cross-border tax services, financial and estate planning, family office support and portfolio management.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li><strong>Leo Wealth plans to complement discretionary portfolio management with advisory services<\/strong>, responding to Asian entrepreneurial clients who want to retain greater involvement in selected investment decisions.<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Growth Capital for a Pan-Asian Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Leo Wealth\u2019s separation into US and non-US business lines has given the firm a clearer structure from which to pursue its Asian growth plans. Its non-US operations are focused primarily on Asia, where Overdijk sees meaningful scope for expansion.<\/p>\n<p>To support that strategy, Ocean Link acquired a minority stake through the issuance of new shares. Overdijk stresses that the transaction was designed to inject capital directly into the business rather than provide liquidity to existing shareholders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNone of the existing shareholders is taking money off the table,\u201d he explains. \u201cAll of the capital invested by Ocean Link is being used for growth and expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The investment completed in April after Leo Wealth received the necessary approvals from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<\/p>\n<p>However, the firm had already begun preparing for growth. The appointment of Olivier Levene as Head of Wealth Management in the previous year formed part of the same expansion plan, despite taking place before the Ocean Link transaction formally closed.<\/p>\n<p>Ocean Link was specifically seeking a business capable of supporting a pan-Asian wealth management strategy. Overdijk says the investor was attracted to Leo Wealth\u2019s fiduciary approach and its focus on entrepreneurial clients with cross-border requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Its interest was also informed by experience in the US wealth management market. Overdijk points to General Atlantic\u2019s early investment in Creative Planning as an example of the growth potential Ocean Link and its partners had seen within the sector.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were looking for a firm on which they could build a pan-Asian wealth platform,\u201d he says. \u201cThey liked our fiduciary model and our cross-border focus on entrepreneurial clients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Building Teams, Technology and Regulated Capabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Leo Wealth plans to deploy the new capital across several areas of the business. Priorities include expanding the Hong Kong team, strengthening the firm\u2019s technology infrastructure and adding depth to its investment capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>The firm has already recruited several senior professionals across its technology and investment teams. These appointments are intended to give the business greater capacity as it adds clients, develops its platform and broadens the services it can provide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are expanding our Hong Kong team and building our capabilities on both the technology and investment sides,\u201d Overdijk says. \u201cWe have already brought several senior people into those teams.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regulatory expansion is another major component of the strategy. In Hong Kong, Leo Wealth is applying for a Type 1 licence as it considers adding investment advisory services alongside its existing discretionary portfolio management (DPM) proposition.<\/p>\n<p>In Japan, the firm is seeking a securities licence that could allow it to provide onshore wealth management services. Leo Wealth is also looking to expand its Singapore office.<\/p>\n<p>Acquisitions remain a possibility, although Overdijk presents them as one potential route within a wider expansion programme rather than the sole driver of growth. The principal focus remains on building the firm\u2019s internal capabilities and regulated footprint across its existing Asian markets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Multidisciplinary Proposition for Cross-Border Clients<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Leo Wealth\u2019s value proposition extends beyond portfolio management. Overdijk describes three principal areas of expertise: cross-border tax services, financial and estate planning, and investment management.<\/p>\n<p>The tax capability includes cross-border advice as well as tax reporting for US and Japanese purposes. This is complemented by financial planning, estate planning and support with establishing family office structures.<\/p>\n<p>The firm charges separately for this planning work, reflecting the specialist and often project-based nature of the services involved. Depending on the client\u2019s circumstances, Leo Wealth may also assist with divorce mediation or manage negotiations and projects involving lawyers, trust companies and other external advisers.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe do proper family office work,\u201d Overdijk says. \u201cThat can go from financial and estate planning through to coordinating lawyers, trust companies and other specialists.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Portfolio management forms the third pillar and is currently delivered predominantly through discretionary mandates. The broader proposition, however, is designed to bring investment management together with the tax and planning considerations surrounding a client\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n<p>This is particularly relevant to entrepreneurial clients whose personal affairs may cross several jurisdictions and require input from multiple technical specialists. Leo Wealth\u2019s role is not limited to providing individual services, but also includes coordinating those capabilities around the client.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why Team-Based Advice Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The breadth of the proposition shapes the type of professionals Leo Wealth wants to recruit. Overdijk says the firm is looking first for people who can work as part of a multidisciplinary team and draw on expertise from across the organisation.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than relying on one adviser to address every aspect of a relationship, the model brings together tax, planning and investment specialists according to the client\u2019s requirements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing we want is team players,\u201d he says. \u201cThey need to be willing to use all of our technical expertise and bring it together as a team for the client.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This collaborative approach is central to how Leo Wealth differentiates itself when recruiting advisers. New hires need to be comfortable incorporating specialist knowledge into the relationship rather than treating the client as an individual book of business managed in isolation.<\/p>\n<p>It also supports the firm\u2019s fiduciary positioning. Advice is intended to reflect the client\u2019s wider circumstances, with the relevant expertise assembled around the issue at hand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Adding Advisory Services to the Discretionary Model<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although Leo Wealth\u2019s investment proposition is currently focused largely on DPM, the firm has identified demand for a broader advisory service.<\/p>\n<p>Overdijk says some clients do not want to place all their assets into a fully discretionary arrangement. Instead, they may prefer a combination in which one part of the portfolio is managed under a discretionary mandate while the client remains involved in decisions elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>This preference is particularly visible among entrepreneurial clients in Asia, where Leo Wealth has found stronger demand for advisory relationships alongside discretionary management.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThere is still a group of clients who do not want a 100% discretionary relationship,\u201d Overdijk says. \u201cThey want a combination of discretionary management and advice.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The firm\u2019s intention is to offer that service through a transparent, fiduciary model. Its Hong Kong Type 1 licence application is an important part of this development, potentially allowing Leo Wealth to serve clients through discretionary, advisory or combined arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>For Overdijk, broadening the investment model is therefore not a departure from the firm\u2019s existing proposition. It is an extension of the same approach: giving clients access to tax, planning and investment expertise while allowing greater flexibility in how they choose to manage their portfolios.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leo Wealth is entering a new phase of Asian expansion, supported by a revised corporate structure, external growth&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617695,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[177],"tags":[143933,143937,143945,143941,143932,143936,143944,143940,143934,143938,143946,143942,143931,143935,143943,143939,79,54547,18,19,17,234,235,2480],"class_list":["post-617694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-asia-private-banking","tag-asia-private-banking-news","tag-asia-private-banking-online-training","tag-asia-private-banking-training","tag-asia-wealth-management","tag-asia-wealth-management-news","tag-asia-wealth-management-online-training","tag-asia-wealth-management-training","tag-asian-private-banking","tag-asian-private-banking-news","tag-asian-private-banking-online-training","tag-asian-private-banking-training","tag-asian-wealth-management","tag-asian-wealth-management-news","tag-asian-wealth-management-online-training","tag-asian-wealth-management-training","tag-business","tag-e-learning","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-training"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}