Fraser Coutts, Principal, Coutts Advisors

Biz@India

March-April 2014

Lots of opportunity for Indian offices

Fraser Coutts, Principal, Coutts Advisors

Fraser Coutts has been serving Coutts Advisors as Principal for the last four years. Coutts Advisors has three core business lines – real estate broking, advisory (Coutts Economics), and corporate finance. He has expertise in the construction/property, financial/regulatory, mining/energy, public/third and technology/media sectors. As a trusted and independent advisor, he works with property owners, entrepreneurs, SMEs and helps them to secure finance or introductions to investors.
 
• Tell us something about your organisation. When was it initiated and how has it evolved over the years?
 
I set up the business back in 2009 as a boutique economic, financial and strategy consultancy. Clients would ask me to perform other projects for them, which has evolved into the current specialist advisory and private transactional brokerage business.

• What kind of services do you provide and how can these benefit the UHNWIs?

We primarily provide specialised programmes in health and learning to organisations and private clients. For the UHNWI clients, we mainly provide personal training, family resolution and corporate governance services. We also have a specific active trading service that we offer to a selected clientele.

• What kind of services do you provide and how can these benefit the UHNWIs?

Through my extensive network, I source or promote privateoff-market transactions of over five million poundsin real estate, high value assets, corporate finance (debt or equity) corporate sponsorship and other special opportunities.

• Are your existing clients single family units or multiple families?

Our clients are both single and multiple families across the spectrum from Angel Investors through to SWFs.

• What is your firm’s investment philosophy?

To either source or promote unique private off-market opportunities which deliver attractive returns for investors.

• How are your teams structured to deliver services to the clients? Do you have different services for different UHNWIs – inheritors, selfmade and professionals?

Teams are structured by working with business associates from different countries internationally on a deal-bydeal basis.

• What are the top three characteristics that distinguish your firm the most from your competitors?

We are trusted advisor with a strong reputation. We offer broad range of services. We deliver solutions outside of core business lines.

• Do you provide any client education programmes? Please mention.

Not yet but I have given some seminars at various business schools and universities over the years.

• What is your approach towards risk management?

Thorough due diligence of deals and of investors, as well as bringing in appropriate external expertise.

• Is there any impact of economic slowdown on the demand? Are clients more cost conscious or quality conscious in the times of slowdown?

There is still a strong demand for unique private off-market opportunities but investors have become more cost/ price sensitive as asset prices have recovered in many key markets and sectors.

• What kind of potential do you see for the Indian family office business? What are the current opportunities?

I see lots of opportunities for Indian offices to expand beyond their home market not only into Europe but also emerging frontier countries with high investment returns yet relatively low risk profile.