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JTC

jtc · LSE Financial Services
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Ticker jtc
Exchange LSE
Sector Financial Services
Industry Asset Management
Employees 501-1000
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FY2019 Annual Report · JTC
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D I S C I P L I N E D   G R O W T H

2 0 1 9   A N N U A L   R E P O R T

O U R   B U S I N E S S   A T   A   G L A N C E

J T C   I S   A   L E A D I N G   I N D E P E N D E N T   A N D 
I N T E R N A T I O N A L   P R O V I D E R   O F   F U N D ,   C O R P O R A T E 
A N D   P R I V A T E   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S

O U R   G L O B A L   R E A C H 

9 0 0 +   P E O P L E

JTC has a highly qualified team of more than 900 professionals providing a 
global service to our clients from a network of 23 local offices.

IOM

Dublin

Guernsey

UK

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Jersey

Switzerland

South Dakota

San Jose

Boston

New York

Miami

Cayman Islands

BVI

Dubai

Hong Kong

Malaysia

Labuan

Singapore

Mauritius

South Africa

19

jurisdictions

New Zealand

5.5k+

clients

100+

countries served

900+

people

23

offices

3 2   Y E A R S   O F   G R O W T H

 1987
1987

 The business 
The business is  
is established 
established in Jersey.
in Jersey.

1991 
Current CEO,  
Nigel Le Quesne, 
joins the firm as 
its fifth employee.

1998 
The first JTC Employee 
Benefit Trust (EBT) is 
formed, establishing 
JTC’s approach that 
‘every employee is 
an owner’. 

2001 – 2007 
JTC establishes 
operations in 
the UK, the BVI 
and Switzerland. 

2008 
A management 
buy-out results in 
the Group being 
wholly owned 
by management 
and staff.

2009 – 2011 
JTC opens in 
Luxembourg and 
Guernsey and makes 
its first acquisition 
in 2010.

2012 
CBPE Capital take a 
a minority interest in 
the business, enabling 
the Group to embark 
on its ‘local to global’ 
expansion strategy.

3 2   Y E A R S   O F

J T C   O V E R V I E W

2 019  G R O U P R E V E N U E

£99.3m

G R O U P R E V E N U E G R OW T H

28.5%

2 019  I C S R E V E N U E

2 019 P C S  R E V E N U E

£54.8m

£44.5m

I C S  R E V E N U E G R OW T H

P C S R E V E N U E  G R OW T H

26.4%

31.2%

INST IT UTIONAL CLIENT 
SE RV ICE S (ICS) DIVISION

Provides fund and corporate 
administration services to institutional 
clients, primarily fund managers, listed 
companies and multinationals.

PRIVATE CLIENT   
SERVICES (PCS) DIVISION

Provides trust and corporate administration 
services for private clients, including HNW 
and UHNW individuals and families,  
as well as family and private offices,  
and international wealth 
management firms.

FU ND 
SE RV ICES

CO RPO RAT E   
SERVICES

PRIVATE 
WEALTH SERVICES

Administers a wide variety of listed and unlisted 

Provides company secretarial and administration 

Forms and administers vehicles such as trusts, 

funds across a diverse range of asset classes. 

services to a broad range of clients, including SMEs, 

companies and partnerships on behalf of HNW 

Clients include a broad spectrum of fund managers 

public companies, multinationals, sovereign wealth 

and UHNW individuals and families and also 

from market entrants to large institutions. 

funds, and private offices who require a corporate 

dedicated private and family offices. We also provide 

We provide support throughout the lifespan 

service. Different structures provided include real 

Private Wealth Services to large institutions as an 

of a fund, including ongoing reporting and 

estate or investment holding vehicles, joint ventures 

independent third-party provider. We specialise in a 

regulatory compliance. 

and acquisition structures. We also provide services 

holistic approach to protecting private assets across 

for pension and employee share plans.

countries and generations.

37%

33%

30%

  G R O W T H
2014 
‘Equity for All’ (E4A) 
scheme launched, 
enhancing Shared 
Ownership opportunities 
for all employees.

2015 – 2017 
The Group expands 
organically and through 
acquisitions in the UK, 
the US, Netherlands, the 
Cayman Islands, Mauritius 
and South Africa. 

2018 
JTC PLC lists on the main 
market of the London 
Stock Exchange. The Group 
acquires the Van Doorn and 
Minerva businesses. 

2019 
JTC acquires Exequtive 
Partners in Luxembourg and 
lift-outs in the Cayman Islands, 
Ireland and the Netherlands. 
Harvard case study on 
JTC Shared Ownership 
is published.

2020

Post period end the 
Group acquires Sanne’s 
private client business 
and NES Financial, a US 
alternative asset fund 
services business.

W E   A R E   J T C

J T C   I S   A N   A W A R D - W I N N I N G   P R O V I D E R 
O F   F U N D ,   C O R P O R A T E   A N D   P R I V A T E   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S .

F O U N D E D   I N   1 9 8 7   W E   H A V E   O V E R   9 0 0   P E O P L E   W O R K I N G 
A C R O S S   O U R   G L O B A L   O F F I C E   N E T W O R K   A N D   A R E   T R U S T E D 
T O   A D M I N I S T E R   A S S E T S   O F   M O R E   T H A N   U S $ 1 3 0   B I L L I O N .

T H E   P R I N C I P L E   O F   M A K I N G   A L L   O U R   P E O P L E   O W N E R S   O F 
T H E   B U S I N E S S   I S   F U N D A M E N T A L   T O   O U R   C U L T U R E   A N D   A L I G N S 
U S   C O M P L E T E L Y   W I T H   T H E   B E S T   I N T E R E S T S   O F   O U R   C L I E N T S .

Strategic Report

Governance

Financial Statements

C O N T E N T S

Chief Executive Officer’s Review 

Our business at a glance
Overview
1  Highlights
4 
8  Our Market Drivers
10  Our Business Model
12  Chief Financial Officer’s Review
18 

 Strategy in Action – Institutional 
Client Services
 Strategy in Action – Private 
Client Services

20 

22  Strategy in Action – Acquisitions
26  Key Performance Indicators
28  Risk Management
30  Risks and Uncertainties
34 

 Principal and Emerging Risks 
and Uncertainties

35  Our Resources and Relationships
36  Viability Statement
37  Responsible Business
38  ESG

50  Chairman’s Introduction
54  Board of Directors
56  Executive Team
66  Nomination Committee
70  Audit and Risk Committee
74  Remuneration Committee
86  Directors’ Report
89  Directors’ Responsibility Statement

92 
Independent Auditor’s Report
98  Consolidated Income Statement
99 
 Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income
100  Consolidated Balance Sheet
101   Consolidated Statement  
of Changes in Equity

102  Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
103   Notes to the Consolidated  
Financial Statements

149  Investor Relations Information
150  Glossary

V I S I T   U S   A T   J T C G R O U P . C O M

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

H I G H L I G H T S

R E V E N U E   ( £ M )
+ 2 8 . 5 %

U N D E R L Y I N G   
E B I T D A   ( £ M ) *
+ 3 2 . 4 %

U N D E R L Y I N G   
E B I T D A   M A R G I N
+ 0 . 9 P P

99.3

31.7

31.0

31.9

77.3

23.9

A D J U S T E D   
S I C 
U N D E R L Y I N G   B A S I C 
E P S   ( P ) * *
+ 1 6 . 1 %

22.3

19.2

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

S T A T U T O R Y   
E B I T   ( £ M )
+ 3 , 0 8 4 . 6 %

D I L U T E D   
E P S   ( P )
+ 4 9 8 . 7 %

F I N A L   D I V I D E N D 
P E R   S H A R E   ( P )
+ 2 . 3 P

N E T   D E B T   ( £ M )
- £ 1 7 . 8 M 

23.0

15.4

5.3

(66.5)

3.0

(48.7)

0.7

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

(3.9)

F I N A N C I A L   H I G H L I G H T S
•  Revenue up 28.5% to £99.3m (2018: £77.3m), reflecting a 

combination of good net organic growth of 8.4% (+15.4% gross) 
and growth from acquisitions (+20.1%).

•  Underlying EBITDA up 32.4% to £31.7m (2018: £23.9m) with 
underlying EBITDA margin up 0.9pp to 31.9% (2018: 31.0%).

S T R A T E G I C   H I G H L I G H T S
•  Good performance from both the Institutional Client Services (ICS) 
and Private Client Services (PCS) Divisions, with particularly strong 
results from the PCS Division. 

•  Acquired Exequtive Partners in Luxembourg and small bolt-ons in 

Cayman and Netherlands.

•  Performance in line with guidance given for the period of 8 – 10% 

•  Post period end, small bolt-ons in the UK (Registrar services) and 

net organic growth and 30 – 35% underlying EBITDA margin.

•  Record annualised new business wins totaling £14.9m, comprising 

£8.9m in ICS (up 48%) and £6.0m in PCS (up 62%).

•  A robust balance sheet with available facilities of £150m, and no 

debt falling due for repayment until 2023. 

Ireland (corporate services) and announcement of the acquisitions 
of the Sanne private client business in Jersey and technology-
enabled US fund administration business NES Financial (NESF).
•  M&A pipeline remains healthy. Disciplined approach will continue 
in 2020 with focus on the integration of acquisitions announced in 
Q1 while continuing to seek opportunities, particularly in the US, 
UK and mainland Europe.

Read more on pages 12 to 16

* 

Items classified as non-underlying are as detailed in Note 7 to the financial statements. Non-underlying items are defined as specific items that the Directors do not believe will recur in future 

periods. The 2018 results reflect the pre-listing capital structure up to 14 March 2018 and the subsequent structure post IPO.

**   Adjusted underlying Basic EPS is the profit/(loss) for the year adjusted to remove the impact of IFRS 16 as well as non-underlying items, unwinding of net present value discounts, amortisation 

and associated deferred tax impact of customer relationship intangible assets and loan arrangement fees. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

Chief Executive Officer’s Review 

4 
8  Our Market Drivers
10  Our Business Model
12  Chief Financial Officer’s Review
18  Strategy in Action – Institutional Client Services
20  Strategy in Action – Private Client Services
22  Strategy in Action – Acquisitions
26  Key Performance Indicators
28  Risk Management
30  Risks and Uncertainties
34  Principal and Emerging Risks and Uncertainties
35  Our Resources and Relationships
36  Viability Statement
37  Responsible Business
38  ESG

2

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

A N N U A L   R E P O R T   2 0 1 9  

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3

R E V E N U E   ( £ )

2 019

£99.3m

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C H I E F   E X E C U T I V E   O F F I C E R ’ S   R E V I E W

A   Y E A R   O F   D I S C I P L I N E D   G R O W T H   
A N D   R O B U S T   P E R F O R M A N C E

U N D E R L Y I N G  
E B I T D A   ( £ )

2 019

£31.7m

“ We are pleased with 
our results for 2019, 
especially the strong 
performance and  
growth of the underlying 
core business.” 

  NIGEL LE QUESNE
  CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I N T R O D U C T I O N 
JTC has a strong track record of 32 years of 
growth year on year and we are very pleased 
that this continued in 2019.

Last year I stated that our goal is to continue 
to build an outstanding business for the long 
term where high standards are coupled with 
entrepreneurial spirit and the commitment to 
become a better business for all stakeholders 

every day. I am pleased to say that these goals 
were achieved during the year. 

Good results do not just happen and I want 
to take this opportunity, personally and on 
behalf of the Board, to thank every one of our 
c. 900 colleagues around the world, all of whom 
contributed to another strong year at JTC. 

F I N A N C I A L   H I G H L I G H T S
2019 saw the business deliver a strong set of 
results that were in line with our expectations. 

At Group level we generated revenue growth of 
28.5% to £99.3m, underlying EBITDA growth of 
32.4% to £31.7m and an improvement of 0.9pp 
in underlying EBITDA margin to 31.9%. 

These results were achieved through a 
combination of net organic growth of 8.4% 
(15.4% gross) and the positive contribution 
of the full-year effect of the two acquisitions 
made in 2018, the Netherlands corporate 
services business, Van Doorn, and the 

4

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

E X P E R I E N C E D   A N D  
E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L  
M A N A G E M E N T   T E A M

D E M A N D   C R E A T E D  
B Y   L O N G - T E R M  
M A R K E T   T R E N D S

1

D E S I G N E D  
F O R   G R O W T H ,  
O R G A N I C   A N D  
I N O R G A N I C

H I P   F O R ALL C

U

L

T

U

R

E

W E L L - I N V E S T E D  
S C A L A B L E  
G L O B A L  
P L A T F O R M

7

S

N E R

W

O

8
8

6
6

2

4

3

H I G H L Y   V I S I B L E  
R E C U R R I N G  
R E V E N U E   A N D  
S T R O N G   C A S H
C O N V E R S I O N

Whyy invvest??
We believe that JTC represents   
an exceptional long-term growth 
investment prospect. Our 32 year   
track record of consistent revenue  
and profit growth, including through 
periods of significant macroeconomic 
challenge, speaks for itself. We believe 
that eight key factors define and 
underpin the JTC investment case  
and apply both now and in the medium 
to long term.

S T R O N G  
C O M P L I A N C E  
&   R I S K  
M A N A G E M E N T

5

W E L L   D I V E R S I F I E D
A C R O S S   C L I E N T S ,
S E R V I C E S   &
G E O G R A P H I E S

P R O V E N  
T R A C K   R E C O R D  
O F   M & A   A N D
I N T E G R A T I O N

multi-jurisdictional private client focused 
business, Minerva. In addition, the Luxembourg 
fund and corporate services business, Exequtive 
Partners, acquired in March 2019, also made a 
positive part-year contribution.

Jon Jennings took over the reins as Group Head 
of ICS from April and has strengthened and 
aligned his team to take up the twin challenges 
of driving both growth and efficiency, while 
maintaining a focus on client service excellence. 

These activities mean that we again delivered 
within our guidance of 30 – 35% underlying 
EBITDA margin and 8 – 10% net organic 
growth, metrics that we believe represent ‘good 
to very good’ performance for a company in 
our sector that is growing and operating in a 
stable and sustainable manner.

I N S T I T U T I O N A L   C L I E N T 
S E R V I C E S   D I V I S I O N
Gross revenue for the ICS Division increased 
26.4% to £54.8m (2018: £43.4m) and there 
was a 25.2% increase in underlying EBITDA to 
£15.6m (2018: £12.5m). The underlying EBITDA 
margin fell 0.3pp to 28.5% (2018: 28.8%), but 
the Division did improve the margin during 
the year from 27.8% in H1. We believe that 
positive further improvements can be achieved, 
especially through the adoption of new process 
and technology capabilities, helping to ensure 
that the ICS Division delivers within our Group-
wide guidance, which we update for 2020 and 
beyond to 33 – 38% underlying EBITDA margin, 
taking into account IFRS 16. 

Revenue growth was a success, driven by 
improvements in business development and 
marketing, with record annualised new business 
wins of £8.9m, up 48% (2018: £6m). Fund and 
corporate services remain complementary 
with a focus on private equity and real 
estate, as well as debt, renewables and other 
alternative asset types. The performance of 
our Luxembourg, UK and Jersey offices were 
particular highlights. 

The acquisition of the Exequtive Partners 
business in Luxembourg added scale to our 
platform in this high growth market and also 
enhanced our leadership team in the region. 
We saw higher rates of client attrition in the 
Netherlands due to changing market dynamics, 
but were also able to make the small bolt-on 
purchase of the Aufisco business for a very 
reasonable price for the same reasons. 

Post period end we purchased a small bolt-on 
in the UK that adds Registrar services to our 
offering and another that expands our footprint 
to Ireland for the first time and where we will 

commence with corporate services before 
expanding into fund services once relevant 
regulatory approvals have been secured. 

Also post period end, we were delighted to 
announce the acquisition of NES Financial 
(NESF), a US based, technology-enabled fund 
administration business. The US is a key growth 
market for the industry and we believe that 
NESF provides the perfect platform to drive 
the strategic expansion of our ICS Division and 
in particular our presence in the high growth 
alternatives fund administration sector. 

The ICS Division enjoys strong market 
fundamentals and we will continue to invest 
in the platform to deliver organic growth and 
to capitalise on the technology capabilities 
brought by the NESF acquisition. 

Read more on page 18

P R I V A T E   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S 
D I V I S I O N
Gross revenue for the PCS Division showed 
a 31.2% increase to £44.5m (2018: £33.9m) 
and a 40.3% increase in underlying EBITDA 
to £16.1m (2018: £11.4m). The underlying 
EBITDA margin improved by 2.3pp to 36.1% 
(2018: 33.8%) which was a particularly strong 
performance given the ongoing investment in 
the platform. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C H I E F   E X E C U T I V E   O F F I C E R ’ S   R E V I E W
C o n t i n u e d

It is not often that external validation is 
available for something as intangible as culture, 
but in 2019 we were honoured to be selected 
by Professor Ethan Bernstein of Harvard 
Business School (HBS) as the subject of a case 
study for the full-time HBS Master of Business 
Administration (MBA) programme, detailing 
the features and successes of JTC’s shared 
ownership model since its inception in 1998. 
This world class, yet unsolicited, recognition of 
our core cultural philosophy is testament to an 
unwavering belief that aligning the interests of 
our people and the Company with the interests 
of our clients and partners is a powerful and 
effective way to build a successful, sustainable 
and growth orientated organisation. It was 
an enormous privilege to attend HBS and 
participate in the inaugural teaching of the case 
study, and the insights from the students were 
powerful and life affirming in equal measure. 

We believe that through our shared ownership 
model we have long been exponents of a 
more sustainable and responsible approach to 
finance and capitalism. We therefore regard 
the increasing emphasis being placed on 
environmental, social and governance (ESG) 
practices as very positive and an opportunity 

for the Group that aligns with our culture 
and purpose. 

In keeping with our Guiding Principle to 
maximise the potential of every colleague, 2019 
saw us expand the JTC Academy with a suite of 
additional online and real-world learning and 
development courses. 85 high performers were 
promoted across the Group during the year 
and 14 colleagues took up internal roles in new 
locations (from secondments to permanent 
relocations) as part of JTC Gateway. We also 
enhanced our JTC Wellbeing programme with 
the launch of a new 24/7 Employee Assistance 
Service that extends to all employees and their 
immediate families. 

Read more on page 37

R I S K
The principal and emerging risks facing 
the Group are set out in our 2019 Annual 
Report. Material risks include acquisition risk, 
competition risk, data protection and cyber 
security risk, staff resourcing risk, political and 
regulatory change risk, natural disaster risk, and 
regulatory and procedural compliance risk. 

“ We were honoured to be selected by... Harvard  
Business School as the subject of a case study... 
detailing the features and successes of JTC’s  
shared ownership model.” 

Revenue growth was driven by a new 
regional model for business development and 
marketing, supported by an enhanced and 
centralised approach to client on-boarding and 
traction from our private office capabilities. 
This delivered record annualised new business 
wins of £6.0m, up 62% (2018: £3.7m). 
Performance of the Jersey and Americas 
offices were particularly strong, with good 
contributions from Guernsey, Switzerland 
and Cayman. 

Margin improvement was strong following 
a period of deliberate investment in the 
Division in 2018 and this was driven in part by 
the full integration of the Minerva business, 
which was achieved three months ahead 
of schedule. A new Executive Committee 
governance structure was also introduced, 
streamlining decision making and operational 
change management. 

Investment was made in JTC Private Office, 
including a number of senior hires and further 
investment in technology. The focus continues 
to be on using this innovative holistic offering 
to differentiate JTC in the market and drive 
organic growth. Evidence of progress can be 
seen in the number of clients where annual fee 
income is greater than £100k, which increased 
by 50% in 2019 and helped to drive up the 
average mandate size within the Division. 

The Division was named Trust Company of 
the Year (Large Firm) at the Society of Trust 
and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Private Client 
Awards, one the most prestigious awards of 
its type in this sector and an accolade that 
I believe is the external confirmation of what 
the Division has achieved for some time now. 

Post period end we announced the acquisition 
of the Sanne private client business, a simple 
and straightforward addition to our market-
leading Jersey platform. 

The PCS Division is very much a leader in 
its sector and we see clear opportunities for 
further investment and growth.

Read more on page 20

O U R   P E O P L E   A N D   C U L T U R E 
We have always understood that our people 
are a fundamental source of differentiation 
and that is why our culture is based on shared 
ownership, with every employee being an 
owner of the business. This approach has been 
a driver of client service excellence, financial 
performance and continuous operational 
improvement across the Group for more 
than 20 years. 

NIGEL LE QUESNE AND PROFESSOR ETHAN BERNSTEIN AT HBS, OCTOBER 2019.

6

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

Post period end we have been required to 
deal with the challenges presented by the 
global COVID-19 pandemic and I am pleased 
to report that the business has so far proved 
itself to be highly responsive and resilient. 
To support the safety and wellbeing of all our 
people we achieved a Group-wide transition to 
remote working in a matter of days and have 
been able to directly monitor the commercial 
performance of the business on a daily basis 
under our Business Continuity Planning (BCP) 
operational framework. 

We remain satisfied as to the effectiveness of 
the Group’s overall risk analysis, management 
and culture, developed over more than 30 years 
of JTC operations. 

Post period end, we were pleased to appoint 
William (Bill) Byrne as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), 
effective from February 2020. Bill joined JTC in 
2016 as Group Counsel and takes over as CRO 
from Steven Bowen, who joined the Group as 
part of the Minerva acquisition in 2018. 

G O I N G   C O N C E R N
The financial statements are prepared on 
a going concern basis, as the Directors are 
satisfied that the Group has the resources to 
continue in business for at least 12 months 
from the approval of the financial statements. 
In making this assessment, the Directors  
have considered a wide range of information 
relating to present and future conditions, 
including future projections of profitability  
and cash flows.

D I V I D E N D
In addition to the interim dividend of 1.7p 
per share, the Board has recommended a 
final dividend of 3.6p per share in line with 
expectations. Subject to shareholder approval, 
the final dividend will be paid on 3 July 2020 
to Shareholders on the register as at close of 
business on the record date of 5 June 2020.

O U T L O O K
We have always believed that JTC is a highly 
resilient business and the challenges presented 
by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought 
this into focus. The response of the Group 
has been excellent and we are confident in 
our ability to successfully trade through this 
period for a number of reasons. We have a 

E M P L OY E E  OW N E R S H I P

100%

E M P L OY E E  P R O M OT I O N S

85

highly experienced management team; a track 
record of revenue and profit growth spanning 
32 years; a well-invested and scalable global 
platform; we are well diversified across clients, 
services and geographies; our revenue is highly 
visible and recurring; we deliver strong cash 
conversion and we have a robust balance sheet 
with a net debt to underlying EBITDA ratio of 
less than 2.0 times on a pro-forma basis. 

We will continue to operate under our BCP 
framework for as long as required, focusing 
on the wellbeing of our people, the delivery 
of excellent client service and the commercial 
success of the Group. 

Thinking more broadly, we constantly monitor 
and analyse the momentum of the business 
and in particular the drivers of underlying 
growth. We are positive about the prospects 
for the Group and believe the fundamental 
drivers, as articulated in our investment case, 
remain valid. 

Delivering consistent organic growth of the 
underlying business, which we always measure 
net of attrition, is fundamental to our approach 
and it is worth remembering that the Group’s 
growth was purely through organic means for 
the first 23 of its 32 years. We continue to 
believe that net organic growth in the range of 
8 – 10% at Group level is a measure of good 
to excellent long-term performance in our 
sector. Organic growth will be driven by further 
improvements in our ‘go to market’ strategies 
and activities; the enhancement and expansion 
of our service offering and expertise, the smart 
application of new technological capabilities 

and an unwavering dedication to delivering 
client service excellence. We believe that 
the combination of our people, technology, 
processes and global reach will enable the 
Group to continue to win new business, further 
penetrate established markets and successfully 
develop new markets.

Alongside our core organic growth strategy, 
growth through acquisitions remains an 
important part of the Group’s future. 
We continue to see consolidation across the 
sector and have good visibility of deal flow of 
all sizes within both the ICS and PCS spaces. 
Our M&A pipeline remains healthy and we 
continue to take a disciplined approach. 
Our immediate focus in 2020 will be the 
completion and integration of the acquisitions 
we have announced in the first quarter, but 
we will continue to monitor opportunities for 
further acquisitions in particular in the US, the 
UK and mainland Europe.

In terms of profitability, we update our medium 
term guidance to 33 – 38% underlying EBITDA 
margin, taking into account IFRS 16. The PCS 
Division is already operating consistently 
within this range and will work to maintain 
performance whilst simultaneously investing 
in growth opportunities. The ICS Division 
is making steady progress to deliver margin 
performance comfortably within our target 
range and will be investing further in the 
expertise, technological capabilities and process 
improvements to achieve that goal. We also 
believe that the ICS Division will benefit 
from relatively stronger market growth rates, 
particularly in the area of alternative asset 
fund administration.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

O U R   M A R K E T   D R I V E R S

A   L O O K   A T   T H E   L O N G - T E R M   T R E N D S

We operate in a fragmented global industry covering a wide variety of end markets, with fund managers, 
corporates and private clients all requiring our specialist skills. The degree of fragmentation means the 
addressable market is hard to quantify. However, all markets for our services share a number of long-term 
trends, which look set to continue, providing opportunities for our sustained growth. 

1

2

3

I N C R E A S E D 
R E G U L A T I O N   I S 
C R E A T I N G   F U R T H E R 
D E M A N D

O U T S O U R C I N G 
R E D U C E S   R I S K   A N D 
I N C R E A S E S   E F F I C I E N C Y

T O D A Y ’ S   C L I E N T S 
A R E   O F T E N   G L O B A L 
I N   N A T U R E

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Fund managers, corporates, financial  
and professional services firms, and HNW/
UHNW individuals and families must all 
comply with increasingly wide-ranging 
and complex regulatory regimes. 
The requirements for accurate and timely 
disclosure of information have increased  
and continue to do so.

THE OPPORTUNITY 
New and modified regulations place far 
greater demands and pressure on client 
operations in our sector, particularly in 
staffing costs, potential reputational 
risks and penalties for non-compliance. 
Clients increasingly turn to specialist 
administrators with global reach, knowledge 
and experience to manage these. 

OUR RESPONSE
We continually increase and refresh the 
services we provide, to help clients cope 
with their regulatory burden and the 
requirements for independent oversight. 
The developing global regulatory framework 
brings us multiple revenue opportunities, 
as well as increasing the barriers to entry 
for competitors. The growing regulatory 
scrutiny favours larger global operators 
such as JTC, which are best able to comply 
with higher standards; this also promotes 
consolidation within our sector. 

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Outsourcing administration services to 
specialist providers reduces the need for 
in-house knowledge and experience of 
increasingly complex regulations and 
multiple jurisdictions. Outsourced providers 
offer the full suite of expertise and 
services needed for compliant and efficient 
operation, and may be more able to 
invest in the technology necessary for 
administration. In some cases, regulation 
specifically requires the outsourcing of 
certain administrative functions.

THE OPPORTUNITY 
Using the specialised capabilities of 
outsourced administration providers reduces 
client costs across back-office and support 
functions, which helps clients to maintain 
focus on their core activities, mitigates 
some competitive pressures and also 
reduces the risk of non-compliance.

OUR RESPONSE
Our business is built on providing the scale 
and capabilities to offer an outsourced 
solution. We employ staff who are 
highly qualified and experienced in 
providing administration and accounting 
services to our client base, while we also 
invest prudently and appropriately in 
the automation of the operational and 
accounting work.

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Globalisation, along with easier 
communication, co-operation and the flow 
of capital across international borders, 
leads to more entities being established. 
And as corporates invest across numerous 
jurisdictions, they often require tax-efficient 
entities which comply with local and 
international standards. In addition, wealthy 
thy 
individuals and family offices operate more 
ore 
internationally than before.

THE OPPORTUNITY 
There is increased demand for providers of 
of 
administrative services that can work across 
ross 
many jurisdictions, and offer knowledge and 
and 
expertise when dealing with the regulatory 
ry 
regimes in each region.

OUR RESPONSE
We have been acquiring selectively and 
strategically to build scale and expand  
our global footprint. We often use an 
acquisition to enter a new market, and layer 
yer 
subsequent acquisitions on top to build our 
our 
offer in that jurisdiction. We have a record 
rd 
of integrating acquisitions successfully, to be 
o be 
able to offer clients seamless services across 
ross 
multiple jurisdictions.

8

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4

5

6

G L O B A L   W E A L T H 
I S   R I S I N G

A   F R A G M E N T E D 
M A R K E T   I S 
C O N S O L I D A T I N G 

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Rising GDP and personal wealth, and the 
expanding middle classes, particularly 
in developing countries, are leading to a 
growing number of wealthy individuals. 
It is anticipated that the global 
population of UHNW will grow 27% by 
2024*, with growth anticipated in all 
continental regions. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 
There has been an increased trend towards 
family offices and generational succession 
planning. Many wealthy families or 
individuals may consider setting up an 
entity to manage some of their assets and 
seek administrative services for this.

OUR RESPONSE
Through our organic growth strategy and 
selective acquisitions, we will continue 
to take advantage of the trend for global 
wealth creation in developed markets and, 
increasingly, in maturing markets such as 
Asia, Latin America and Africa.

* Source: Knight Frank Wealth Report, March 2020

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Many administrative services companies 
were established initially to focus on a 
particular niche or jurisdiction, naturally 
creating high fragmentation. In addition, 
many were part of, or spun out from, 
professional or financial services firms. 
With exits from the generalist players due 
to conflicts of interest or disposals of what 
they regard as non-core assets, the market 
is consolidating.

THE OPPORTUNITY 
The market remains relatively fragmented, 
offering continued scope for consolidation. 
This consolidation is being led by the need 
for scale and breadth in order to offer 
clients a multi-sector and multi-jurisdiction 
capability. Companies also increasingly 
need the scale to invest in technology as it 
becomes available and appropriate. 

OUR RESPONSE
Our regional expertise offers a thorough 
understanding of each jurisdiction and 
our global footprint is now a key strength. 
We have successfully acquired 18 businesses 
since 2010, and have proven adept at 
integrating people based companies 
efficiently. Consolidation allows us to 
benefit from the world’s strongest growth 
markets, while mitigating against adverse 
regional or economic effects. 

H U M A N   E X P E R T I S E 
A N D   T E C H N O L O G Y 
A R E   C O M B I N I N G   T O 
D R I V E   I N N O V A T I O N 
A N D   E F F I C I E N C Y

THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
Advances in technology now allow for 
the automation of some underlying 
administrative processes, making them 
faster, more efficient and potentially 
more accurate. However, human skills and 
knowledge remain vital in understanding 
the nuances of legislation and regulations, 
especially where multi-jurisdictional 
solutions are deployed. Thus the trend 
s
is towards finding the optimal blend 
i
between human expertise and relationship 
b
capabilities and the deployment of 
c
technology to improve the speed, efficiency 
t
and accuracy of processes. 
a

T
THE OPPORTUNITY 
  Our sector can grow by providing better 
a
and more efficient services, while using its 
s
skilled people in high value roles rather than 
f
for administrative processing. 

OUR RESPONSE
O
The market driver suits our strategy of 
T
being a people-led business enabled by 
b
technology capabilities. We can grow by 
t
using technology to improve and innovate 
u
our services, while our clients still value  
o
the accuracy and integrity provided by 
t
human insight and controls. Improving  
h
our technological capabilities is a key 
o
component of our M&A strategy. 
c

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

O U R   B U S I N E S S   M O D E L
O U R   B U S I N E S S   M O D E L

We are a people-led business enabled by technology. Our culture of shared ownership supports our aim of 
helping to maximise the potential of every client, colleague and partner. Our long-term growth strategy 
is designed to take advantage of a well-established market environment. By maintaining a well-invested 
global platform, we are able to grow our business sustainably. 

O U R   R E S O U R C E S   A N D   S T R E N G T H S

O U R   C U L T U R E

We invest in our people
Our team of more than 900 professionals bring our 
culture to life and deliver excellent client service. 
Over 70% of our people are professionally qualified 
or working towards it. We help everyone to achieve 
their potential through our JTC Academy, JTC 
Gateway and JTC Wellbeing programmes, and reward 
all through our shared ownership model.

We embrace technology
We believe that combining the right technology 
capabilities with deep sector expertise enables client 
service excellence and market-leading efficiency. 
We invest accordingly and use best-in-class systems 
to provide and maintain an impeccable standard of 
administration as well as to innovate and add value. 

We put relationships first
We pick the most appropriate team for each client’s 
needs, and aim to build strong client relationships 
that last. We serve more than 5,500 clients from 
over 100 different countries and are trusted to 
administer assets in excess of US$130bn. As an 
independent administrator, we are also able to 
form strong commercial relationships with 
intermediary partners.

1. 
Our internal  
values guide  
our client-facing  
behaviours

2. 
Our growth 
strategies align 
with market 
drivers

R E
R E

U
U

T
T
L
L
U
U
C
C
P
P
I
I
H
H
S
S
R
R

E
E

N
N

W
W

O
O

D
D

E
E

R
R

A
A

H
H

S
S

S
S

H
H

A
A

R
R

E
E

D
D

O
O

W
W

N
N

E
E

R
R
S
S
H
H
I
I
P
P
C
C
U
U
L
L
T
T

U
U

RE
RE

We have global reach
Our network of 23 offices in 19 different 
jurisdictions provides a scalable and resilient global 
platform that allows us to offer a complete range of 
services, including multi-jurisdictional solutions for 
an increasingly international client base.

4. 
We grow sustainably 
by operating a 
well-invested, 
resilient and scalable 
global platform

3. 
Our shared 
ownership model 
aligns us with the 
long-term 
interests of other 
stakeholders

1 0

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O U R   G R O W T H 
S T R A T E G Y

O U R   C L I E N T S   A N D 
W H A T   W E   D O

H O W   W E   C R E A T E   L O N G - T E R M   
V A L U E   F O R   O U R   K E Y   S T A K E H O L D E R S

O R G A N I C 
G R O W T H
We target net organic  

I N O R G A N I C 
G R O W T H
We take a disciplined  

growth in the range  

approach to M&A and 

8 – 10% at  

Group level

are expert at integrating 

acquired businesses  

onto our platform

S H A R E H O L D E R S
We aim to generate value for our shareholders 
by successfully and consistently executing 
our organic and acquisition growth strategies. 
We share profits through dividends, while 
investing the balance in the business to support 
steady and sustainable growth.

E M P L O Y E E S
Through our shared ownership programme, 
we ensure every employee is an owner of the 
business and can share in its long-term success. 
We work to maximise the potential of every 
employee, providing support through our range 
of development programmes.

C L I E N T S
We take an entrepreneurial approach to finding 
solutions for our clients, and build long-term 
relationships by adopting a can-do attitude 
and aiming to exceed expected service levels. 
We nurture and value client relationships 
over the long term, with an average client 
relationship of around ten years.

I N T E R M E D I A R Y   P A R T N E R S
As an independent administrator, we are able 
to provide best-in-class solutions to the clients 
of our intermediary partners, and complement 
their own offerings. We develop reciprocal 
commercial relationships to support our 
mutual growth.

C O M M U N I T I E S
We value and respect the communities where 
we operate around the world, and understand 
the support they provide to our employees, 
clients and intermediary partners. We aim to 
create a positive impact, creating jobs, while 
making charitable donations of time, expertise 
and money.

I N S T I T U T I O N A L   
C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S
Provides fund and corporate 

administration services to 

institutional clients, primarily 

fund managers, listed companies 

and multinationals

P R I V A T E   
C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S
Provides trust and corporate 

administration services for private 

clients, including HNW and 

UHNW individuals and families 

as well as family and private 

offices and international wealth 

management firms

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C H I E F   F I N A N C I A L   O F F I C E R ’ S   R E V I E W

C O N T I N U I N G   T O   I M P R O V E   
T H E   B U S I N E S S

“ Ours is a highly 
predictable and resilient 
business and we are 
confident in our ability 
to continue delivering 
against our targets.” 

  MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM
  CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

F I N A N C I A L   R E V I E W

Revenue (£m)

EBITDA (£m)

EBITDA margin

Operating profit/EBIT

Profit/loss before tax (£m)

Earnings per share (p)***

Cash conversion

Net debt (£m)

Dividend per share (p)

As reported

Underlying*

2019**

99.3

33.7

2018

77.3

5.4

Change

+28.5%

+529.2%

2019

99.3

31.7

2018

77.3

23.9

34.0%

6.9%

+27.1pp

31.9%

31.0%

23.0

17.6

15.43

70% 

-66.5 

5.3

0.7 +3084.6%

-2.1

-3.87

128% 

-48.7 

3.0

-928.5%

-498.7%

-58.0pp 

-17.8 

 +2.3p

24.3

20.5

22.33

89%

-59.3

5.3

19.2

17.0

19.23

90%

-46.4

3.0

Change

+28.5%

+32.4%

 +0.9pp

+26.8%

+20.0%

+16.1%

 -1.0pp

 -12.9

 +2.3p

* 

Reconciliation of performance measures to reported results. For further information on underlying results see appendix to CFO Review 

**  As reported 2019 results include the impact of IFRS 16.  

***  Average number of shares for 2019: 111,352,868 (2018: 99,631,757). Underlying EPS is calculated per note 34.4 of the company financial statements and is referred to as adjusted underlying basic EPS.

R E V E N U E
In 2019, revenue was £99.3m, an increase of 
£20.0m (28.5%) compared with 2018. 

Year on year growth was driven by net organic 
growth of 8.4% (gross 15.4%) and growth from 
acquisitions of 20.1%. Overall client attrition 
in the period was 7.0% compared with 8.8% in 
2018 and is lower than previous periods. 97.4% 
(2018: 98.3%) of revenues that are not end of 
life were retained in the period. 

ICS net organic growth was 9.4%. We saw 
good growth in Luxembourg, Jersey and 

the UK but this was offset by contractions 
in Guernsey and the NACT business in the 
Netherlands. The latter was from a tightening 
of the regulatory regime. We expect to see a 
continuance of this and as a consequence we 
have impaired the value of client relationships 
associated with the NACT business which 
was bought in 2017 (at a multiple of 5 times 
EBITDA). Conversely, this tightening of 
regulation has also created opportunities to 
acquire businesses at attractive prices as shown 
by the gain on bargain purchase which arose 
on the acquisition of Aufisco.

PCS organic growth was 7.2%. We continue 
to see strong demand for our Private Client 
offering and were pleased at the continuing 
strength of our Channel Islands business and 
ongoing development of our US onshore 
offering. Attrition in PCS was 7.4% with no 
particular bias in any one jurisdiction. 

Revenue growth, on a constant currency basis, 
in the year is summarised in the chart opposite.

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R E V E N U E   B R I D G E   ( P L C )

L O S T

W O N

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

£ 1 5 . 3 M

£ 9 9 . 3 M

( £ 0 . 6 M)

( £ 1 . 2 M)

( £ 3 . 2 M)

£ 6 . 6 M

£ 4 . 5 M

£ 7 7 . 9 M

Organic £56.2m

2018 revenue

JTC decision

Moved service
provider

End of life/no
longer required

Net move from
existing clients

New clients

Acquisitions

2019 revenue

R E V E N U E   B R I D G E   ( I C S )

R E V E N U E   B R I D G E   ( P C S )

L O S T

W O N

L O S T

W O N

£7.6M £54.8M

£7.7M £44.5M

£43.3M

(£0.2M)

(£0.7M)

(£1.8M)

£3.2M

£3.4M

£34.6M

(£0.4M) (£0.5M)

(£1.4M)

£3.4M

£1.1M

2018
revenue

JTC
decision

Moved 
service
provider

End of life/
no longer 
required

Net move 
from
existing 
clients

New
clients

Acquisitions

2019
revenue

2018
revenue

JTC
decision

Moved 
service
provider

End of life/
no longer 
required

Net move 
from
existing 
clients

New
clients

Acquisitions

2019
revenue

A C Q U I S I T I O N S
Acquisitions contributed £15.3m of new revenue in the year broken down as follows: 

Minerva

Van Doorn

Exequtive Partners

Aufisco

Total

PLC

£8.7m 

£1.7m 

£4.3m 

£0.6m 

£15.3m 

ICS

£1.0m 

£1.7m 

£4.3m 

£0.6m 

£7.6m 

PCS

£7.7m 

–

–

–

£7.7m 

When JTC acquires a business, the acquired 
book of clients is defined as inorganic. 
These clients continue to be treated 
as inorganic for the first two years of 
JTC ownership. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C H I E F   F I N A N C I A L   O F F I C E R ’ S   R E V I E W
C o n t i n u e d

N E W   B U S I N E S S / P I P E L I N E
The enquiry pipeline decreased by £1.6m 
(5.0%) from £32.0m at 31 December 2018 
to £30.4m at 31 December 2019. The drop 
in pipeline value was due to the high value 
of work won in H2 and improvements in 
our speed of on-boarding. During 2019 JTC 
secured new work with an annual value of 
£14.9m (2018: £9.7m). The divisional split 
was ICS £8.9m (2018: £6.0m) and PCS £6.0m 
(2018: £3.7m). Typically this revenue will 
have an average life-cycle of approximately 
10 years. We are confident that the quality 
of the pipeline is higher than in previous 
periods. We are conscious of the impact that 
the current COVID-19 situation may have on 
activity levels and anticipate that there may 
be a reduction in new business wins; however, 
we anticipate that will be compensated 
by increased activity in our existing book 
of business.

U N D E R L Y I N G   E B I T D A   A N D 
M A R G I N   P E R F O R M A N C E
Underlying EBITDA in 2019 was £31.7m, 
an increase of £7.8m (32.4%) from 2018. 
The reconciliation of the improvement in the 
underlying EBITDA is shown below. 

The underlying EBITDA margin % is the primary 
KPI used by the business and is a key measure 
of management’s ability to run the business 
effectively and in line with competitors and 
historic performance levels. The performance 
in 2019 highlights the continuing progress that 
has been made by the Group with underlying 
EBITDA margin increased to 31.9% from 31.0% 
in 2018 – an improvement of 0.9pp. This has 
been primarily driven by improved operational 
efficiency in the PCS Division. 

ICS’s underlying EBITDA margin fell back from 
28.8% in 2018 to 28.5% in 2019. In the first 
half the ICS margin was 27.8% but with a 
focus on cost efficiencies and the impact of 
the Commercial Office the full year margin 
improved to 28.5%. We believe that the 

acquisition of the NESF business and adoption 
of its market-leading technology will support 
further margin improvement in the Division, 
albeit we appreciate that the improvements 
may take time to implement. 

PCS’s underlying EBITDA margin improved from 
33.8% to 36.1% in the year. This was driven 
by the integration of the Minerva business and 
also a focus upon operational improvement and 
process efficiency. 

We continue to invest in the business and have 
been encouraged by the strong growth in new 
business wins in H2 2019 and in the size of 
mandates being won by both Divisions. 

D E P R E C I A T I O N   A N D 
A M O R T I S A T I O N
As a result of the adoption of IFRS 16 there has 
been a significant increase in the depreciation 
charge in 2019. In 2018 the depreciation charge 
was £0.9m but this increased to £4.6m in 
2019. This was due to the inclusion of a charge 
against the right-of-use assets of £3.4m. 

U N D E R L Y I N G   E B I T D A   B R I D G E

£ 2 3 . 9 M

V O L U M E
£ 7. 0 M

E F F I C I E N C Y
( £ 0 . 2 M )

V O L U M E
£ 6 . 6 M

E F F I C I E N C Y
£ 0 . 3 M

( £ 2 . 2 M )

£ 3 1 . 7 M

( £ 3 . 7 M )

2018 underlying 
EBITDA

ICS gross profit

PCS gross profit

Indirect
staff

Operating
expenses

2019 underlying 
EBITDA

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C A S H   F L O W   A N D   D E B T
Cash generated from underlying operating 
activities was £28.7m (2018: £19.5m) and 
the underlying cash conversion was 89% 
(2018: 90%). During 2019 the actual conversion 
rate was adversely impacted by the timing of 
receipts from the Exequtive business which 
we purchased in April 2019 and Aufisco which 
was acquired in July 2019. This impact will be 
eliminated in the 2020 cash conversion result 
and hence we continue with our medium-term 
guidance that underlying cash conversion will 
be in the range of 85 – 90% p.a. Post year 
end we have maintained a strong focus on 
cash collection. 

Net debt at the period end was £66.5m 
compared with £48.7m at 31 December 
2018. The underlying net debt of £59.3m 
(2018: £46.4m) excludes regulatory capital 
(which is not included for banking covenant 
testing) and also excludes the £4.2m loan 
advanced to NESF prior to the post-period end 
acquisition – which will be subsequently settled 
at completion. Underlying leverage is therefore 
1.9 times underlying EBITDA (2018: 1.9 times). 
At 31 December 2019 the bank covenant test 
for leverage was 3.5 times pro-forma EBITDA. 
The covenant test moves to 3.25 times 
pro-forma EBITDA on 31 March 2020 and then 
decreases to 3.0 times on 31 March 2021.

Our banking facility was increased by £50.0m 
on 9 January 2020 giving a total undrawn 
facility balance of £63.3m. The facilities expire 
on 8 March 2023.

P R O F I T   B E F O R E   T A X
The reported profit before tax for the period 
ended 31 December 2019 was £17.6m 
(2018: £2.1m loss). 

Adjusting for non-underlying items the 
underlying profit before tax for 2019 was 
£20.4m (2018: £17.0m). The improvement 
reflects the growth in revenues and margin 
increase in the period. However, the relative 
profitability was negatively impacted by £1.7m 
adverse foreign exchange movements. This is 
due to the translation of substantial US dollar 
and Euro monetary balance sheet items held at 
the year end. 

Finance costs in the year comprise £1.6m 
of amortisation/non-cash flow items 
(2018: £1.5m) and £2.4m of costs which 
impact cash flow (2018: £2.0m). 

T A X
The tax charge in the year was £0.5m 
(2018: £1.7m). This was lower than in previous 
periods and reflects the impact of a significant 
deferred tax credit of £0.8m as a result of the 
movements in relation to the value of customer 
relationships held on the balance sheet. 
During the year the Group reviewed its transfer 
pricing policy and updated this to reflect the 
evolving nature of the business and the way 
it operates. The policy continues to be fully 
compliant with OECD guidelines. 

E A R N I N G S   P E R   S H A R E
Adjusted underlying basic EPS was 22.33p 
(2018: 19.23p). Adjusted underlying basic EPS 
is the profit for the year adjusted to remove 
the impact of non-underlying items within 
profit after tax, amortisation of customer 
relationships and associated deferred tax 
impact, amortisation of loan arrangement 
fees and unwinding of NPV discounts and the 
impact of IFRS 16. 

The Group has £171.5m (2018: £145.2m) of 
balance sheet assets consisting of goodwill 
(2019: £124.9m, 2018: £104.8m) and customer 
relationships (2019: £46.6m, 2018: £40.4m). 
We regularly test these assets for impairment 
and monitor the recoverability of the 
carrying amounts. During 2019 there was an 
acceleration of client attrition in the NACT 
business owing to a more stringent regulatory 
environment in the Netherlands. This in 
turn resulted in an impairment to the NACT 
customer relationships intangible asset by 
£0.5m. 

No other impairments were required for other 
acquisitions. We recognise that in the current 
uncertain COVID-19 business environment 
there may be an increased need to monitor 
for impairment indicators and where there 
is evidence of impairment, we shall review 
carrying amounts in our balance sheet. 

S T A T U T O R Y   O P E R A T I N G 
P R O F I T / E B I T
The Group recognises that EBIT is a more 
commonly accepted reporting metric and 
hence shows these results for the benefit 
of external stakeholders. Statutory EBIT is 
impacted by non-underlying costs albeit these 
are substantially reduced from 2018 which 
was the first year of reporting post the IPO. 
Details of these non-underlying costs are set 
out below. 

N O N - U N D E R L Y I N G   I T E M S
Non-underlying items incurred in the period 
totalled £2.1m (2018: £19.1m). These comprised 
the following:

•  (£0.4m) credit from EBT12 whereby staff that 
left the business forfeited their rights to the 
EBT distribution (2018: £13.2m)

•  £2.0m of acquisition and integration costs 

(2018: £4.3m)

•  £0.5m other costs/charges (2018: £0.6m)

In 2018 we incurred £1.0m of costs associated 
with the IPO that took place that year. 

Of the £2.1m (2018: £19.1m) of non-underlying 
costs, £1.7m (2018: £18.6m) are incurred at 
EBITDA level and £0.2m (2018: £0.4m) are 
included within finance costs and £0.2m 
(2018: £0.1m) are other costs. 

JTC is required to consolidate its EBTs within 
its results and for that reason the capital 
distribution is included within staff costs. 
The full charge to the income statement was 
recognised in the period to 31 December 2018. 
Acquisition and integration costs reflect costs 
incurred on the completed acquisitions as 
well as transactions which are ongoing or did 
not complete. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C H I E F   F I N A N C I A L   O F F I C E R ’ S   R E V I E W
C o n t i n u e d

R E C O N C I L I A T I O N   O F   U N D E R L Y I N G   E B I T D A   T O   R E P O R T E D   R E S U L T S 
During 2019 IFRS 16 was adopted by the business. It has a significant impact on the comparison of performance of the business year on year. The table 
below sets out the impact of the adoption of the new standard. 

(£m)

Revenue

Staff costs

Establishment costs

Other operating expenses

Other operating income

EBITDA

Depreciation and amortisation 

Profit/(loss) from operating activities

Other gains/(losses)

Finance income

Finance cost

Profit/(loss) before tax

Tax

Profit/(loss) for the year

As reported 
(inc IFRS 16)

Non-
underlying 
costs

Underlying 
(inc IFRS 16)

IFRS 16 
impact

Underlying 
(exc IFRS 16)

99.3

-46.7

-1.4

-17.7

0.2

33.7

-10.8

22.9

-1.5

0.2

-4.0

17.6

-0.5

17.1

0.0

0.5

-0.2

1.4

0.0

1.7

0.0

1.7

0.3

0.0

0.1

2.1

0.0

2.1

99.3

-46.2

-1.6

-16.3

0.2

35.4

-10.8

24.6

-1.2

0.2

-3.9

19.7

-0.5

19.2

0.0 

0.0 

-3.7

0.0 

0.0 

-3.7

3.4

-0.3

0.0 

0.0 

1.0

0.7

0.0

0.7

99.3

-46.2

-5.3

-16.3

0.2

31.7

-7.4

24.3

-1.2

0.2

-2.9

20.4

-0.5 

19.9

As a result of the adoption of this accounting standard we raise our guidance on underlying EBITDA from a range of 30 – 35% to 33 – 38%. We estimate 
that the annual impact on reported profit after tax will be a deduction of £1.0m. The standard does not have a cash flow impact and we will adjust for 
this in calculating underlying profit available for dividends. 

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

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A P P E N D I X :   R E C O N C I L I A T I O N   O F 
R E P O R T E D   R E S U L T S   T O   A P M ’ S

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

In order to assist the reader’s understanding of the financial performance of the Group alternative performance measures (‘APMs’) have been included 
to better reflect the underlying activities of the Group excluding specific non-recurring items as set out in Note 7 to the financial statements. 
The Group appreciates that APMs are not considered to be a substitute for, or superior to, IFRS measures but believes that the selected use of these may 
provide stakeholders with additional information which will assist in the understanding of the business.

1 .   E B I T D A

Reported EBITDA

Non underlying items

Capital distribution from EBT

Acquisition and integration costs

Other including IPO costs

Impact of IFRS 16

Underlying EBITDA

2 .   C A S H   C O N V E R S I O N

Net cash from operating activities

Non-underlying cash items

Taxes paid

Acquisition normalisation(*)

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying cash conversion

2019
£m

33.7

-0.4

2.0

35.3

-3.7

31.7

2019
£m

21.6

5.1

2.0

28.7

2.6

31.3

35.4

89%

2018
£m

5.4

13.2

4.3

1.1

23.9

0.0

23.9

2018
£m

5.9

12.7

0.9

19.5

2.0

21.5

23.9

90%

* 

 Acquisition normalisation refers to the following: In 2019 £2.0m of Exequtive revenues and £0.6m of Aufisco revenues were collected by the previous owners in advance of JTC ownership. In 2018 under 

the terms of the BAML customer agreements, JTC collected cash 6 months in arrears and at the year end had invoiced and recognised for 9 months work but only been paid for 3 months. 

3 .   N E T   D E B T / L E V E R A G E

Cash balances

Bank debt

Other debt

Cash held on behalf of JTC EBT

Advance NESF deal funding

Net debt

Underlying EBITDA

Leverage

2019
£m

26.3

-86.7

-0.5

-2.6

4.2

-59.3

31.7

1.87

2018
£m

32.5

-71.5

-1.2

-6.1

0.0

-46.4

23.9

1.94

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

S T R A T E G Y   I N   A C T I O N

I N S T I T U T I O N A L   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S

R E V E N U E  ( £ M )
+ 2 6 . 4 %

E B I T D A  ( £ M )
+ 2 5 . 2 %

E B I T D A 
M A R G I N   ( % )
- 0 . 3 P P

L V W *   ( £ M )
+ 4 8 . 3 %

54.8

15.6

28.8

28.5

86

43.4

12.5

58

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

J O N   J E N N I N G S
G R O U P   H E A D   O F   I N S T I T U T I O N A L 
C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S

*  Lifetime Value Won (LVW) 

is 10 times annualised value 

of work won minus value of 

attrition in past year.

I am pleased to make my first Annual Report 
contribution, having taken over as Group 
Head of ICS from Tony Whitney in April 2019. 

The Division had a solid year, building positively 
on 2018 with revenue growth of 26.4% to 
£54.8m and growth in underlying EBITDA of 
25.2% to £15.6m. Underlying EBITDA margin 
fell 0.3pp to 28.5%, which was disappointing 
and below our minimum target of 30%. 
However, I am encouraged by the positive 
momentum during the year, which saw the 
margin improve from 27.8% at the end of H1 
to 28.5% in H2. 

Having orientated myself as the leader of 
the Division, I believe we have an excellent 
platform from which to deliver a first-class 
business with a talented multinational team, 

a high quality client base and strong market 
fundamentals to support long-term growth. 
The improvements to our operating model, and 
in particular the process and system linkages 
between our wider fund and corporate services 
office network and our Global Service Centre 
(GSC) in South Africa, are being delivered and 
we intend to increase the pace of progress 
moving forward. We continued to invest in key 
personnel with expertise in both client-facing 
and operational functions, as well as our 
technology capabilities. Looking ahead, I 
am confident that these investments will 
allow us to deliver better services to existing 
clients, win more new business and realise 
operating efficiencies that drive further 
margin improvement. 

In terms of our established growth strategies, 
organic growth was strong with record 
annualised new business wins of £8.9m  
(up 48% on 2018) and, within that total,  
a number of substantial new mandates in  
the £250k p.a. to £1m+ p.a. range. These wins,  
in a competitive market-place, reflect the 
impact of allocating increased resource and 
focus to business development activities during 
the year, as well as our growing profile as a 
leading fund and corporate services provider. 

Our inorganic growth during the year was 
focused on the acquisition of Exequtive 
Partners (EP) in Luxembourg and the small 
Aufisco bolt-on deal in the Netherlands. EP was 
an important addition to the Division, providing 
an opportunity to enhance the leadership team 

2 0 1 9   H I G H L I G H T S
•   Record year for new business  

wins, +48% by value.  

•   Strengthening of senior team with focus on 
technical operations, business development 
and subject matter expertise.

•    Successful integration of Van Doorn 

(Netherlands). 

•   Competing for and winning top-end 

mandates (£1m+).

•    Premises upgrades in London, Netherlands 

•   Successful integration of Exequtive Partners 

and Cayman to support growth.

(Luxembourg).

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

. . .   I N   A C T I O N

“We are earning our seat at a competitive top table and have delivered solid 
financial performance with strong new business flows. Margin improvement work 
will be accelerated and our talented multinational team is well placed to capitalise 
on the organic and inorganic growth opportunities we see.”

offices in global ICS network

employees

450+
11
1k+
55.2%

clients

of Group turnover 

that has been driving better performance in 
a high growth market. We also expanded our 
offering in Luxembourg with the launch of our 
new depository service. Post period end we 
completed the lift-out of a small UK business 
that adds Registrar services to our offering 
and another that expands our footprint to 
Ireland for the first time. We will initially offer 
corporate services from our new Dublin office, 
with a plan to expand into fund services in due 
course. Also post period end, we were delighted 
to announce the acquisition of NES Financial 
(NESF), a US based, technology-enabled 
provider of specialist fund administration 
services. NESF delivers a ready-made platform 
in the fast-growing US alternatives market and 
an opportunity to connect US clients to our 
global ICS network. Our M&A pipeline remains 

healthy and we have good visibility of deal 
flow in a competitive sector. Our disciplined 
approach to inorganic growth means that we 
will remain focused on securing the right deals 
for the long-term success of the ICS platform. 

The Division’s Jurisdictional Strength Index (JSI) 
scores were impacted by slight contraction in 
Guernsey and also a higher rate of attrition 
in the Netherlands due to changing market 
dynamics. However, this was more than offset 
by the strong performances of Luxembourg, 
Jersey and our UK office. The London office not 
only delivered strong growth driven by high 
demand for our Transfer Agency (TA), fund 
administration and corporate services, but 
also moved into new and larger premises to 
support future growth and signal our ongoing 
commitment to the UK market post Brexit. 

Turning to 2020, an early challenge has been 
the COVID-19 pandemic. The response of the 
Division has been excellent, with a seamless 
transition to remote working in order to protect 
the wellbeing of our people and maintain the 
highest levels of client service. 

Looking further ahead, we will focus on 
delivering margin improvement alongside 
strong top-line growth and expansion of the 
Division in fast-growing markets, including the 
US. The three year business plan vision for the 
Division was to be acknowledged as a top-tier 
global provider of fund and corporate services 
by the end of 2020 and with our expert team, 
global footprint and increasing technology 
capabilities, I believe we are firmly on track 
to achieve that aspiration and more. 

2 0 2 0   O U T L O O K
•  Resilient response to COVID-19 pandemic. 

•  Post period end acquisition of NESF 

in the US, a transformational deal for 
the ICS Division.

•   Enhanced business development and 

marketing focused on key asset classes 
and services.

•   Premises upgrade and deeper 
penetration in Luxembourg.

•   Operating model improvements  

to deliver margin.

•   Further M&A with focus on US, 
Luxembourg, Ireland and UK.

•   Further investment in technology 
capabilities to drive both growth 
and efficiencies.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

S T R A T E G Y   I N   A C T I O N
C o n t i n u e d

P R I V A T E   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S

R E V E N U E  ( £ M )
+ 3 1 . 2 %

E B I T D A  ( £ M )
+ 4 0 . 3 %

44.5

16.1

E B I T D A 
M A R G I N  ( % )
+ 2 . 3 p p

36.1

33.8

L V W *  ( £ M )
+ 7 0 . 6 %

58

33.9

11.4

34

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

I A I N   J O H N S
G R O U P   H E A D   O F   P R I V A T E   C L I E N T   S E R V I C E S

*  Lifetime Value Won (LVW)

is 10 times annualised value 

of work won minus value of 

attrition in past year.

The PCS Division had an excellent year in 
2019 building materially on performance 
in 2018.

At the beginning of our current three year 
business plan, which runs to 2020, we stated 
that our vision was to be recognised as the best 
private client practice in our sector. While we 
remain entirely focused on delivering client 
service excellence and sustainable long-term 
growth, we believe that performance in 2019 
very much supported attainment of this goal. 

The Division delivered growth in revenue of 
31.2% to £44.5m, growth in underlying EBITDA 
of 40.3% to £16.1m and an underlying EBITDA 
margin improvement of 2.3pp to 36.1%, all 
simultaneous to further ongoing investment in 
our operating platform. 

At the heart of our PCS business lies one of 
the most talented, qualified and committed 
workforces in the industry. During the year, 
we continued to invest in our people, including 
a number of senior hires in Europe and the 
Americas, as well as in support of our JTC 
Private Office proposition. In addition, the 
Division transitioned to a new regional model 
for business development and marketing; 
centralised and improved the processes and 
systems for client on-boarding; and successfully 
completed the full integration of the Minerva 
business, acquired in September 2018. 

In a sector where reputation and quality are 
paramount, our profile and standing as a 
market leader received external validation 
when we won the prestigious Society of Trust 

and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Trust Company 
of the Year (Large Firm) award. This long-
standing and keenly contested accolade is 
a recognised symbol of quality and the win 
reflected a fantastic and global team effort.

Through JTC’s proprietary Jurisdictional 
Strength Index (JSI) we continuously monitor 
and improve the quality and performance of 
all offices within our network and 2019 saw 
strong performance across the board, with 
the Channel Islands and US markets being 
particular highlights. We were granted a trust 
licence in Cayman and have now established 
a high quality offering from this important 
jurisdiction. We continue to focus appropriate 
effort on developing our Mauritius and 
Dubai offices, acquired through the Minerva 

2 0 1 9   H I G H L I G H T S
•   Increase in PCS Jurisdictional Strength 

Index (JSI) from investment in platform 
and operating model.

•   Record year for new business wins, +62% 

•   Adopted new PCS governance structure and 

by value.

regional business development model. 

•    Continued investment in people, 
in particular JTC Private Office.

•   Strong growth in the Channel Islands and 

•    Successful integration of the 

•  Won Trust Company of the Year (Large Firm) 

US markets.

Minerva business.

at the STEP Private Client Awards.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

. . .   I N   A C T I O N

“Our performance in 2019 demonstrates the continued potential  
in the PCS market and the strength of our team. I am pleased with  
the results and am confident of further growth in 2020.” 

offices in global PCS network

employees

300+
18
4.5k
44.8%

of Group turnover

clients in 100+ countries

JTC – 2019 STEP Awards –  
Trust Company of the Year  
(Large Firm)

JTC Private Office – Edge – 2019 
Wealthmanagement.com Awards – 
Outstanding Achievement in 
Client Initiative

JTC Private Office – Edge – 2019 
WealthBriefing MENA Awards –  
Best Client Reporting Solution

transaction, and are also mindful of changes in 
the global regulatory landscape, which affected 
a number of jurisdictions during the year, most 
notably with the introduction of new Economic 
Substance regulations. As always, changes of 
this nature represent both a challenge and an 
opportunity and we are proud of the way in 
which we partner with our clients to navigate 
these developments as they arise.

for JTC Private Office to serve HNW and 
UHNW individuals and families, especially 
first generation wealth creators, whose needs 
are increasingly global, technology orientated 
and sophisticated. In 2020 we will continue to 
develop JTC Private Office and use it to further 
differentiate our offering in the market as well 
as a driver for delivery of our traditional trust 
company services. 

The JTC Private Office proposition was further 
developed in 2019 and recognised through 
several industry awards for its market-leading 
features and innovations, including our 
proprietary Edge client-portal technology. 
During the year the number of clients 
generating annual fee income >£100k increased 
by 50% and we see substantial further potential 

Post period end we were pleased to announce 
the acquisition of the Sanne private client 
business, which presented a straightforward 
opportunity to fold a high quality client book 
and team into our well-established and high 
performing Jersey platform.

The start of 2020 has brought the tragedy and 
challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and our 
response has been swift and robust. We have 
transitioned the entire Division to remote 
working while maintaining excellent levels 
of client service at all times. 

The wider outlook remains positive in our view 
and we aim to drive growth through service 
development, including further technological 
innovation; market development and 
penetration, in particular the US; the retention 
and recruitment of the very best private client 
practitioners; and also through further selective 
and disciplined acquisitions as the market 
continues to consolidate. 

2 0 2 0   O U T L O O K
•  Resilient response to COVID-19 pandemic. 

•  Post-period end acquision of Sanne 
private client business in Jersey.

•  Continue to invest in people, including 

•  Further expansion into the US building 

senior hires.

on our existing PCS platform.

•  Strong pipeline of new business heading 

•   Further investment in 

•  Focused acquisition strategy as sector 

into 2020.

technology capabilities.

consolidation continues. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

S T R A T E G Y   I N   A C T I O N
C o n t i n u e d

A C Q U I S I T I O N S

“ We take a disciplined approach to acquisitions, 
from our core screening criteria and clear 
strategic focus, through to our proven and 
highly effective integration framework  
and capabilities.”

W E N D Y   H O L L E Y
C H I E F   O P E R A T I N G   O F F I C E R

While the bedrock of our business will 
always remain organic growth, JTC has a 
track record of successfully identifying and 
integrating acquisitions dating back to 2010.

As detailed in the Market Drivers section of this 
report (pages 8 and 9) the industry in which we 
operate has a number of fundamental features 
that support inorganic growth, in particular:

•  the high degree of fragmentation arising 
from the early stages of the industry,  
which is still prevalent today;

•  globalisation and increasing global wealth,  
which in turn drive client needs for global 
solutions; and.

•  the trends towards increased regulation  

and greater outsourcing. 

JTC’s response has been the formulation 
of a disciplined and coherent acquisition 
strategy and the development of a well-
honed operational framework that delivers 
the effective and efficient integration of 
acquisitions onto our scalable global platform. 

C O R E   C R I T E R I A
Our core acquisition criteria were developed 
over a number of years and now provide the 
basis for our highly disciplined screening and 
selection process. As an established operator  

of scale with a reputation for taking a 
constructive and positive approach to M&A, 
we have good visibility of most deals in both 
the ICS and PCS markets and our challenge is 
not deal flow, but finding the very best deals to 
support our long-term growth strategy. 

The core acquisition criteria allow us to rapidly 
filter opportunities while at the same time 
providing a framework for our due diligence 
processes and evaluation as opportunities are 
progressed through the pipeline. In the world of 
JTC we often say that the best acquisitions will 
deliver a ‘2 + 2 = 5 result’, by which we mean 
that if we select the right deals that fit with our 
core criteria, achieve good cultural alignment 
and integrate in a timely and effective manner, 
we are able to realise the maximum long-term 
value for the Group and our stakeholders, 
including the clients and employees of the 
businesses we acquire. 

Our core criteria in more detail are:

IMPROVE JURISDICTIONAL STRENGTH 
INDEX (JSI) – the JSI is a proprietary 
system developed at JTC to grade both the 
current internal strength and overall market 
attractiveness of each jurisdiction which we 
operate in or target. While the precise criteria 
of the JSI are commercially confidential, 

we are able to apply them when evaluating 
acquisitions and in particular where we believe 
that a particular deal may deliver a material 
increase to the JSI of a particularly important 
jurisdiction in our network. 

ADD SCALE/NEW TERRITORY – as the 
Group has grown over time, the number of 
acquisitions that take us into new territories 
has naturally reduced. We are now adept at 
using acquisitions to build greater depth and 
scale in existing jurisdictions, as we did with 
Exequtive Partners in Luxembourg in 2019 and 
also with small lift-out deals in Cayman and 
the Netherlands during the year. 

STRENGTHEN SERVICE OFFERING – this is 
multi-faceted and can relate to enhancements 
in our range of services, the people who join 
the business, particular processes or methods 
of service delivery and technology capabilities. 
More often than not, an acquisition will 
deliver several of these improvements at 
once and in the case of Exequtive Partners we 
strengthened our corporate services offering 
and added a talented team, including strong 
leadership, to the Luxembourg component of 
the ICS platform. 

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M E R G E R   &   A C Q U I S I T I O N   S T R A T E G Y

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

CURRENT 
FOCUS

•  ICS with focus on 
alternative assets
•   US, Luxembourg,  
UK and Ireland

•   First cousin services
•   Technology capabilities

PROVEN  
VALUE CREATION

•  Kleinwort Benson becomes 
Global Service Centre (GSC)
•  BAML and Minerva enhanced 

on JTC platform

•  Van Doorn and Exequtive 

Partners accelerate 
key jurisdictions
•  18 deals since 2010

DISCIPLINED AND 
ENTREPRENEURIAL

•  Active deal pipeline (c. 25+ 

at any time)

•   Visibility of most deals in 

the sector

•   Smart sub-strategies (regional 
plays, opportunistic lift-outs)

•   We know when to say no

CORE ACQUISITON 
CRITERIA

•   Improve Jurisdictional Strength 

Index (JSI)

•   Add scale/new territory
•   Strengthen offering (services, 
people, technology, processes)

•   Cross-selling opportunities
•  Cost synergy opportunities

J O O S T   M E E S
M A N A G I N G   D I R E C T O R , 
J T C   L U X E M B O U R G

E X E Q U T I V E   P A R T N E R S   S A

2 0 1 9   A C Q U I S I T I O N

Announced: March 2019

Footprint: Luxembourg

Offering: Specialist provider 
of corporate and related 
fiduciary services

JTC Division: Institutional  
Client Services

Employees: 28

Rationale
•  Strengthens our offering, capacity 

and network in a key ICS jurisdiction, 
where we have operated for 
10 years.

•  Builds on our corporate services 

capabilities and complements our 
funds offering.

•  Creates greater opportunities 

for future growth in a market we 
anticipate as having a higher than 
average growth potential over the 
medium to long term.

•  Potential for referral and cross-
erral and cross-
selling opportunities with our 
ities with our 
Netherlands, UK and Channel 
K and Channel 
Islands offices.

•  Exequtive Partners has 
ers has 
demonstrated exceptional growth  
xceptional growth
in its six years of existence.
f existence.
•  Enables us to provide a full 
ovide a full 
one-stop-shop offering, 
offering, 
meeting EU regulatory and 
ulatory and 
investor requirements. 
ments. 
•  Excellent cultural fit.
al fit.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

S T R A T E G Y   I N   A C T I O N
C o n t i n u e d

CROSS-SELLING OPPORTUNITIES – our two 
Divisions deliver three complementary service 
lines (fund services, corporate services and 
private client services) and acquisitions that 
drive cross-sell opportunities are particularly 
attractive to us because of this balanced 
approach that we take to the market. It also 
enables us to capture more long-term value 
from most acquisitions than would be the 
case for competitors that do not have our 
balance of service lines. Good examples from 
recent acquisitions include significant private 
client referrals received from the ICS Division 
acquisitions of Van Doorn and Exequtive 
Partners and fund services referrals from the 
acquisition of Minerva. 

COST SYNERGY OPPORTUNITIES –  
the final core criterion is a natural feature 
that results from consolidation in our 
sector. When we acquire smaller standalone 
businesses, or units of very large global players, 
there are often opportunities to rationalise 
costs when integrating them onto our well-

invested global platform. While these do 
sometimes arrive from reductions in staffing 
numbers, there are many opportunities to 
save costs around systems, premises and 
supplier networks. 

business. We were able to use the acquisition 
to triple the size of our fund administration 
business and over a period of three years 
transform the operation into our Global Service 
Centre for fund services. 

P R O V E N   V A L U E   C R E A T I O N
JTC has completed 21 acquisitions since 
2010 as well as a number of smaller lift-
out transactions and these are detailed 
chronologically below. While the recent 
acquisitions of Van Doorn (August 2018), 
Minerva (September 2018) and Exequtive 
Partners (March 2019) have been well 
documented in the public domain since our 
listing in March 2018, it is worth highlighting 
some of the important deals that pre-date 
our IPO. 

KLEINWORT BENSON (KB) FUND 
ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS  
(ACQUIRED 2015)
The KB business was an example of a major 
international firm re-focusing on its core 

BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH 
(BAML) INTERNATIONAL TRUST AND 
WEALTH STRUCTURING BUSINESS 
(ACQUIRED 2017)
The BAML deal was another example of a core 
business rationalisation except this time in the 
private client space. The business delivered a 
high quality book of clients, expert teams in 
Miami and Geneva and an efficient back-office 
administration presence in the Isle of Man. 
JTC was able to rapidly integrate the business 
onto our platform, delivering substantial 
cost synergies through systems, premises 
and people. 

N
O

I

T

I
S
I

U
Q
C
A

L
L
U
F

T
U
O

-
T
F
I
L
/
N
O

-
T
L
O
B

Caversham Fiduciary 
Services in Jersey

Standard Bank’s Jersey 
based third party fund 
administration portfolio

Signes S.a.r.l. 
in Luxembourg 

S&G fund administration 
(Cayman) Ltd

Kleinwort 
Benson’s fund 
administration 
business in 
Guernsey, Jersey 
and South Africa 

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2 0 1 1

2 0 1 2

2 0 1 3

2 0 1 4

2 0 1 5

Herald Trust Company’s 
book of Jersey based 
trust business

Horizon 
Group’s book 
of Jersey based 
 trust business

Anson Fund Managers 
in Guernsey and 
the UK 

Ardel Trust Company 
in Switzerland 

Ardel Fund Services 
in Guernsey

2 4

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

C U R R E N T   F O C U S
While our core criteria provide the consistent 
foundation for our acquisition programme,  
we are constantly aware of the need to evolve 
our specific focus as the Group grows and 
developments in the market play out. 

ICS WITH FOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE 
ASSETS 
We are particularly focused on opportunities 
in the alternatives market and specifically a 
number of regions including the US and Europe. 
However, we are mindful of the impact that 
demand is having on pricing for such assets 
and will maintain our disciplined approach 
to evaluating opportunities that fit with our 
strategy and are in the best long-term interests 
of the Group.

US, LUXEMBOURG, UK AND IRELAND 
The US is a key growth market for both the ICS 
and PCS Divisions. Luxembourg, the UK and 
Ireland remain specific target jurisdictions for 
the ICS Division. 

FIRST COUSIN SERVICES 
We believe that there may be opportunities 
to increase our range of services through the 
acquisition of ‘first cousin’ businesses (e.g. 
regulatory compliance services) that align with 
our core fund, corporate and private client 
services and would enable an increased share 
of wallet in a manner that adds genuine value 
and convenience for clients. 

TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES 
Advances in technology are bringing 
efficiencies and the potential for automation, 
so while we will remain a people-led business 
driven by human skills and insight, we also 
recognise the value in pursuing the competitive 
advantages technology can offer. Thus, 
identifying acquisitions that bring technological 
capabilities is now a key part of our M&A focus. 

Post period end we completed two small ICS 
Division lift-outs, the first a UK business that 
adds Registrar services to our offering and 
the second in Ireland, delivering a corporate 

services licence and our first footprint in 
the jurisdiction, with a longer-term plan to 
expand our Irish presence to also include 
regulated fund services in due course. Also post 
period end we were pleased to announce the 
acquisition of the Sanne private client business 
in Jersey and NES Financial (NESF) in the US. 
NESF is a particularly important acquisition for 
the Group as it is a high quality, technology-
enabled fund administration business. NESF will 
deliver a ready-made fund services platform 
in the US, which is a high growth market for 
alternative asset fund administration services. 

Our acquisition pipeline remains healthy 
and we are confident that our strategy and 
approach will allow us to take advantage 
of further opportunities to support the 
long-term growth of both Divisions as the 
sector continues to consolidate over the 
medium term. 

Van Doorn CFS B.V. 
in the Netherlands 

Exequtive Partners 
SA in Luxembourg

Merrill Lynch 
International Trust & 
Wealth Structuring 
in US, Isle of Man 
and Geneva 

Minerva Group in 
Jersey, Mauritius, Dubai, 
Switzerland, Singapore 
and UK

NES 
Financial 
in the US

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L I S T E D   
O N   L O N D O N 
S T O C K 
E X C H A N G E

Sanne private  
client business 
in Jersey

Anson Fund Managers 
in Guernsey and the UK 

Aufisco and Oak Tree 
Management Netherlands 
based book of business 

Arcange REIM 
in Luxembourg

New Amsterdam Cititrust B.V. 
in the Netherlands 

Acquire Sackville book of Cayman based 
trust business

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

K E Y   P E R F O R M A N C E   I N D I C A T O R S

T H E   J T C   B O A R D   U S E S   T H E   F O L L O W I N G   K P I s   T O   
M E A S U R E   T H E   P E R F O R M A N C E   O F   T H E   G R O U P

F I N A N C I A L

R E V E N U E
DESCRIPTION
Revenue generated based upon 
work done.

DEFINITION
Revenue of the business 
excluding items considered 
non-recurring or not reflective 
of the underlying performance 
of the business.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Revenue is a reflection of the 
work we do for clients. We seek 
to deliver a high quality service, 
do more work for existing 
clients and attract new clients.

2019 PERFORMANCE
Revenue growth of 28.5% which 
comprised 8.4% net organic 
growth and inorganic growth 
of 20.1%.

COMMENTARY
The PCS Division achieved 
31.2% growth and net organic 
growth of 7.2%. The ICS 
Division achieved 26.4% growth 
and net organic growth of 9.4%.

TARGET
We aim to achieve net organic 
growth of 8 – 10% at Group 
level every year.

U N D E R L Y I N G   E B I T D A 
M A R G I N
DESCRIPTION
The EBITDA margin of the 
underlying business.

DEFINITION
Underlying EBITDA margin of 
the business excluding items 
considered non-recurring or 
not reflective of the underlying 
performance of the business 
divided by revenue.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Underlying EBITDA margin is 
our key measure of how well our 
business is performing, including 
relative to the wider industry. 

2019 PERFORMANCE
Improvement of 0.9pp to 31.9%.

COMMENTARY
The ICS Division achieved 
28.3% (0.3pp) and the PCS 
Division achieved 36.2% +2.7pp.

 TARGET
Our guidance to 2019 was to 
deliver an underlying EBITDA 
margin in the range of 30 – 
35%. From 2020 onwards we 
revise this to 33 – 38% taking 
into account IFRS 16.

U N D E R L Y I N G   C A S H 
C O N V E R S I O N
DESCRIPTION
Our success in turning profits 
into cash.

DEFINITION
Net cash generated from 
underlying activities divided 
by underlying EBITDA.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Cash generated allows us to 
pay dividends to shareholders, 
service our debts and invest in 
the business (both organically 
and through acquisitions).

2019 PERFORMANCE
89% underlying cash conversion 
(2018: 90%).

COMMENTARY
Underlying performance in 
line with guidance but actual 
cash impacted in first year by 
acquisitions. Impact will be 
eliminated in future years. 

TARGET
We aim to achieve 85 – 90% 
cash conversion each year.

L E V E R A G E
DESCRIPTION
The relative amount of  
third party debt we have  
in the business.

DEFINITION
Third party debt less cash, 
divided by underlying EBITDA.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
We need to manage the 
business without holding 
excessive levels of debt.

2019 PERFORMANCE
1.9 times underlying EBITDA 
(2018: 1.9 times).

COMMENTARY
Banking covenant test at 
31 December 2019 was 
3.5 times. 

TARGET
We aim to stay below 2 times 
leverage. We will exceptionally 
increase this to 2.5 times but 
this will be supported by clear 
visibility of incoming cash flow 
and rapid reduction to below 
our standard target level.

90.0

89.0

85.0

8.9

8.7

8.4

(%)

10

7.5

5.0

2.5

0

31. 0

31.9

24.1

(%)

36

24

12

0

(%)

90

60

30

0

(multiples)

2.9

2.0

2.0

3

2

1

0

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

O P E R A T I O N A L

N E W   B U S I N E S S   W I N S
DESCRIPTION
The annualised value of new 
business won (AVNBW) 
each year.

DEFINITION
Annualised value of new work 
won from clients where we have 
a signed contract.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Our industry has good growth 
fundamentals. In order to meet 
our organic growth targets 
we need to win new work 
every year.

2019 PERFORMANCE
ICS AVNBW was +48% at 
£8.9m and the PCS AVNBW 
was +62% at £6.0m.

COMMENTARY
A strong year for new business 
wins with an increase by value 
of 54% to £14.9m. 

TARGET
We aim to achieve at least a 
10% increase in the annualised 
value of new business wins year 
on year. 

C L I E N T   A T T R I T I O N
DESCRIPTION
The amount of business that  
we lose each year.

DEFINITION
Work lost that was regretted.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
We have a high volume 
of annuity business. 
Maintaining clients is  
a key indicator of  
customer satisfaction.

2019 PERFORMANCE
Total client attrition was 7.0% 
(2018: 8.8%) with regretted 
attrition of 2.6% (2018: 1.8%). 

COMMENTARY
97.4% (2018: 98.3%) of 
revenues that were not end of 
life were retained in the period. 

TARGET
We aim to keep regretted client 
attrition at less than 2.5% p.a.

S T A F F   T U R N O V E R
DESCRIPTION
The number of staff who leave 
each year that we did not want 
to leave.

DEFINITION
Number of staff who leave in 
the year that we did not want 
to leave divided by average 
number of staff in the year.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
We deliver a high touch 
service to clients. 
Maintaining continuity of staff 
ensures that we are best able to 
meet client needs.

2019 PERFORMANCE
Turnover of 9.7% at Group level 
(2018: 7.3%). 

COMMENTARY
We continue to achieve our 
target even as we grow in scale 
and benchmark favourably to 
peers and the wider sector. 

TARGET
We aim to keep annual staff 
turnover, as defined, at less 
than 10%.

S H A R E D   O W N E R S H I P
DESCRIPTION
How many of our 
permanent employees  
are owners of the business. 

DEFINITION
The proportion of permanent 
employees who are direct 
owners of the business 
through our shared 
ownership programmes. 

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Shared ownership is our 
key differentiator. It is 
important that staff have a 
direct stake in our business 
to promote a stakeholder 
mentality and ensure that 
their interests are aligned with 
external shareholders.

2019 PERFORMANCE
100% of permanent employees 
are owners of the business with 
staff holding 23% of issued 
share capital. 

COMMENTARY
1.1 million shares were issued 
to the JTC EBT in 2019. 

TARGET
100% of permanent employees 
to be owners of the business.

9.7

8.9

(£m)

15

10

5

0

14.9

(%)

3

2. 9

2

1

0

2.6

1. 8

(%)

10

7.5

5.0

2.5

0

9.3

9.7

7.3

(%)

100

75

50

25

0

100

100

100

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

2017

2018

2019

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T

S T R O N G   F O C U S   O N   R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T   
A N D   C O M P L I A N C E

B I L L   B Y R N E
C H I E F   R I S K   O F F I C E R

As a regulated provider of fund, corporate and 
trust administration services, JTC has a strong 
focus on risk management and compliance. 
Risk is considered at all levels of the business, 
from strategic planning by the senior executive 
team to every action taken within each JTC 
jurisdiction. Given that JTC has always operated 
(and continues to operate) in a large number of 
highly regulated environments, compliance is 
deeply integrated into JTC’s operational DNA.

The Board has overall responsibility for 
oversight of the risk management policies 
of JTC and the operation of the Group-wide 
risk management framework, ensuring that 
such framework is commensurate with JTC’s 
structure, risk profile, complexity, activities 

and size, as well as providing oversight of 
the Group’s capital planning, liquidity risk 
management and resolution planning activities. 
The Board executes these responsibilities and 
its oversight function through the Audit and 
Risk Committee.

R I S K   A P P E T I T E   A N D 
A S S E S S M E N T
The Group’s risk appetite and risk tolerances 
are determined and monitored by the Board 
in accordance with the Group’s strategic 
objectives and its policies and procedures. 

The Group Risk Committee comprises the 
Chief Risk Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief 
General Counsel and Group Risk & Compliance 
Director. This Committee maintains 
responsibility for considering all aspects of 
operational risk which may affect the Group 
including, but not limited to, strategic risk, 
regulatory risk, human resources risk, systems 
risk (including cyber risk), competition risk, 
client risk, fiduciary risk and performance risk.

The Group reviews and monitors its risk 
exposure closely, considering the potential 
impact of emerging issues and potential future 
events and any actions required to mitigate 
such impact. 

Risk is considered at all levels, from strategic 
planning by the senior executive team to every 
action taken in each jurisdiction. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

“Our expertise in the effective management of risk, 
 for clients and the Group, is fundamental to our long-term 
success and a key strength of JTC.”

JTC PLC BOARD

JTC PLC AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE

GROUP RISK COMMITTEE

Compliance

Governance

Operational

Regulatory

GROUP RISK FUNCTION (RISK AUDIT FUNCTION)

•  Ongoing day-to-day risk management responsibility, with 

•  Key regulatory and compliance personnel in each 

business and operations management ensuring a robust control 
environment is maintained.

regulated jurisdiction.

•  Monthly reporting provided to Group Risk function.

EACH REGULATED JURISDICTION

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Many of these controls are captured by the 
rigorous, bespoke JTC ‘Recommendation for 
Signing’ (RFS) approval process. This internal 
control tool ensures that all business decisions 
and transactions are thoroughly documented, 
reviewed and approved at an appropriate 
level on a ‘six-eyes’ basis. The RFS is a key 
tool in identifying, managing and monitoring 
client, transactional, operational and internal 
risks within JTC. It was originally developed, 
and subsequently refined, to provide control 
over the Group’s diverse client base, business 
operations and geographies and continues 
to be effective in maintaining the highest 
standard of control in a rapidly growing 
organisation. All new employees are required 
to undertake RFS training (and testing) with 
‘refresher’ training assigned for existing 
employees. The Group maintains a strict 
management process around exceptions to 
documented controls.

CHIEF RISK OFFICER
WILLIAM BYRNE

R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T   A N D 
I N T E R N A L   C O N T R O L S
The Group’s risk management model adopts 
an industry-standard, three lines of defence 
approach. The first line of defence is formed 
by the business and operational managers 
in each jurisdiction, who are responsible for 
maintaining a strict control environment on a 
day-to-day basis. Group companies maintain 
key regulatory and compliance personnel 
(for example, Compliance Officers, Money 
Laundering Reporting Officers and Money 
Laundering Compliance Officers) in accordance 
with local regulatory requirements.

The second line of defence of the risk model 
is achieved through the maintenance by each 
jurisdiction of discrete risk and compliance 
resource, each of which reports independently 
to the Group Risk function on a monthly 
basis. The jurisdictional teams are not only 
a first point of contact for local regulators 
(and responsible for maintaining open and 
constructive dialogue) but also ensure that 
the Group Risk function stay fully informed 
of jurisdictional and regional changes to the 
risk and compliance landscape. This ensures 
ongoing risk and compliance oversight at senior 
management team level.

For the third line of defence, the Group relies 
on the testing of key controls through the 
formal external audit programme and regular 
external visits and regulatory inspections across 
the Group’s regulated businesses. The Group 
obtains further independent testing of key 
controls through external ISAE accreditation 
and maintains an internal comprehensive 
programme of risk and compliance monitoring.

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

R I S K S   A N D   U N C E R T A I N T I E S

C O M P L I A N C E   M O N I T O R I N G 
A N D   I N T E R N A L   A U D I T
The Group Risk Committee meets quarterly 
and is responsible for overseeing the Group’s 
internal risk framework. It continuously 
evaluates the adequacy of systems and controls 
for the identification and management of risk 
and regulatory compliance. It monitors trends 
and reviews issues that may present material 
risks at Group level as well as considering 
significant or imminent changes to the risk 
and regulatory environment and available 
mitigants. The Committee is also mandated 
under its Terms of Reference to advise the 
Group regularly on the risk management 
and regulatory compliance implications of 
its overall business strategy, culture and risk 
appetite, taking account of macroeconomic 
as well as operational conditions.

The Group Risk function maintains oversight 
through regular reporting of the independent 
compliance monitoring programme in 
each jurisdiction. 

The Directors believe a culture of compliance 
is embedded within its employees and 
service teams.

K E Y   C O N T R O L S 
JTC has in place a number of key controls 
to ensure that all elements of its business 
activities, including fiduciary risks, are actively 
monitored and managed. 

These include: 

•  high level of jurisdictional Director control 

over processes; 

•  dedicated Group monitoring function; 
•  defined authority mandates and Terms 

of Reference; 

•  controls ensuring separation of transaction 

approval and payment; 

•  regularly updated cyber security policies 

and protections;

•  a strong IT platform and business 

continuity arrangements; 

•  a rigorous human resource screening and 

on-boarding process; 

•  experienced and professionally qualified 

employees; and

•  regular risk and compliance updates. 

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

JTC is a global business that is well diversified 
across clients, services and geographies, with a 
proven track record of operational and financial 
resilience, having weathered many macro-
environmental challenges during our history. 
We are fortunate to have an extremely resilient 
business model with the following key features 
relevant to the current situation:

•  Highly visible recurring revenue not linked to 
AUA (c. 90% of revenue is recurring; average 
client lifespan of 10 years and negligible mid-
life attrition). To date, we have not seen any 
material impact on revenue from COVID-19.

•  Strong cash conversion. Highly cash 

generative business with a stable, capital 
light cost base and margins of c. 30% 
underlying EBITDA. Cash is used prudently 
to re-invest, facilitate inorganic growth and 
support our dividend policy. 

•  A robust balance sheet relative to our facility 

of £150m, with no debt falling due until 
2023. Headroom on leverage at year end was 
c. 50% of our banking covenant. 
•  Prudent debt levels. Leverage level 

maintained within the guidance range of 1.5x 
to 2.0x underlying EBITDA to net debt. 

•  Ability to deliver ‘business as usual’ service to 
clients under prolonged business continuity 
conditions. We are a people business enabled 
by technology. Our well-invested global 
platform, including our IT infrastructure, 
means that all employees globally are able to 
remote work seamlessly as required.

•  Experienced management team. We have 
a track record spanning 32 years and have 
demonstrated our resilience and ability to 
grow through several periods of substantial 
external change.

•  Shared ownership model. At JTC, every 
employee is an ‘owner’ of the business 
and we are privileged to have such a 
dedicated and talented workforce who have 
already demonstrated how committed 
they are to the interests of our clients and 
other stakeholders.

The Board is satisfied that there are no 
additional, specific risk disclosures which should 
be included in the 2019 year-end accounts 
and Annual Report, taking into account the 
particular nature of the Company and the way 
in which it may be impacted by COVID-19. 

 “ (Our) range of open-ended funds is valued 
daily and allows for daily dealing. The strict 
regulations around client money and the time 
critical nature of the delivery of valuations 
means that we have to be able to rely on our 
service providers to ensure a seamless and 
reliable service no matter what happens in 
the market. During the current COVID-19 
virus outbreak JTC, our fund administration 
and Transfer Agent partner, has enacted its 
Business Continuity model so that all staff are 
working remotely. We are pleased that the 
transition has been seamless but we wouldn’t 
expect anything less from professional team 
at JTC.” UK investment manager

E M E R G E N C Y   F U N D   –   C O V I D - 1 9 

At JTC our purpose extends beyond our 
service offering, it is playing our part in being 
responsible citizens and making a positive 
impact within the wider community.

As we are all acutely aware, the ongoing 
effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt in 
every corner of society, and in much the 
same way as our #StrongerTogether focus, 
it is absolutely right that we make our own 
contribution to the international charities that 
have specific programmes concentrating on the 
COVID-19 response. 

In support of this, the Group has decided to 
donate £100,000 to an emergency COVID-19 
fund, with JTC employees (on a one person, one 
vote basis) determining where the donations 
will be made. 

C O V I D - 1 9
The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve 
rapidly on a global basis and is a source of great 
concern and challenge for us all. The wellbeing 
of our people, clients and partners remains our 
top priority and we are following government 
advice in all the countries where we operate. 

In our immediate response, JTC has planned 
for an acute period of multiple months, 
spanning our entire footprint, and with a view 
of all stakeholders – not merely the more 
constrained circumstances that business 
continuity plans typically address. 

Our dedicated Business Continuity Planning 
team meet daily, led by the executive 
leadership team and supported by the global 
heads of our operations functions. In order to 
maintain clear focus during an unprecedented 
and fast-changing scenario, JTC has adopted 
three core principles to guide our actions:

WELLBEING – actions that will support and 
protect the wellbeing of our people, clients 
and partners.

SERVICE – actions that will ensure continued 
service excellence to our clients whilst 
minimising impact wherever possible.

COMMERCIAL – actions that will support all 
JTC stakeholders and minimise any long-term 
commercial impact to the Group.

As JTC’s COVID-19 Business Continuity 
Plan moves into its third month, our 
response continues to centre on normalising 
remote working measures for multi-month 
sustainability, with efforts remaining focused 
on limiting the impact on employees and 
clients and delivering continued strong 
business performance. 

JTC’s global teams have shown flexibility and 
commitment through their ability to move 
seamlessly to working remotely, with c. 95% 
of all staff working at expected (or above) 
levels of efficiency from their respective 
remote locations. 

The Board continues to liaise closely with 
the management team, legal advisers and 
corporate brokers to receive regular updates 
as to the status of the Company’s financial 
position and prospects and assess these 
updates prior to any decision making, stress-
testing JTC’s capabilities and financials, laying 
the groundwork for identifying long-term 
strategic implications and ensuring a smooth 
bridge between the present and future.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

R I S K S   A N D   U N C E R T A I N T I E S
C o n t i n u e d

LEVEL ONE
L E G A L

F I N A N C I A L

P O L I T I C A L / R E G U L A T O R Y

H U M A N   R E S O U R C E S

O P E R A T I O N A L

LEVEL TWO

•  Litigation/Contractual
•  Fiduciary

•  Performance of business
•  Earnings (FX)
•  Impairment
•  Financing
•  Cash flow

•  Listing Rules
•  Regulation
•  AML/CFT

•  Adequate resources
•  Retention
•  Key person

•  Client
•  Process
•  Business continuity 
•  Data security risk

S T R A T E G I C

•  Acquisition
•  Competitor
•  Strategy

R E P U T A T I O N A L

•  Regulatory sanction
•  Public litigation
•  Breaching sanctions
•  Implicating in money laundering or the financing 

of terrorism

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

MITIGATION

•  Robust policies, procedures and processes in operation within the Group 

(particularly risk escalation policy).

•  Qualified and experienced staff operating within a ‘six-eyes’ 

control parameter.

•  Utilisation of external counsel in all disputes where appropriate.
•  Substantial PII cover.

•  Maintaining an experienced in-house legal team.
•  Free legal helpline with two international law firms.
•  Prohibition against provision of legal, tax or investment advice to clients.
•  Continuous training programme.

•  Ongoing monthly reporting and KPIs that help monitor performance 

against performance assumptions and targets.

•  Robust annual business planning and budget process.
•  Active cash management process including matching of cash flows 

where possible.

•  Monitoring of FX rates.
•  Robust due diligence process in place prior to acquisitions 

being completed.

•  Regular impairment testing as per accounting rules.
•  Robust monitoring of loan covenants.

•  Retention of specialist advisers.
•  Suitably resourced, skilled and dedicated compliance teams operating 

independently in each jurisdiction.

•  Utilisation of NED expertise.
•  Product/jurisdictional diversification (reducing impact).
•  Horizon-scanning by boards and committees.
•  Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes in operation across  

the Group that align to the appropriate regulatory and AML/CFT regimes.

Independent monitoring programme in place.

•  Promoting a robust risk and compliance culture across the Group.
• 
•  The hiring of capable employees who undertake the key person roles 
(e.g. Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer).
•  Established and continuing professional development training and 

awareness initiatives.

•  Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes in operation within  

•  JTC encourages a strong management culture where talent management 

the Group that are specifically drafted for AML/CFT purposes.

and people development are a core focus.

•  The hiring of capable employees who undertake the key person roles  
(e.g. Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

•  Coverage of roles – certain roles have been identified as ‘key’ and a 
robust succession plan within current staff pool is being developed.

•  Frequent staff training/awareness initiatives.
•  JTC ensures that the remuneration package is competitive in the 

market-place and benchmarks against peer group.

•  Shared ownership ideology embedded across the business.

•  Ongoing vetting and monitoring of employees through annual appraisal 

and declaration process, and screening of all new employees.

•  JTC Academy provides technical, management and professional training 

providing a personal development programme for all staff.

•  Robust policy and procedures including at ‘take-on’ subject to regular 

review with appropriate escalation for higher risk clients.

•  Frequent staff training/awareness initiatives.
•  Established reporting and escalation processes with review by boards/

committees as appropriate.
Independent client and compliance monitoring review programme.

• 
•  Promoting a robust risk and compliance culture across the Group.
•  Ensuring quality administration and compliance resource in each 
jurisdiction plus internal legal counsel support as appropriate.

‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and controls model.

•  Well-established RFS process.
• 
•  Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes in operation within 
the Group that are specifically drafted for business continuity and IT 
security purposes.

•  An active/active dual datacentre model across two jurisdictions providing 
for inter-jurisdictional redundancy (e.g. through power or communication 
failure) and connected via four diverse and redundant network links to 
allow for synchronous replication.

•  Established and tested business continuity procedures.
•  Defined and audited IT procedures.
•  Regular external security assessments and penetration testing.
•  System access controls embracing ‘least privilege access’ model.
•  Dedicated in-house IT security expertise.
•  Continuous training, including compulsory online Security 

Awareness courses. 

•  Review of data security procedures and controls as part of the annual 

ISAE 3402 Report.

•  Robust acquisition due diligence process including third party assessments 

•  Early identification of forthcoming requirements in respect of digital 

by well-regarded accounting and legal firms.

•  Governance and challenge from Non-Executive Directors.
• 
• 

Integration strategy in place prior to acquisition.
Integration committees established to manage integration process.

business systems investment and established procedures for prioritising 
product innovation.

•  JTC Group strategy regularly reviewed and challenged by Group 

Holdings Board.

•  Strategically driven annual business planning process and performance 

based targets.

•  Comprehensive risk management capability including controls embedded 

•  Daily screening and monitoring of clients and related parties against 

within the procedural environment and active management of all litigation.

published databases and sanctions lists.

•  Prompt and effective communication with all stakeholders – regulators, 

•  Ongoing transaction monitoring.

shareholders, employees, clients and suppliers.

•  Strong and consistent enforcement and testing of controls on governance, 

business and legal compliance.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

P R I N C I P A L   A N D   E M E R G I N G   R I S K S   A N D   U N C E R T A I N T I E S

P R I N C I P A L   R I S K S   
A N D   U N C E R T A I N T I E S
The principal risks to which JTC is 
exposed are separately assessed 
and recorded on the Group 
Risk Register and Group Risk 
Assessment Matrix. The Chief Risk 
Officer reports to the Audit and 
Risk Committee, presenting the 
Group Risk Register and Group 
Risk Assessment Matrix and 
providing an assessment of the 
risk status based on the controls 
and mitigation.

The principal risks, their 
mitigation and the evolution 
of risk during the year are set 
out below. They are consistent 
with those reported in the IPO 
Prospectus, although they now 
include the potential impact of 
a disorderly Brexit.

1

2

PRINCIPAL  
RISK

Risk of a security breach including cyber 
attacks from destructive forces leading to 
loss of confidentiality and integrity of data

POTENTIAL  
CAUSES

•  Data exfiltration
•  Malware
•  Financial theft
•  Denial of service attacks
•  Cyber physical attacks
•  Network service failures
•  Employee error
•  Malicious employee intent 
•  Security breach of client data

Risk of the Group taking on the wrong 
type of clients, or the Group or the client’s 
actions during the client’s life-cycle leading 
to losses, failed strategic objectives, poor 
customer service and employee frustration 
and potentially enforcement, supervision or 
regulatory sanction 

Inadequate policies and procedures

• 
•  Failure to apply policies and 

follow procedures

•  Failure to follow codes of conduct 
•  Failure of managerial oversight
•  Failure to adequately train and 

develop employees

•  Failure promptly to identify and 

remediate identified issues

MITIGATION

•  Defined and audited IT procedures
•  Embedded, external security IT systems 

including ‘one-click’ reporting for 
suspicious activity and monitoring of 
external emails

•  Periodic external security assessments 

(at least annually)

•  Robust policies and procedures subject 
to regular review (including for client 
take-on)

•  Enhanced vetting and sign-off for higher 

risk clients

•  Frequent staff training/
awareness initiatives

•  System access controls embracing ‘least 

•  Established reporting and escalation 

privilege access’ model

•  Dedicated and qualified in-house IT 

security resource

•  Continuous training programme 

including annual compulsory online 
Security Awareness course

•  Review of data security procedures 

and controls as part of the annual ISAE 
3402 Report

•  Robust Business Continuity Planning

process with review by boards/
committees as appropriate
Independent client and compliance 
monitoring review programme

• 

•  Promotion of robust risk and compliance 

culture across the Group

•  Ensuring quality administration and 

compliance resource in each jurisdiction 
together with internal legal counsel 
support where necessary
•  Well-established RFS process
• 

‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and 
controls model 

IMPACT

Critical/medium risk

Medium/low risk

These topics are considered regularly so that we can adapt to changing market conditions or competition. 
This report should be read in conjunction with the Viability Statement on page 36.

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3

4

5

Risk that acquisitions fail to achieve intended 
objectives or give rise to ongoing or previously 
unidentified liabilities

Failure to attract, maintain and develop high 
calibre, experienced senior managers and 
employees in key roles in the business in order 
to achieve JTC’s strategic aims

Risk that legal or regulatory changes will 
materially impact the financial services sector 
and JTC’s business

Inadequate due diligence
• 
•  Economic misjudgement
•  Lack of strategic clarity
• 

Ineffective or delayed integration

•  Uncompetitive remuneration 
•  Unappealing working environment and 

inadequate support

•  Lack of adequate succession planning
•  Failure to invest in appropriate and timely 

talent development

•  Failure to identify roles most essential 

to delivering on strategic aims

•  Failure to identify the required skill-set 

• 

for key roles
Insufficient focus on attitude and 
motivation and alignment with JTC’s 
vision and values

•  Robust due diligence process including 

•  Ensuring competitive remuneration 

third party assessments by well-regarded 
accounting and legal firms and thorough 
review by in-house experienced 
acquisition team

•  Obtaining run-off insurance for minimum 

five year period

•  Governance and challenge from 

Non-Executive Directors (including by 
reference to proprietary Jurisdictional 
Strength Index)

•  Established and tested integration strategy 
and process in place prior to acquisition

package and proactive benchmarking 
against peer group and competitors

•  High quality and well-maintained 

office space

•  Supportive, friendly and inclusive 

working environment

•  Shared ownership ideology embedded 

across the business

•  Established management culture 
supporting staff development 
and recognition

•  Key roles identified and development 

of robust succession planning
•  Established in-house employee 

training for all levels of the business 
including bespoke senior management 
development programme

•  External professional qualifications 

encouraged and supported 
(including financially)

•  Geopolitical uncertainty (including Brexit)
•  Regional or global standards or 

requirements with disproportionate impact

•  Political reaction to wide-scale data leaks 
and associated negative press coverage 

•  Balancing increased transparency 

requirements against increased data 
protection legislation

•  Challenge and cost of measuring, 
monitoring and demonstrating 
good conduct as well as meeting 
new requirements

•  Keeping pace with rapid regulatory change 

and reporting requirements

•  Dedicated risk and compliance resource 
with the requisite skills to monitor and 
report on strategic outlook and the impact 
of change

•  Robust and sustainable regulatory change 

• 

management model
International presence offering alternative 
solutions across multiple jurisdictions 
(including within the EU)

•  Agile technology allowing for swift 

adoption and assured compliance with 
rapidly changing reporting requirements

•  Proven track record of navigating and 

maximising revenue growth opportunities 
from regulatory change

High/medium risk

High/low risk

High/medium risk

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period ending 31 December 2022. In making 
this statement the Directors have considered 
the current financial position of the Group 
and the resilience of the Group in the event of 
severe but reasonable scenarios. The modelling 
of these scenarios has taken into account the 
principal risks and their impact on the business 
model, future performance, solvency and 
liquidity over the period. On the basis that 
the Group has limited exposure to long-term 
financial commitments the Directors have 
determined that the three year period is an 
appropriate period over which to provide its 
Viability Statement.

V I A B I L I T Y   S T A T E M E N T 
Based on their assessment of prospects and 
viability above, the Directors confirm that they 
have a reasonable expectation that the Group 
will be able to continue in operation and meet 
its liabilities as they fall due over the three year 
period ending 31 December 2022.

S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

V I A B I L I T Y   S T A T E M E N T

As a result of this focus, detailed financial 
forecasts were also prepared for the three 
year period to 31 December 2022, so that two 
years and nine months remain at the time of 
approval of this year’s Annual Report. The first 
year of the financial forecasts form the Group’s 
operating budget and is subject to regular 
review throughout the year. The second and 
third years are in a reasonable level of detail, 
and are flexed based on the actual results in 
year one.

The key assumptions in the financial forecasts, 
reflecting the overall strategy, include:

•  8 – 10% annual organic growth year  

on year; and 

•  a target of 33 – 38% margin for the 

Group as a whole.

It has also been assumed that refinancing 
will be available on similar terms to those 
negotiated in 2019 to support any proposed 
expansion of the business.

These key assumptions are reflected in numbers 
1 to 5 of the Group’s Principal Risks, which are 
set out on pages 34 and 35. The purpose of the 
principal risks table is primarily to summarise 
those matters that could prevent the Group 
from delivering on its strategy. A number of 
other aspects of the principal risks – because 
of their nature or potential impact – could 
also threaten the Group’s ability to continue 
in business in its current form if they were 
to occur. This was considered as part of 
the assessment of the Group’s viability, as 
explained below.

G O I N G   C O N C E R N   B A S I S 
The Directors also considered it appropriate to 
prepare the financial statements on the going 
concern basis, as explained in the Basis of 
Preparation paragraph in note 2 to the financial 
statements on page 92.

V I A B I L I T Y   S T A T E M E N T   I N 
A C C O R D A N C E   W I T H 
P R O V I S I O N   C . 2 . 2   A S S E S S M E N T 
O F   V I A B I L I T Y 
The Directors have assessed the viability of 
the Group over a three year period, taking 
account of the Group’s current position 
and the potential impact of the principal 
risks documented in the Strategic Report. 
Based on this assessment, the Directors have a 
reasonable expectation that the Company will 
be able to continue in operation and meet its 
liabilities as they fall due over the three year 

A S S E S S M E N T   O F   P R O S P E C T S 
T H E   C O N T E X T   F O R   T H E 
A S S E S S M E N T   ( O F   P R O S P E C T S ) 
The Group’s business model and strategy are 
central to an understanding of its prospects, 
and details can be found on page 10. 
The nature of the Group’s activities is  
long-term and the business model is 
open-ended. The Group’s current overall 
strategy has been in place for several years, 
subject to the ongoing monitoring and 
development described below. 

The Board continues to take a conservative 
approach to the Group’s strategy in the core 
business and the focus is largely on cost control 
and operational efficiency. 

Decisions relating to major new projects and 
investments are made with a low appetite for 
risk and are subject to an escalating system 
of approvals, including short payback periods. 
Similar controls operate in relation to major 
new customer contracts.

The Group is well diversified with its two 
Divisions and three business lines with revenues 
deriving from multiple jurisdictions and clients. 
The Board continuously considers the changes 
in the risk profile of the Group and ensures 
that a thorough risk assessment is made when 
making any investment decisions. 

T H E   A S S E S S M E N T   P R O C E S S 
A N D   K E Y   A S S U M P T I O N S 
The Group’s prospects are assessed primarily 
through its strategic planning process. 
This process includes an annual review of the 
ongoing plan, led by the CEO and the Group 
Holdings Board which ensures that all relevant 
functions are involved. The Board participates 
fully in the annual process. Part of the Board’s 
role is to consider whether the plan continues 
to take appropriate account of the external 
environment including macroeconomic, 
political, social, technological, legal and 
regulatory changes.

The output of the annual review process is a set 
of objectives, an analysis of the risks that could 
prevent the plan being delivered, and a number 
of financial forecasts. The latest updates to the 
strategic plan were finalised in February 2020 
following this year’s review. This considered the 
Group’s current position and the development 
of the business as a whole over the next 
three years.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

T H E   J T C   E N V I R O N M E N T A L ,   S O C I A L   
A N D   G O V E R N A N C E   F R A M E W O R K

Read more on 
page 39  

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Read more on
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“ Our purpose is to help 
maximise the potential 
of every client, colleague 
and partner with whom 
we work.”

P U R P O S E   A N D   C U L T U R E 
A L I G N E D
At JTC we understand that the purpose of 
the business extends beyond economic 
value creation and is intimately linked to the 
culture, values and strategies of the Group. 
We operate in a complex international space 
and our services support capital flows, wealth 
creation and wealth preservation across the 

globe. We have a responsibility to conduct our 
business in a sustainable way, working within 
legal and regulatory frameworks that are 
constantly developing and evolving; respecting 
the natural environment and creating a positive 
impact within the communities where we live 
and work. 

E N V I R O N M E N T A L ,   S O C I A L   A N D 
G O V E R N A N C E   F R A M E W O R K
Our environmental, social and governance 
(ESG) framework has at its heart our culture 
of shared ownership, which was established in 
1998 and places the interests of the collective 
above that of any individual. The framework 
is further informed by our cultural values 
(see page 41) and our purpose, which is to 

help maximise the potential of every client, 
colleague and partner with whom we work. 

The principal items considered under each 
element of our ESG framework are those that 
we believe are both meaningful and material to 
the business. We work to continuously develop 
and improve our approach in all of these 
areas, creating clear links with our commercial 
strategies, engaging with our value chain 
and seeking to provide ever greater levels of 
measurement and disclosure. 

Oversight and governance of the ESG 
framework is led by the Board and embedded 
within the business through our cultural 
values, client-facing behaviours and reporting 
frameworks. We aim for continuous year on 
year improvement in all areas.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

E S G

S H A R E D   O W N E R S H I P   I S   A T   T H E   H E A R T   O F   O U R   C U L T U R E   A N D 
O U R   P U R P O S E   I S   T O   H E L P   M A X I M I S E   T H E   P O T E N T I A L   O F   E V E R Y 
C L I E N T ,   C O L L E A G U E   A N D   P A R T N E R   W I T H   W H O M   W E   W O R K .

ENVIRONMENTAL

COMPONENTS OF 
OUR FRAMEWORK

INTERNAL
•  Carbon emissions
•  Energy efficiency
•  Waste management 

Our strategies in these areas are 
focused on efforts to reduce energy 
usage, increase office efficiency 
and ensure compliance with 
environmental regulations.

EXTERNAL
•  Climate risk

We recognise that there are long-
term risks and opportunities for 
JTC associated with climate change 
and the transition to a low-carbon 
economy. Our strategies in this area 
include engagement with our value 
chain (including investors, clients and 
suppliers) and providing support to 
clients as they seek to adapt their 
own business models to become 
more sustainable. 

OUR RESPONSE AND CAPABILITIES

As a financial services firm our environmental impact is relatively small compared with other industries, but 
we recognise the importance of playing our part in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. 

None of the Company’s operations produce carbon emissions directly (Scope 1). However, we recognise that 
our operations produce carbon emissions indirectly (Scope 2 and 3 activities).

We are committed to minimising any negative environmental impact wherever practicable and in the best 
interests of all stakeholders. Such measures include:

•  a commitment to energy efficient office premises and measures including those that manage lighting, 

heating and IT/communications equipment;

•  a commitment to digital document management to reduce paper consumption;
•  a commitment to minimise all non-essential travel, in particular air travel, and the use of alternative 
technologies, such as telephone and video conferencing for both internal and external applications;

•  a commitment to minimise the use of disposable/single use plastics, including the Group-wide adoption 
of glass and ceramic glasses, bottles, cups, plates and bowls for food and beverage consumption; and

•  a commitment to purchase all paper stationery from responsible suppliers that are committed to 

sustainable source materials i.e. those that adhere to the www.fsc.org ‘paper from responsible sources’ and 
the Rainforest Alliance standards.

We are working to better measure our Scope 2 and 3 carbon emissions so that we can actively reduce them 
as far as possible and also seek to find ways to responsibly offset those emissions that we cannot currently 
eliminate from our operations. As part of this work we are exploring the requirements to achieve certain 
relevant environmental standards such as ISO 14001 and ESI Monitor. 

In addition, we are actively examining a number of frameworks and standards as they might relate to our 
business and stakeholders, these include the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reporting 
frameworks developed by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the 
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

NES Financial (NESF), which was acquired post period end, has expertise and technology that can be 
leveraged in impact and socially responsible investing globally. These solutions have been designed for fund 
managers focused on impact investing and can help clients of our ICS Division globally to emphasise, and 
improve capital allocation towards and provide transparency of, investment impact and compliance. NESF’s 
solutions are closely integrated with Howard W. Buffett, President of Global Impact, professor at Columbia 
University and creator of the impact rate of return (iRR®) algorithm. When combined with iRR® reporting, 
NESF technology helps organisations calculate how efficient their financial investments are in terms of 
accomplishing social, environmental and economic (including job creation) impact goals.

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S T R A T E G I C   R E P O R T

SOCIAL

COMPONENTS OF 
OUR FRAMEWORK

SHARED OWNERSHIP

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
RECRUITMENT
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS 
JTC ACADEMY
JTC GATEWAY
JTC WELLBEING

EMPLOYEE TURNOVER RATE

OUR RESPONSE AND CAPABILITIES

The foundation of JTC’s culture is ‘shared ownership’ and this has been in place for over 20 years and is a key 
differentiator in attracting and retaining talent. Further details can be found in our IPO prospectus (pp37, 38, 
51, 54, 114) and our 2018 Annual Report (pp11, 16, 17, 35 – 43).

www.jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/prospectus/ 

www.jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/annual-review/ 

In addition, the JTC shared ownership ‘story’ has recently been made the subject of a Harvard Business 
School (HBS) case study: www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=56820 

We understand that our people are a fundamental source of differentiation and employee engagement is 
afforded the highest priority within the Group. 

Finding and attracting the best talent is managed through a structured approach to recruitment on a global 
basis through a strategic Human Resources team that is headquartered in Jersey, but has representatives 
in other JTC offices globally. This includes a dedicated role of Recruitment Manager. JTC conducts regular 
benchmarking of remuneration and benefits packages globally, in order to remain competitive within the 
labour markets where it operates. An overview of our approach can be found on the ‘Careers’ section of our 
website: www.jtcgroup.com/careers/ 

We use a wide variety of employee communication methods to share information about the business and 
the markets in which we operate. This includes communication of the Group’s purpose, cultural values, 
commercial goals and strategies, performance updates and market news. Read more on page 45.

JTC operates three specific global programmes as part of its wider employee engagement strategy and in 
support of both recruitment and retention goals. These are:

•  JTC Academy – our global learning and development programme (read more on page 44);
•  JTC Gateway – our global talent mobility programme (read more on page 44); and
•  JTC Wellbeing – our employee wellness (physical and mental good health) programme (read more on 

page 44).

Our employee turnover rate is one of eight key performance indicators (KPIs) used by the Board to measure 
the performance of the Group. We define staff turnover as the number of staff who leave each year that we 
did not want to leave and we target 10% or less per year. Staff turnover is important because we deliver a 
high touch service to clients and maintaining continuity of staff helps to ensure that we are able to meet 
client needs. Staff retention is also important for our meritocratic internal talent development programmes 
and succession planning. Staff turnover in 2019 was 9.7%. It is challenging to find benchmarks for a 
global business of our type, but we believe that turnover rates in the region of 15 – 20% are more typical. 
Read more on page 27.

HUMAN RIGHTS, DIVERSITY 
AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

JTC has defined policies covering:

•  modern anti-slavery and human trafficking www.jtcgroup.com/modern-anti-slavery-and-human-

trafficking-statement/;

•  equal opportunities www.jtcgroup.com/careers/equal-opportunities/;
•  dignity at work; and 
•  social media (inappropriate use/content, business and personal).

HEALTH AND SAFETY

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

JTC has a defined Health and Safety Policy (and numerous related policies) that are detailed in the Employee 
Handbook and are introduced during a new employee’s induction to the Company as well as being reviewed 
and revised on a regular basis.

We value and respect the communities in which we operate around the world and understand the support 
they provide to our employees, clients and intermediary partners. We seek to create a positive impact 
wherever we operate, creating opportunities for employment and giving back through charitable donations 
of time, expertise and money. 

Read more on pages 45 – 47.

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E S G
C o n t i n u e d

GOVERNANCE

COMPONENTS OF 
OUR FRAMEWORK

OUR RESPONSE AND CAPABILITIES

PURPOSE, CULTURE AND ETHICS JTC’s purpose and culture are based on shared ownership and supported by eight defined ‘Guiding Principals’ 

that are intended to clearly define the Company’s cultural values and in turn drive ethical behaviours 
throughout the organisation. Read more on pages 6, 41 and 50. 

BOARD COMPOSITION 
AND EFFECTIVENESS 

Full details are provided on pages 54 – 65

Additional relevant detail, including the Terms of Reference of the various PLC Board Committees, are also 
available on our website: www.jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/corporate-governance/

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 

We engage on an ongoing basis with a wide range of stakeholders, including: clients, employees, 
investors, intermediaries, regulators, government bodies, industry associations and charities.  
Read more on pages 60 – 63

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Full details are provided in the report of the Remuneration Committee on pages 74 – 85

In addition to executive compensation, JTC’s wider shared ownership culture and programmes are central to 
aligning the interests of our people with the interests of our stakeholders. As of 31 December 2019 c. 23% of 
the issued share capital of the Group was owned by employees, either directly or through the JTC EBTs. 

JTC’s shared ownership model also became the subject of a Harvard Business School MBA case study 
www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=56820

SUCCESSION

The Board’s Executive Succession Plan is based on JTC’s shared ownership culture and places particular 
emphasis on meritocratic succession from within the business. Read more on pages 50 – 51 

AUDIT & RISK, INCLUDING 
ETHICS RISKS

Full details are provided in the report of the Audit & Risk Committee on pages 70 – 73 and the Risk 
Management section of the Strategic Report on pages 28 to 35

DATA MANAGEMENT 
AND SECURITY

JTC operates a robust framework and control environment with regards to data management and security, 
which governs its systems, processes and people.

JTC has defined policies in several related areas, details of which are provided in the Employee Handbook. 
These include:

•  Confidentiality
•  Disclosure of client and Group information
•  Data protection
•  Intellectual property and ownership
•  Information Technology 
•  Use of personal mobile communications devices
•  Use of social media
•  Clear desk policy
•  Physical office security and access

The JTC privacy notice is publicly available on our website: www.jtcgroup.com/privacy-notice/ 

Data accuracy is ensured through a combination of: 

•  The hiring and promotion of experienced and qualified professionals into relevant roles within the business
•  Ongoing training and performance management 
•  Well-defined and proven business processes
•  Least privilege access model for systems
•  Reporting and remediation protocols
•  System (IT) design

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GOVERNANCE

COMPONENTS OF 
OUR FRAMEWORK

OUR RESPONSE AND CAPABILITIES

Global and role specific training is provided in these areas and this includes mandatory training 
for all employees in the areas of IT security and GDPR awareness within the first two weeks of 
commencing employment.

JTC’s control environment is tested internally through ongoing IT testing and compliance monitoring 
programmes and also subject to a rigorous independent audit conducted by PwC, which annually carried 
out an ISAE 3402 controls audit assessment. 

In terms of data systems, JTC runs an active/active dual datacentre model across the Channel Islands, 
with one datacentre in Jersey and another in Guernsey; this provides inter island redundancy should either 
datacentre suffer power or communication failure. The datacentres are connected via four diverse and 
redundant network links to allow for synchronous replication.

A   U N I Q U E   C U L T U R E   B A S E D
O N   S H A R E D   O W N E R S H I P

Our culture is based on the principle of shared ownership and is brought to life through our internal cultural values, which 
in turn drive our external client facing behaviours. These are supported by three constantly evolving programmes that are 
available to all employees globally. JTC Academy delivers lifelong learning and development opportunities. JTC Gateway 
enables and encourages talent mobility between our global network of offices. JTC Wellbeing supports all our people in 
attaining optimum physical, emotional and mental good health.

T C   A C A D E M Y

J

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W

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R E S P O N S I B L E   B U S I N E S S
C o n t i n u e d

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1. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY 
OFFICE PREMISES
As of the end of 2019, seven of our larger 
offices were built to environmental 
standards that focus on optimising 
energy consumption, health and safety 
and sustainability. These standards 
include: BREEAM (Jersey and London), 
LEED (Cayman), ISO 14001 and OHSAS 
18001 (Dubai), British Standards Codes of 
Practice (Isle of Man), Energy Star (Miami) 
and CCPOA (Cape Town). More than 500 
employees are based in these offices and 
we plan further upgrades to premises in 
2020 and beyond. 

2. CARBON FROM BUSINESS 
AIR TRAVEL
In 2019 we worked with our global travel 
booking partner to establish monthly 
reporting on the carbon emissions from 
business-related air travel. We will use this 
information to understand the baseline 
for these Scope 3 emissions and put in 
place strategies and targets to manage 
and minimise such emissions, including 
the responsible offsetting of emissions 
that cannot be avoided. We already have 
in place a rigorous process to define 
and justify all travel requests and are 
committed to using alternatives to air 
travel, such a video conferencing, where 
it makes sense to do so.

3. REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES
The health benefits of being hydrated 
are well known, including positively 
supporting brain function and energy 
levels; helping to regulate body 
temperature and supporting digestion 
and healthy blood pressure. Equally, the 
negative environmental impact of single 
use plastics are also well known, so in 
2019 we tackled both these areas by 
providing all employees globally with 
durable and safe JTC drinking bottles and 
in the process we have promoted and 
encouraged healthy hydration habits and 
significantly reduced the use of single use 
plastics in our offices. 

E M P L OY E E S B A S E D  I N  AC C R E D I T E D   O F F I C E S

56%

AV E R AG E   M O N T H LY   C O 2 E M I S S I O N S F R O M A I R   
T R AV E L  S I N C E  R E P O R T I N G B E G A N

23.3 tonnes

C A PAC I T Y  O F  E AC H  B OT T L E

800ml

1. 

3. 

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4. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 
CASE STUDY

We were honoured to be selected by 
Professor Ethan Bernstein of Harvard 
Business School as the subject of a case 
study for the full-time MBA programme, 
detailing the features and successes of 
JTC’s shared ownership model since its 
inception in 1998. This world class, yet 
unsolicited recognition of our core cultural 
philosophy is testament to an unwavering 
belief that aligning the interests of 
our people and the Company with the 
interests of our other stakeholders is 
a powerful and effective way to build 
a successful, sustainable and growth 
orientated organisation. 

5. CORONAVIRUS EMPLOYEE 
ENGAGEMENT 

The power and effectiveness of our 
internal communications has been 
highlighted post period end in dealing with 
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With almost all 900 employees working 
remotely for a prolonged period of 
time, our internal communications have 
been as essential part of keeping our 
people safe and the business running 
without disruption.

2 019

6. IMPACT INVESTING SOLUTIONS 
FOR ICS DIVISION CLIENTS 
NESF, which was acquired post period 
end, has expertise and technology 
that can be leveraged in impact and 
socially responsible investing globally. 
These solutions have been designed 
for fund managers focused on impact 
investing and can help clients to 
emphasise, improve capital allocation 
towards and provide transparency of, 
investment impact and compliance. 
NESF’s solutions are closely integrated 
with Howard W. Buffett, President of 
Global Impact, professor at Columbia 
University and creator of the impact rate 
of return (iRR®) algorithm. 

M B A  S T U D E N T S W H O S T U D I E D   T H E   C A S E   I N 
I T S I N AU G U R A L  T E AC H I N G

130

4 . 

P E O P L E  R E M OT E WO R K I N G

S I Z E  O F  G L O B A L I M PAC T I N V E S T I N G M A R K E T

875+

6. 

US$502bn

HOWARD W. BUFFET,
PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL IMPACT

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7. JTC ACADEMY

We want everyone, wherever they work 
in the JTC network, to be able to develop 
the skills and knowledge that they need to 
be excellent in our world and we deliver 
this to our team through the JTC Academy. 
In its purest form, JTC Academy is there to 
help our people maximise and reach their 
full potential. 

8. JTC WELLBEING
JTC Wellbeing supports all our people in 
attaining optimum physical, emotional 
and mental good health. The Wellbeing 
programme and app were used to 
deliver advice and support on a range 
of wellbeing topics including nutrition, 
fitness, stress management and mental 
health awareness. 

9. JTC GATEWAY
JTC Gateway offers our people the 
opportunity to develop their careers by 
working in Group locations around the 
world. It is a key element of our employee 
proposition which aims to support 
personal and professional growth as well 
as attract and retain talent. 

E M P L OY E E S W H O U N D E R TO O K 
P R O F E S S I O N A L O R OT H E R  Q UA L I F I C AT I O N S

W E L L B E I N G  C O N T E N T U P DAT E S

G AT E WAY  P L AC E M E N T S

350

7. 

365

14
“Gateway builds 
confidence. I have learnt 
so much about myself and 
my strengths as part of 
this journey.”

9. 

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10. EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS
We are a people business and encourage 
open communication and the cascade 
of information in person on a regular 
basis. Team meetings are used across the 
business and are supported by a suite of 
clearly signposted internal emails as well 
as our well-developed intranet, JTC Joogle.

11. EMPLOYEE PROMOTIONS

At JTC we encourage and celebrate the 
meritocratic progression of our people. 
During the year 116 people were promoted 
across the Group with 62 people achieving 
management grades and 15 reaching 
Director level or above. 

12. CHARITABLE GIVING
While we also donate expertise and time 
to charities in the communities where 
we live and work, we understand that for 
many charities funding is the most useful 
thing we can give. Our employee-led 
approach has raised funds for charities in 
all 19 jurisdictions where we operate. 

2 019

J TC J O O G L E A R T I C L E S 
P U B L I S H E D

264

10. 

S TA F F P R O M OT E D  AC RO S S T H E G R O U P

D O N AT E D  TO  C H A R I T I E S

116

11.

£103k

12.

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13. JERSEY SPORT RELIEF
Twenty of our Senior Management team in 
Jersey, London, Isle of Man and Guernsey 
dressed up in costume for the annual UK 
fundraising event, Sport Relief, and raised 
over £2,200 within the four offices.

14. EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP

Members of our Cayman office, along 
with hundreds of other local volunteers, 
collected trash from the beaches and 
streets in Grand Cayman.

15. CAPE TOWN RETIREMENT 
HOME VISIT

Employees from the Cape Town 
office visited a local retirement home, 
where they provided company for the 
residents, enjoyed a delicious afternoon 
tea with them and provided some 
musical entertainment. 

13 March

13. 

25 April

14. 

29 May

15. 

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18. DUBAI RUN FOR  
UAE NATIONAL DAY

Members of our JTC Dubai team, who 
joined the Group in 2018 as part of the 
Minerva acquisition, ran for charity to 
celebrate UAE National Day.

16. FOOTBALL FOR AFRICA

17. ISLE OF MAN ‘BEACH BUDDIES’ 

An annual event that raises money for 
the Jersey 2 Africa 4 Football Foundation, 
a Jersey-based non-profit organisation 
whose mission is dedicated to improving 
young lives in Africa both on and off the 
football field. 

Our Isle of Man office undertook a big 
beach clean in partnership with the 
award winning charity Beach Buddies. 
JTC also donated a huge bin which will 
be added to those already placed at key 
access points around the Isle’s shoreline, 
encouraging people to dispose of their 
litter responsibly.

30 September

25 October

29 November

16. 

18. 

17. 

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

50  Chairman’s Introduction
54  Board of Directors
56  Executive Team
66  Nomination Committee
70  Audit and Risk Committee
74  Remuneration Committee
86  Directors’ Report
89  Directors’ Responsibility Statement

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C H A I R M A N ’ S   I N T R O D U C T I O N

D R I V I N G   P E R F O R M A N C E   
T H R O U G H   C U L T U R E

“ As a specialist provider of 
outsourced administration 
services, including corporate 
governance and company 
secretarial services, JTC is 
committed to achieving the 
highest levels of corporate 
governance.” 

M I K E   L I S T O N ,   O B E
N O N - E X E C U T I V E   C H A I R M A N

D E A R   S H A R E H O L D E R 
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present 
JTC’s Corporate Governance Report for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2019.

C O V I D - 1 9
Please refer to page 31 for the Board’s 
statements with regard to COVID-19.

G O V E R N A N C E
The 2018 revision of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code came in to force this 
year and in reaffirming our commitment to 
compliance with it, the Board examined how 
the Code’s new emphases should influence its 
work. We find particular relevance for JTC in 
the new Code’s increased focus on corporate 
culture, succession, diversity and workforce and 
stakeholder interests. 

In its introduction to the 2018 Code the 
Financial Reporting Council states: “This 
Code places emphasis on businesses building 
trust by forging strong relationships with 
key stakeholders.” These are the very same 
principles upon which this Company has been 
built and which define its success in the trust, 
fund and corporate services industry.

JTC’s business is the provision of governance 
services to institutions and individuals in the 
highly regulated, international financial services 
sector. Compliance is both a core competence 
and a core value in this Company and your 
Board inherited a solid platform of business 
controls and risk management systems which 
have readily satisfied the additional demands 
of the listed environment. Whereas the Board’s 
scrutiny in these areas remains an ongoing 
priority, the Board attaches equal importance 
to corporate culture. 

C U L T U R E   –   L E A D I N G 
B Y   E X A M P L E
JTC’s culture of enterprise, integrity and shared 
ownership has been rewarded with consistently 
high growth throughout the company’s three-
decade history. Seeded by founder’s belief and 
sustained by his and later Institutional private 
equity, JTC’s culture still distinguishes the 
Company among its peers. Continuity of that 
culture in public ownership is a high priority for 
the Board.

We believe that JTC’s capabilities in strategic 
leadership, entrepreneurial agility and 
performance management strengths can 
powerfully complement the customary 

PLC focus on structured risk management, 
leadership succession and the protection of 
interests across a disparate investor base. 
We have acted to strengthen cognitive diversity 
on your Board, with new appointments 
specifically aligned to its strategic objectives. 

Wendy Holley is a distinguished financial 
services operations professional and her 
experience as JTC’s Chief Operating Officer 
and her appointment to the Board reflect our 
drive for organic growth through operational 
efficiency and talent development. 

The appointment in November of Dr. 
Erika Schraner as Non-Executive Director 
strengthens our strategic capability to create 
value from inorganic growth and digital 
innovation. Erika’s Fortune 500 executive 
experience in technology and M&A has been 
of immediate value in the Board’s advanced 
evaluation of acquisition opportunities, 
particularly in the US and her Silicon 
Valley and “Big Four” professional services 
background will be of lasting benefit in our 
oversight of JTC’s cyber security and digital 
transformation programmes. 

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S U C C E S S I O N   A N D   M E A N I N G F U L 
S T A K E H O L D E R   E N G A G E M E N T 
Our work on corporate culture has greatly 
assisted our planning for executive succession. 
In contemplating the attributes we should 
look for in the Company’s future leaders we 
have sought the views of key stakeholders, 
most particularly the workforce, previous and 
present shareholders. Harvard Business School 
also provided valuable insight from its MBA 
onsite case study amongst JTC’s people, which, 
now complete, features JTC as an exemplar 
of enlightened employee engagement, 
emphasising its shared ownership philosophy.

Predictably, stakeholder feedback cited deep 
industry experience with technical knowledge 
and entrepreneurial flair as important 
leadership attributes, but most notable was the 
exceptional emphasis on cultural and moral 
leadership as the key qualities behind JTC’s 
all-round success. These are powerful attributes 
in a trust based fiduciary services business, 
especially in an age of high expectations for 
corporate social purpose and ethical behaviour. 
Sustaining them is a key objective in the 
Executive Succession Plan approved recently 
by your Board to smooth transition to its next 
generation of leaders. 

UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE 
COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
Compliance with the 2018 UK Corporate 
Governance Code (the “Code”). 

In respect of the year ended 31 December 
2019, JTC was subject to the 2018 Code 
(available from www.frc.org.uk). The Board 
is pleased to confirm that JTC applied the 
principles and complied with all of the 
provisions of the Code throughout the year, 
except that the Chair of the Board was a 
member of the Audit and RIsk Committee. 
The Board nevertheless considers the 
composition of the Committee to be 
appropriate given the Committee’s 
activities and focus, and having regard to 
the relevant experience and background 
of Mr Liston. In applying the principle 
of the Code, the Board considers the 
independence and effectiveness of the 
Committee in discharging its functions in 
terms of the Code continue to be enhanced 
and not in the least compromised by Mr. 
Liston’s appointment.

We have laid out this Corporate 
Governance Report using the Code 
as a framework for articulating the 
Board’s activities this period and also 
to frame our focus for the coming year. 
Further information on compliance with the 
Code can be found as follows:

Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules 
We comply with the corporate governance 
statement requirements pursuant to 
the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules by virtue of the 
information included in this Governance 
section of the Annual Report together with 
information contained in the Information 
for shareholders section on page 86.

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C H A I R M A N ’ S   I N T R O D U C T I O N
C o n t i n u e d

B O A R D   G O V E R N A N C E   F R A M E W O R K

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JTC PLC

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE

NOMINATION 
COMMITTEE

AUDIT AND RISK 
COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF JTC GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

REMUNERATION 
GROUP 
COMMITTEE
REMUNERATION

BANKING AND 
TREASURY

GROUP AND RISK 
COMPLIANCE

INVESTMENT 
COMMITTEE

GROUP  
DEVELOPMENT 
COMMITTEE

PCS EXECUTIVE 
COMMITTEE

ICS EXECUTIVE 
COMMITTEE

REGULATED SUBSIDIARIES’ BOARDS
THE LIST OF REGULATED OR AUTHORISED SUBSIDIARIES MAY BE VIEWED AT  
JTCGROUP.COM/LEGAL-AND-REGULATORY

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A N N U A L   G E N E R A L   M E E T I N G
The Board values the opportunity to engage 
with shareholders who, under normal 
circumstances, are very welcome to attend 
the AGM in person, but at present the health 
of the Company’s shareholders, employees 
and officers is paramount. In light of the 
current Government measures to reduce the 
transmission of COVID-19, and specifically the 
avoidance of public gatherings, shareholders are 
advised not to attend the AGM. If the measures 
continue to be similar or even more restrictive 
then shareholders (other than those specifically 
required to form the quorum for the AGM) will 
be refused entry to the AGM. 

Shareholders may submit any questions 
to the Board before the AGM and answers 
will be placed on the Company’s website. 
Shareholders should submit questions up until 
5pm on 22 May 2020 by emailing them to the 
Company Secretary at agm@jtcgroup.com.

The Board urges all shareholders to appoint 
a proxy in order to vote on the matters being 
considered at the AGM. 

I am grateful to all of our shareholders for their 
support in the year.

MIKE LISTON, OBE 
NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN 
21 April 2020

The Board’s Executive Succession Plan builds 
on JTC’s recent leadership development 
initiatives such as its management programme 
‘Leadership in Our Name’ (LION) which 
specifically embraces the talent from within the 
organisation supplemented by our acquisitions. 
More importantly, the ‘Ownership for All’ 
scheme, ensuring every employee has an 
equity interest in the business which currently 
amounts to c. 24% of the issued share capital, 
remains a key differentiator and strategy for 
attracting and retaining excellent people, and 
underpins our belief in responsible capitalism. 

Resilience in the Company’s leadership 
structure has been enhanced by the recent 
addition of new corporate functions and 
managerial de-centralisation has empowered 
a new cohort of divisional executives, whilst at 
the same time integrating them in the Group’s 
executive operating Board. Bolstering the 
‘bench strength’ of the senior executive team 
not only supports execution of our strategy for 
growth through M&A and organic performance 
improvement, but also maximises the prospect 
of executive succession from within the 
expanding ranks of talent across the Company. 
Only two of the Group’s top 10 executives have 
been in post for more than 10 years.

JTC’s overall philosophy of ‘Evolution not 
Revolution’ is particularly important in 
the leadership context and is illustrated 
reassuringly by the diversity of ages, 
nationalities, professional backgrounds and 
tenure in management.

S T R A T E G I C   D I R E C T I O N
Our strategy for value creation in the current 
phase of the Company’s evolution is to exploit 
the multitude of favourable macroeconomic 
conditions for both organic and acquired 
growth. The availability of low cost capital to 
accelerate growth by acquisition coincides with 
profound structural change as the rigour and 
complexity of new, pan-national regulatory 
policies force consolidation in our fragmented 
industry. Those same regulatory forces are 
driving organic growth in a global shift to 
outsourcing by the fund management industry 
to specialist administration providers like 
JTC, who are better able to manage the risks 
and costs of compliance. This is particularly 
pronounced in the alternative asset space, 
notably in the US, which plays to JTC’s long 

experience of servicing Private Equity and 
Real Estate asset classes, alongside a holistic 
approach to protecting and nurturing private 
capital in real estate, financial and non-financial 
assets across countries and generations for our 
private clients.

Transformation of the regulatory landscape 
is occurring against a backdrop of forecast 
doubling of Global Assets under Management 
in the decade to 2025 with private wealth also 
growing strongly. North America and Asia-
Pacific lead this growth and whilst we expect 
to further increase our presence in the US and 
Europe, we are more cautious in Asia where 
our existing footprint is sufficiently flexible to 
respond quickly when the take-up of structured 
wealth management accelerates in that market. 
In the meantime, your Board is well served by 
management’s continuous strategic analyses 
of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends, 
jurisdictional risk and attractiveness, as we 
allocate capital for long-term returns. 

Even though our strong cash flows mitigate the 
customary risks of leverage we aim to limit it to 
around two times EBITDA. Our conservation of 
capital is further assisted by our expectations 
for management re-investment and challenging 
earn-out hurdles in our acquisitions, together 
with our belief in the incentive alignment 
benefits of stock deals. 

Our appetite for acquisitions remains sensitive 
to market dynamics such as competition 
from Private Equity which is driving price 
expectations in some markets and we have 
ultimately walked away from some larger 
opportunities where others seemed less 
concerned with durable value accretion. 
Our focus remains on deals which add scale 
and/or provide superior synergy benefits and 
cross-selling opportunities. We are however 
alert to transformational opportunities where 
our access to equity capital can be viewed 
as advantageous.

P U R P O S E
Our purpose is to help maximise the potential 
of every client, colleague and partner with 
whom we work. JTC’s values and ethical 
credentials have for decades made it a natural 
choice for socially responsible clients who 
seek positive social and environmental change 
amongst their wealth creation objectives. 

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B O A R D   O F   D I R E C T O R S

T H E   R I G H T   S K I L L S   A N D   E X P E R I E N C E   
T O   D E L I V E R   O U R   S T R A T E G Y

Mike Liston, OBE
Non-Executive Chairman

Nigel Le Quesne
Chief Executive Officer

Martin Fotheringham
Chief Financial Officer

Appointment to Board

8 March 2018

12 January 2018

12 January 2018 

Committee membership

Experience

Relevant skills

External appointments

(Joined the Group in 1991)

(Joined the Group in 2015)

Not applicable

Not applicable

Key figure in the development of 
JTC over the last 29 years with 
extensive trust, fund and corporate 
administration experience.

Chartered Accountant with 
extensive management and 
corporate finance experience.

Extensive experience in leadership 
and management

Commercial, strategic, 
communication and investor 
relations skills

Experience of financial markets and 
fund management

Strong financial analysis skills

Extensive experience in financial 
management and reporting

Broad range of 
management experience

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Nomination 

Audit and Risk 

Remuneration 

Extensive experience across public 
and private sector businesses. 
Chief Executive of Jersey Electricity 
plc between 1993 and 2008, 
subsequently holding a number of 
non-executive roles.

Broad range of experience at board 
level, including eight years relevant 
industry experience

Non-Executive Director and 
Chairman of the Audit Committee 
of Foresight Solar & Technology 
VCT Plc. Non-Executive Director 
of Foresight European Solar Fund 
GP Limited

D I R E C T O R   E F F E C T I V E N E S S

The Board meets regularly during the year 
as well as on an ad hoc basis, as required by 
business needs. The Board met seven times 
during the year and member attendance for 
each meeting held during the year is shown in 
the table opposite.

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

Wendy Holley
Chief Operating Officer

Dermot Mathias
Independent Senior  
Non-Executive Director

Michael Gray
Independent  
Non-Executive Director

Erika Schraner
Independent  
Non-Executive Director

19 July 2019 

8 March 2018

8 March 2018

18 November 2019

(Joined the Group in 2008)

Not applicable

Nomination 

Nomination (Chairman)

Audit and Risk (Chairman)

Audit and Risk 

Remuneration

Remuneration (Chairman)

Over 25 years’ experience in 
financial services operations and HR.

Chartered Accountant with 
extensive management, corporate 
finance and NED experience.

FCIBS, Fellow AMCT, Dip IoD. 
20 years, senior management, 
financial and capital raising expertise 
and relevant experience.

Nomination 

Audit and Risk 

Remuneration

Executive at IBM Corp. 
and Symantec Corp. Partner and 
Americas Operational Transaction 
Services leader (Tech Sector) at 
Ernst & Young (US). Partner, UK 
M&A Integration Leader & TMT 
M&A Advisory/Delivering Deal Value 
Leader at PwC LLP, London.

Chartered FCIPD, MIAB

Strong financial skills

Broad range of management, project 
and business integration experience

Extensive experience in leadership 
and management

Extensive experience in the 
banking sector

Communication and 
management skills

PhD in Management Science & 
Engineering

Extensive information technology 
and M&A experience

Not applicable.

Non-Executive Director and 
Chairman of the Audit Committee 
of Shaftesbury PLC. Governor of 
Activate Learning.

Non-Executive Director 
Jersey Finance Limited. Non-
Executive Director, member of 
the Audit Committee of GCP 
Infrastructure Investments Limited. 
Director of MMG Consulting 
Limited. Director J-Star Jersey 
Company Limited.

Non-Executive Director, Chair 
of the Audit Committee and a 
member of the Remuneration and 
Nomination Committees of Amino 
Technologies PLC.

M E E T I N G   A T T E N D A N C E

The following table shows the attendance of 
Directors at scheduled Board and ad hoc Board 
meetings during the year:

1. 

The maximum number of meetings that a member was 

eligible to attend.

2.  Mr Gray was unable to attend the 25 November 2019 

Board meeting due to an unavoidable prior commitment, 

but provided his feedback on the papers in advance. 

3. 

4. 

 Appointed to the Board on 18 November 2019.

Appointed to the Board on 19 July 2019. 

Member

Member 
since

Maximum 
no. of 
meetings(1)

No. of 
meetings 
attended

% of 
meetings 
attended

Mike  

Liston

Nigel Le 
Quesne

Martin 
Fotheringham

March
 2018

January
 2018

January
2018

Dermot 
Mathias

March
2018

Michael

Erika

Gray(2)

Schraner(3)

March
2018

November
 2019

Wendy
Holley(4)

July
2019

7

7

7

7

7

7

7

7

7

6

1

1

3

3

100%

100%

100%

100%

86%

100%

100%

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E X E C U T I V E   T E A M

A N   E X P E R I E N C E D   A N D   
H I G H L Y   C A P A B L E   T E A M

Nigel Le Quesne
Chief Executive Officer

Martin Fotheringham
Chief Financial Officer

Wendy Holley
Chief Operating Officer

Iain Johns
Group Head of PCS

Jonathan Jennings
Group Head of ICS

William Byrne
Chief Risk Officer

Matthias Belz
Head of JTC Private Office

Dean Blackburn
Chief Commercial Officer

Kobus Cronje
ICS Global Head of Operations

Zoe Dixon-Smith
Group Director – Risk & Compliance

Carol Graham
Group Director Human Resources

Becky Henwood-Darts
Group Finance Director

Adam Jeffries
Chief Information Officer

Miranda Lansdowne
Company Secretary

Michelle Le Herissier
Managing Director – South Dakota

Tracey MacFarlane
Head of Operations

Emilio Miguel
Regional Head – Americas

Wouter Plantenga
ICS Head of Group Client Services

David Vieira
Chief Communications Officer

Paul Weir
Head of Private Client Services – 
Channel Islands

F O R   M O R E 
I N F O R M A T I O N ,   
V I S I T   U S   A T 
J T C G R O U P . C O M

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

B O A R D   C O M P O S I T I O N   A N D   R O L E S
As at 31 December 2019, our Board comprised 
the Chairman, three Non-Executive Directors 
and three Executive Directors. The details 
of their career background, relevant skills, 
Committee membership, tenure and external 
appointments can be found within their 
individual biographies on pages 54 and 55. 

Further detail on the role of the Chair and 
members of the Board can be found below. 

The composition and effectiveness of the Board 
is subject to regular review by the Nomination 
Committee which, in particular, considers the 
balance of skills, experience and independence 
of the Board, in accordance with the Board 
Diversity Policy. 

Any new appointments to the Board result 
from a formal, rigorous and transparent 
procedure, responsibility for which is delegated 
to the Nomination Committee (although 
decisions on appointments are a matter 
reserved to the Board). Further information on 
the work of the Nomination Committee can be 
found on pages 66 to 68.

R O L E S

R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S

Chairman

•  Leads the Board and is responsible for its effectiveness. 
•  Sets agendas and ensures timely dissemination of information to the Board, to support sound decision making and allow for constructive 

discussion, challenge and debate, in consultation with CEO, CFO and Company Secretary. 

•  Responsible for scrutinising the performance of the Executives and overseeing the annual Board effectiveness evaluation process. 
•  Facilitates contribution from all Directors and ensures that effective relationships exist between them. 
•  Ensures that the views of all stakeholders are understood and considered appropriately in Board discussion and decision making.

CEO

CFO

SID

•  Represents JTC to all stakeholders, including employees, clients, regulators and investors.
•  Develops and implements the Group’s strategy, as approved by the Board. 
•  Sets the cultural tone of the organisation. 
•  Facilitates an effective link between the business and the Board to support effective communication. 
•  Responsible for overall delivery of commercial objectives of the Group. 
•  Promotes and conducts Group affairs with the highest standards of integrity, probity and corporate governance, in line with our strategic 

framework and values. The CEO’s Review can be found on pages 4 to 7.

•  Manages the Group’s financial affairs. 
•  Supports the CEO in the implementation and achievement of the Group’s strategic objectives.
•  The CFO’s Review can be found on pages 12 to 16. 

In addition to his responsibilities as a Non-Executive Director, also: 

• 
•  Supports the Chairman in the delivery of his objectives. 
•  Acts as an alternative contact for shareholders should they have a concern that is unresolved by the Chairman, CEO or CFO. 
•  Leads the appraisal of the Chairman’s performance with the Non-Executive Directors. 
•  Undertakes a key role in succession planning for the Board, together with the Board Committees, Chairman and Non-Executive Directors.

NEDs

•  Monitor the delivery of strategy by the Executive Committees within the risk and control framework set by the Board. 
•  Satisfy themselves that internal controls are robust and that the external Audit is undertaken properly. 
•  Engage with internal and external stakeholders and feed back insights to the Board, including in relation to employees and the culture 

of the Company. 

•  Constructively challenge and assist in the development of strategy. 
•  Have a key role in succession planning for the Board, together with the Board Committees, Chairman and SID. 
•  Serve on various Committees of the Board.

COO

•  Responsible for developing and implementing the operational strategy of the Group. 
•  Leads and supports the post-acquisition integration team.
•  Responsible for ‘people’, culture & remuneration

Company  
Secretary

•  Ensures sound information flows to the Board in order for the Board to function effectively and efficiently. 
•  Advises and keeps the Board updated on Listing and Transparency Rule requirements and on best-practice corporate governance developments. 
•  Facilitates a comprehensive induction for newly appointed Directors, tailored to their individual requirements. 
•  Ensures compliance with Board procedures and provides support to the Chairman. 
•  Co-ordinates the performance evaluation of the Board in conjunction with the Chairman. 
•  Provides advice and services to the Board.

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B O A R D   A C T I V I T I E S   D U R I N G   T H E   Y E A R

The Board meets regularly during the year 
as well as on an ad hoc basis, as required by 
business needs. The Board met seven times 
during the year and attendance is shown in the 
table on page 55.

Board activities are structured to help the 
Board achieve its goals and to provide support 
and advice to the executive management team 
on the delivery of Group strategy within a 
robust governance framework.

The Board has a formal schedule of matters 
reserved for its decision as follows:

•  purpose, strategy and management
•  values, culture and stakeholders
•  Board membership and other appointments
•  financial and other reporting and controls
•  audit, risk and internal controls
•  contracts and capital structure
•  communication
•  remuneration
•  delegation of authority
•  corporate governance and other matters

Meetings between the Chairman and non-
executive directors, both with and without 
the presence of the Group CEO, are scheduled 
in the Board’s annual programme. During the 
year, the non-executive directors met on 
several occasions without the presence of the 
executives. These meetings were encouraged 
by the Chairman and provide the non-
executive directors with a forum in which 
to share experiences and to discuss wider 
business topics, fostering debate in Board 
and committee meetings and strengthening 
working relationships.

If a director is unable to attend a Board 
or committee meeting, the Chairman of 
the Board and/or committee Chairman 
are informed and the absent director is 
encouraged to communicate comments and 
opinions on the matters to be considered. 
Each director also attends the AGM to answer 
shareholder questions.

In addition to routine financial and operating 
reports and updates, the Board spends time 
debating and formulating Group strategy and 
reviewing its performance. Throughout the 
year, the Board received presentations from 
colleagues across the Group and regularly 
reviewed the periodic financial results, market 
consensus, operational updates, merger and 
acquisition opportunities, capital expenditure 
and other matters.

The following is a summary of the key matters 
considered by the Board throughout the year:

F E B R U A R Y

M A R C H

M A Y

J U L Y

•  2019 Group budget
•  Board Reports and standing 

• 

agenda items
ICS Strategic Update 
(Deep Dive)

•  Board Reports and standing 

agenda items

•  Approval of Annual  

Results, and  
all ancillary matters

•  Approval of Final 

Dividend Recommendation 

•  Approval of AGM Notice
•  Board Reports and standing 

agenda items

•  Chief Information Officer’s 

annual report on systems and 
cyber security

•  PCS Strategic Update 

(Deep Dive)

•  Board Reports and standing 

agenda items

•  Review and approval 
of Auditors’ Half-Year 
Review plan

•  Review Chief Risk 
Officer’s Report

•  Review and approval of 
Compliance Monitoring 
Programme and internal 
audit function

•  Review of the Conduct Risk 
Policy and Whistleblowing 
Policy and Procedure

•  Review the Board 

evaluation programme

•  Mid-year update from Group 

HR department

•  Chief Information Officer’s 

annual report on systems and 
cyber security (Deep dive)
•  Regular Board Reports and 
standing agenda items

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

B O A R D   S T A T E M E N T S

R E Q U I R E M E N T

B O A R D   S T A T E M E N T

Compliance with  
the code

This Corporate Governance Report, including the sections which follow, sets out how the Company has applied the main principles 
of good governance as set out by the Code. The Directors consider that the Company has been compliant with the Code provisions 
as applied during the period.

Robust assessment  
of the principal and 
emerging risks facing 
the group

The risks from the Group Risk Register are discussed, debated and challenged, firstly by senior management and Executive 
Directors, and then by the Group Risk Committee, with a view to presenting the key risks to the Board. The Board has agreed 
that the chief risks will be presented in the Annual Report and Accounts as the ‘Principal Risks’. There is an ongoing process for 
identifying, evaluating and managing the Principal Risks faced by the Company. Based on the review performed, the Board has not 
identified any significant failings or weaknesses during the year.

Annual review of 
systems of risk 
management and 
internal control

While the Board is ultimately responsible for the operation of an effective system of internal control and risk management 
appropriate to the business, the Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for reviewing the risk management systems and internal 
controls to ensure that they remain effective and that any identified weaknesses are appropriately dealt with. The systems of 
internal control and risk management that have been in place for the year are regularly reviewed by the Board. The Board is 
satisfied that these systems accord with the provisions of the Code. The process by which the Board reviews the effectiveness of 
the internal control and risk management systems is summarised in the Risk Management section of the Strategy Report.

Fair, balanced and 
understandable

The Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole, are fair and balanced and understandable and 
provide the information necessary for Shareholders to assess the performance, strategy and business model of the Company.

S E P T E M B E R

N O V E M B E R

2 0 2 0

•  Review of the Group’s 

Half-Yearly Results and 
supporting papers

•  Half year review of internal 

financial controls

•  Review of the dividend policy 
and interim dividend proposal

•  Review Chief Risk 
Officer’s report

•  Regular Board Reports and 
standing agenda items
•  Regular Board Reports and 
standing agenda items

•  Review and approval of 

the year end external audit 
timetable and scope
•  Review and approval of 

revisions to the non-audit 
fee policy

•  Review of tax strategy and 

policy framework
•  Review of FX policy 

and practice

•  Review Chief Risk 
Officer’s report

•  Board Reports and standing 

agenda items

•  Continued implementation and development  

of the group strategy

•  Three year business planning 2021-2023
•  Succession planning, talent acquisition 

and development 

•  Furthering information technology strategy

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

S T A K E H O L D E R   O V E R S I G H T

The Chairman ensures that the Board maintains 
an appropriate dialogue with shareholders. 
The CEO, CFO and Chief Communications 
Officer regularly meet with institutional 
investors to discuss strategic issues and 
to make presentations of the Company’s 
results. Non-executive directors develop 

an understanding of the views of major 
shareholders through regular updates from the 
Chief Communications Officer. The Chief Risk 
Officer and Company Secretary also act as 
an important focal point for communications 
on corporate governance matters throughout 
the year. In light of COVID-19 restrictions 

shareholders are advised not to attend the 
AGM in person this year. Questions for the 
Board may be submitted up until 5pm on 
22 May 2020 by emailing agm@jtcgroup and 
answers to the questions will be placed on the 
Company’s website following the AGM.

S T A K E H O L D E R

Clients

Employees

Intermediaries

W H Y   I T   I S   I M P O R T A N T   
T O   E N G A G E

Clients are the lifeblood of the 
business. The nature of our service 
offering means that we nurture 
and value long-term relationships, 
partnering with our clients to help 
them grow and achieve their aims. 
Client relationships typically last at 
least five years, with many lasting 
well over a decade and can even be 
multi-generational.

Our people are our most valuable 
asset and sit at the heart of the 
business. They hold the talent, 
expertise and energy to meet and 
exceed our clients’ expectations 
and help the Group achieve its long-
term goals.

As an independent administrator, 
we are able to offer best-in-
class services to the clients of 
intermediary partners that are 
complementary to their own 
services. We seek to form long-term 
relationships with intermediaries, 
working to achieve mutually 
beneficial commercial growth. 

H O W   W E   E N G A G E

K E Y   I N T E R E S T S

The Group Heads of ICS and 
PCS keep the Board informed of 
new and evolving trends and the 
requirements of our client base. 
They are supported in providing 
a comprehensive overview of the 
international client landscape by 
the business development and 
marketing and risk teams and the 
Ambassador programme.

O U T C O M E   O F   
E N G A G E M E N T

By taking an entrepreneurial 
approach and delivering a first class 
service with a can-do attitude, we 
are able to retain and grow our 
clients in a way that adds value and 
is mutually beneficial.

The Board receives regular People 
strategy updates from the COO, 
including details of our employee 
engagement results, updates 
on diversity and inclusion and 
cultural awareness initiatives, 
measurement and performance, and 
our succession planning and talent 
development initiatives.

Our engagement is supported 
by three constantly evolving 
programmes. JTC Academy for 
learning and development, JTC 
Gateway for global mobility 
opportunities and JTC Wellbeing for 
physical, emotional and mental good 
health. All of these are supported 
and underpinned by our Ownership 
for All programmes. 

Through our Shared Ownership 
culture and Guiding Principles we 
aim to help every member of the 
team maximise their individual 
potential, enjoy a balanced life 
and have the opportunity to share 
directly in the long-term growth and 
success of JTC.

The Board is kept informed 
of intermediary partners 
initiatives through the Executive 
Committees, with support from 
the Chief Commercial Officer, 
Chief Communications Officer and 
business development teams.

We proactively develop, manage 
and monitor relationships with our 
intermediary partners, focussing on 
relationships and complementary 
services and using technology, such 
as Salesforce CRM, to make our 
engagement as efficient as possible.

By working with a range of high 
quality intermediaries we are able 
to grow the business organically, 
especially in terms of winning new 
clients and also offer our clients 
access to a wide range of ancillary 
services from top-class providers.

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

The Company is incorporated in Jersey and 
principally operates under the Companies 
(Jersey) Law 1991 (as amended). The Board 
recognises the importance of taking account 
of all stakeholder interests however and, 
following the publication of the revised 
version of the Code in July 2018, confirms 
that the provisions of section 172 CA 2006 
have been considered in board discussions and 

decision-making. The Board is satisfied that 
due consideration is given to the interests of, 
and the impacts on, the workforce and other 
key internal and external stakeholders when 
making decisions and appropriate mechanisms 
to gather the views of the workforce are in 
place. Having reviewed the five distinct themes 
discussed by the guidance notes published by 
the GC100, including the Company’s current 

status in respect to each of their considerations 
and recommendations, the Board is satisfied 
the arrangements it has in place are effective, 
however, all stakeholder engagement 
mechanisms are kept under review to ensure 
that they remain effective. Further details as to 
the methods by which the Board engages with 
stakeholders may be found at pages 37 to 47.

Regulators

Government bodies

Charities

The jurisdictions and countries 
where we operate are more than 
just the homes of our clients, they 
are the homes of our employees, 
their families and their communities. 
Engaging with charities around 
the world, and in particular in the 
markets where our operations 
are most substantial, is an 
important way of giving back to 
those communities.

We take an employee-led approach 
to charitable giving and seek to get 
involved with both international 
and local organisations that benefit 
the people and communities where 
we work. We also recognise the 
value of our client and intermediary 
relationships and where appropriate 
seek to support their charitable 
endeavours also.

Engaging directly with charities, 
both as JTC and where relevant on 
behalf of our clients, allows us to 
support the communities where 
we operate and make a difference 
to people’s lives. We believe in 
maximising the potential of the 
individual and this provides a focus 
for our charitable engagement 
and giving.

We operate in a highly regulated 
market on a global scale and are 
currently registered, regulated 
or licensed by fourteen different 
regulatory bodies. We believe it is 
important to work collaboratively 
with regulators to help secure a 
positive and sustainable future for 
the industry.

The Chief Risk Officer and Company 
Secretary, and other subject 
matter experts regularly update 
the Board on matters affecting the 
Group as a result of actions being 
taken by regional and national 
government bodies and agencies 
which implement and enforce laws 
and regulations.

We take a disciplined, timely 
and proactive approach in 
monitoring regulatory updates 
and responding to any regulatory 
requests and requirements. 
We work closely and transparently 
with regulators as circumstances 
dictate, including on convened 
working parties and through local 
professional associations.

By forming appropriate and engaged 
relationships with our regulators 
we are able to offer an even better 
and more informed service to our 
clients, mitigating risk by ensuring 
compliance with all relevant 
standards, regulations and laws.

JTC has a global footprint and 
currently operates 20 offices 
in 17 different jurisdictions and 
we market our services in many 
more countries. The long-term 
success of our business is enhanced 
through engagement with relevant 
government bodies, including 
promotional bodies for the 
financial services sector, as well as 
bodies that relate to employment, 
environmental, social and 
governance matters.

We engage directly through 
membership of government trade 
bodies as well as contributing both 
time, expertise and experience 
to groups such as policy working 
parties. We also directly contribute 
to the public finances of the 
countries where we operate by 
ensuring timely payment of our 
relevant tax liabilities

By engaging directly with 
government bodies we are able to 
contribute to the countries and 
markets where we operate and 
positively represent the interests 
of JTC and its clients. We take a 
long-term partnership approach and 
respect the value and opportunity 
that comes from participating in 
each market where we do business.

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

E N G A G I N G   O U R   P E O P L E

The Board aims to provide inspirational 
leadership that guides and empowers our 
people. Underlying this is an ‘always-listening’ 
approach that enables management to hear 
and respond in timely and focused ways, 
providing the support and resources employees 
need to achieve and to contribute to the 
delivery of consistently strong performance. 

The Board considers JTC’s embedded share 
ownership culture to be among our most 
meaningful forms of employee engagement. 
Everyone at JTC is an ‘owner’ of the business, 
and this is reflected in the open and honest 
communication between employees 
and management.

B O A R D   E N G A G E M E N T   
M E C H A N I S M S

O 4 A   –   E M P L O Y E E   S H A R E   O W N E R S H I P   P R O G R A M M E

P L C   B O A R D ,   C O M M I T T E E   
A N D   S T R A T E G Y   M E E T I N G S

E X E C U T I V E   B O A R D ,   C O M M I T T E E   
A N D   S T R A T E G Y   M E E T I N G S

C O M P A N Y   A N D   S I T E   V I S I T S

J T C   J O O G L E   –   E M P L O Y E E   I N T R A N E T

J T C   A C A D E M Y

J T C   G A T E W A Y

J T C   W E L L B E I N G

J T C   L I F E W O R K S

L I O N   D E V E L O P M E N T   P R O G R A M M E S

J T C   T O W N H A L L S

Legend 

  Participants 

  Attendees 

  Reporting

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

Wider workforce

 Management Teams

Executive  
Board

PLC 
Board

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

B O A R D   I N D U C T I O N

“ I am excited to join the Board of 
JTC. With its dynamic and innovative 
approach to business, underpinned by 
its strong culture centred around its 
people and unique shared ownership 
model, JTC is well positioned for 
continued growth and success. I am 
delighted to have this opportunity to 
play a part in that.”

  ERIKA SCHRANER 

JTC’s non-executive directors play a valued 
and necessary role in maximising board 
effectiveness, providing all stakeholders with 
greater assurance that the correct strategies 
and decisions are likely to be chosen and tested.

Following a formal and rigorous procedure 
led by the Nomination Committee, who 
then made recommendations to the Board 
for the appointment of a new director, Dr. 
Erika Schraner was appointed as an additional 
independent non-executive director in 
November 2019. 

Erika brings to the Board a wealth of experience 
and expertise in professional services, with 
particular strength in the areas of commercial 
development, M&A and technology. 

Following appointment, as part of JTC’s 
induction programme which is designed 
to enable directors to understand their 
responsibilities and obligations and ensure they 
have the necessary resources for developing 
and updating their knowledge and capabilities, 
Erika was able to meet with key stakeholders 
and also visit, and talk with senior and 
middle management.

JTC’s induction process is designed to ensure 
that new directors are swiftly able to build an 
understanding of the nature of the company, 
its business and the jurisdictions in which 
it operates, establish a relationship with 
key stakeholders. 

JTC’s global growth strategy is all about the 
smart improvement of its traditional businesses 
combined with the equally smart acquisition 
and integration of new ones. Erika brings 
immediately relevant skills to the Board as the 
company pursues a range of opportunities in 
attractive growth markets.

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STEP 1.  
2019 PROCESS PLANNING
The Company Secretary undertook a detailed 
review of the Board Effectiveness evaluation 
process and made recommendations to 
incorporate areas of focus highlighted in the 2018 
Code and FRC Guidance on Board Effectiveness. 

A process for the completion of Board self-
assessment questionnaires followed by one-
to-one meetings was developed for the Board 
and its Committees, with interview questions 
structured on the basis of feedback from the 
Board, including areas for improvement and any 
additional observations.

STEP 2. 
SELF-ASSESSMENT 
QUESTIONNAIRES
 Structured to the performance of board members 
in order to pinpoint areas in need of improvement 
to better meet company goals.

STEP 3.  
ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS
Board and Committee members participated in 
comprehensive one-to-one meetings with the 
Chairman, with appropriate time provided to allow 
detailed discussion to take place. 

STEP 4.  
EVALUATION AND REPORTING
The Company Secretary compiled the individual 
responses, including analysis of themes and 
proposed actions. A report, setting out the findings 
of the evaluation was provided to the Chairman 
for consideration. The Chairman and CEO met to 
discuss the findings, with the results being tabled 
to the Nominations Committee and Board in 
September 2019. 

STEP 5.  
AGREE ACTIONS AND MONITOR 
PROGRESS
The findings of the evaluation exercise were fully 
considered when making recommendations in 
respect of the re-election of individual Directors 
and included an assessment of their independence, 
time commitment and individual performance.

C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

B O A R D   I N D U C T I O N 
P R O G R A M M E
We have an established induction programme 
in place which can be tailored to meet the 
requirements of individual Directors and 
includes the following elements/details: 

•  Pre-appointment process; 
•  Our business and how we are regulated, 

including performance; 

•  Strategy; 
•  Key operations and processes;
•  Key stakeholder relationships; 
•  Customer delivery; 
•  Capital delivery and commercial; 
•   How the business is financed and financial 

performance including analyst and 
investor opinion; 

•   Our people and how we work, including 
health, safety and wellbeing, talent 
and succession and an overview of our 
Remuneration Policy; 

•   Risk and audit, including the Group risk 

profile and our approach to risk; 
•   Face-to-face meetings with key 

senior colleagues; 
•  Directors’ duties; and 
•  Governance matters and Group policies. 

We continually enhance the Board’s 
induction process, in full consideration of 
feedback from new appointees and the Board 
Effectiveness evaluation

I N F O R M A L   B O A R D 
I N T E R A C T I O N S 
The Board regularly meets more informally, 
in the form of Board dinners, outside of 
the scheduled Board meeting calendar. 
These sessions are convened to build and 
maintain successful relationships and promote 
a culture of openness in Board discussions. 
Senior Management are invited to attend 
these sessions.

B O A R D   E V A L U A T I O N 
The effectiveness of the Board is reviewed at 
least annually, and conducted according to the 
guidance set out in the Code and FRC Guidance 
on Board Effectiveness. 

In 2019, the performance and effectiveness of 
the Board and its committees was assessed 
by way of an internal evaluation. As a result 
of the assessment, it was concluded that the 
performance of each director continued to 
be effective and that both the Board and its 
committees continued to provide effective 
leadership and exert the required levels of 
governance and control, which aligned with 
observations made by the Chairman and Non-
Executive Directors as part of the evaluation 
process and throughout the year.

E V A L U A T I O N   F I N D I N G S 
The key theme highlighted in the 2019 
evaluation was positive Board discussion 
dynamics and a culture of open, constructive 
debate, undertaken by a respectful and 
cohesive, and appropriately challenging Board.

The agreed actions included adopting more 
succinct reporting to assist the Board’s focused 
discussions, as well as the appointment 
and induction of two new directors, who 
were expected to join the Board in 2019. 
These matters were progressed with 
the appointments of Wendy Holley and 
Erika Schraner.

As part of the evaluation, consideration was 
given to the number of external positions 
held by the Non-Executive Directors. 
Directors’, including the time commitment 
required for each. As a result of this review, 
the Nominations Committee did not identify 
any instances of overboarding and confirms 
that all individual Directors have sufficient 
time to commit to their role. The full list of 
external appointments held by our Directors 
can be found on pages 54 to 55. All of our 
Non-Executive Directors are considered to 
be independent.

E V A L U A T I O N 
F I N D I N G S

Balance of Debate

Board Composition 

Talent Management 
and Succession 
Planning

E V A L U A T I O N

Continue to maintain focus on strategic, operational and reputational 
priorities as well as regulatory matters

Suggestions were made regarding desirable attributes in future potential 
candidates, including technology and sector /market experience
Opportunity to apply more structure to succession planning and talent 
development discussions at the Nominations Committee and the Board

Matters Reserved for 
the Board

Opportunity to review the schedule of matters reserved for the Board and 
ensure that meetings have appropriate time allocated to them.

Remit of Board 
Committees

Opportunity to review the duties within the respective Committee Terms 
of Reference and ensure that Committee meetings have sufficient time 
allocated to them.

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

N O M I N A T I O N 
C O M M I T T E E

“ The Committee has three key 
priorities: developing the talent 
pipeline, broadening the search for 
future directors, and looking at the 
long-term strategy and resourcing 
accordingly. The tone set at the top is 
important for the rest of the 
organisation and we are keen that the 
diversity seen throughout the wider 
organisation is encouraged and 
replicated at Board level, whilst 
ensuring that the board composition 
supports the Company in achieving its 
overall strategic aims.”

M E M B E R S H I P   O F   T H E 
C O M M I T T E E 
In compliance with the Code, the Committee’s 
membership is limited to the Non-Executive 
Directors and comprises a majority of 
Independent Non-Executive Directors of 
the Company. By invitation, meetings of 
the Committee may be attended by the 
executive directors. 

There were no changes to the Committee 
during the year however Erika Schraner was 
appointed as an additional Committee member 
on 3 March 2020. JTC (Jersey) Limited, the 
corporate Company Secretary, acts as secretary 
to the Committee.

C O M M I T T E E   M E E T I N G S   I N   2 0 1 9
The Committee met formally three times 
during the year. Attendance by the Committee 
members at these meetings is shown below:

Michael Gray (Chair)

Mike Liston

Dermot Mathias

C O M M I T T E E   M E M B E R S
Michael Gray – Committee Chairman, 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Mike Liston – Non-Executive Chairman 

Dermot Mathias – Senior Independent 
Non-Executive Director 

Erika Schraner – Independent Non-Executive 
Director – appointed March 2020

Maximum no.  
of meetings

Meetings 
attended

% of meetings 
attended

3

3

3

3

3

3

100%

100%

100%

6 6

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

D E A R   S H A R E H O L D E R S
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to 
present the Nomination Committee’s 
Report for the financial year ended 
31 December 2019. 

It has been a busy year for the Nomination 
Committee. We had a number of changes 
to Board membership arising from the first 
formal annual review and assessment of Board 
effectiveness and composition, resulting in 
recommendations to appoint the Group’s 
COO, Wendy Holley, as an additional Executive 
Director and Erika Schraner as a new Non-
Executive Director. 

By linking succession planning to Board 
strategy, the Nomination Committee has been 
able to support the Board in planning ahead to 
prepare for future challenges and ensure that 
the Board has a continuous balance of the right 
skills, knowledge and experience to satisfy the 
ongoing and anticipated strategic needs of the 
Group. Refreshment of the Board is an essential 
component of the evolutionary nature of our 
strategy, and over the past year we have taken 
steps to augment the diversity of skills and 
experience present on the Board. Our approach 
has been instrumental in ensuring the smooth 
transition of Board roles and orientation of the 
incoming directors.

It is intended that a further performance 
evaluation will be conducted in 2020 
and reported on in the Company’s 2020 
Annual Report.

R O L E   O F   T H E   C O M M I T T E E
The Committee’s primary purpose is to 
develop and maintain a formal, rigorous 
and transparent procedure for identifying 
appropriate candidates for Board appointments 
and re-appointments and to make 
recommendations to the Board. In addition, 
the Committee is responsible for reviewing the 
succession plans for the Executive Directors and 
the Non-Executive Directors. This involves: 

•  Keeping under review the leadership needs 
of the Group, both Executive and Non-
Executive, with a view to ensuring the 
continued ability of the Group to compete 
effectively in the market-place

•   Regularly reviewing the structure, size and 
composition of the Board to ensure it has 
an appropriate balance of skills, diversity, 
experience, knowledge and independence, 
and reporting and making recommendations 
to the Board with regard to any changes 
•   Regularly assessing the knowledge, skills 

and experience of individual members of the 
Board and reporting the results to the Board

Further details on the Committee’s roles and 
responsibilities can be found in our Terms of 
Reference on our website, at jtcgroup.com/
investor-relations.

B O A R D   A P P O I N T M E N T S 
I N   2 0 1 9
Wendy Holley was appointed as an executive 
director with effect from 19 July 2019. 
Wendy joined JTC in 2008 and has over 
25 years’ experience in financial services 
operations. In her role as Chief Operating 
Officer, Wendy is responsible for evaluating 
and developing the operational strategy of 
the Group to ensure it builds the operational 
capabilities to support its growth prospects and 
deliver its financial targets. A significant part of 
her role includes acquisition integration.

Wendy has overseen the progressive 
development of JTC’s operational capabilities. 
She is also a leading advocate of our shared 
ownership culture and will help the Board to 
even better connect with all our people, across 
our global network of offices. Her skills and 
experience will be invaluable to the Board 
and in particular make her an ideal candidate 
to facilitate employee representation with 
the Board, an approach that we recognise as 
being of increasing importance and one that 
very much aligns with JTC’s well-developed 
stakeholder culture.

As part of our Board succession planning 
process, we appointed a new non-executive 
director, Erika Schraner. Prior to Erika’s 
appointment, the Committee identified 
the necessary attributes for each specific 
non-executive director role which was 
set to correspond with Board strategy. 
The Committee reviewed lists of potential 
appointees, and shortlisted candidates for 
interview based upon the objective criteria 
identified at inception. A specialist third 
party firm, Drax Executive, was used to 
independently evaluate the shortlisted 
candidates’ skills and experience, matching 
the requirements for the role, and candidates 
were required to demonstrate that they 
had sufficient time available to devote to 
the role. Once the preferred candidate had 
been identified, detailed external references 
were taken and interviews conducted by the 
Chairman, the CEO and other Board members, 
following which the Committee formally 
recommended the appointment of Erika 
Schraner to the Board. Erika was appointed 
as a non-executive director with effect from 
18 November 2019.

Erika has a wealth of experience and expertise 
in professional services, with particular strength 

in the areas of commercial development, M&A 
and technology. The recruitment process 
enabled the Committee to determine that the 
skills and experience brought by Erika were 
complementary to those already present on the 
Board, and to conclude that her contribution 
and insights will benefit the Board over the 
coming years.

Further details of Wendy and Erika’s experience 
and relevant skills can be found on pages 55 
and 64.

P E R F O R M A N C E   E V A L U A T I O N
Every year, a performance evaluation of the 
Board and its committees is carried out to 
ensure that they continue to be effective, 
and that each of the directors demonstrates 
commitment to his or her respective role 
and has sufficient time to meet his or her 
commitment to the Company. 

The 2019 evaluation took the form of the 
completion by each director of a questionnaire 
covering questions about Board culture, 
administration, strategy and operations, 
Board composition, committee structure and 
succession planning. One-to-one discussions 
were then held between the Chairman and 
each director, and senior management, to 
solicit feedback, followed by a closed session 
discussion of the Board and Committee 
evaluations led by the Chairman and 
Committee Chairs. A private meeting of the SID 
and CEO is held to evaluate the performance 
of the Chairman, taking into account the views 
of the executive directors. A report on the 
outcome of the evaluation was presented to 
the full Board at its September 2019 meeting. 

The Board evaluation is used to provide a full 
and frank appraisal of the contribution of each 
individual director and the effectiveness of the 
Board and its committees. Through the annual 
evaluation process, the Board concluded that 
the performance of each director was effective 
and that both the Board and its committees 
continued to provide effective leadership 
and exert the required levels of governance 
and control. This conclusion aligns with the 
observations of the Chairman, committee 
Chairmen and other non-executive directors 
made within the evaluation process and 
throughout the year. 

As a Board, we are satisfied that all 
non-executive directors contribute effectively 
to Board debate, and guide, probe and, 
where necessary, challenge management’s 
strategic plans and their execution. Each of the 
non-executive directors brings considerable 
expertise and experience accumulated in their 

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E   S T A T E M E N T
C o n t i n u e d

past professional careers. Performance and 
training of the Board and its members is further 
supported by a full induction on appointment, 
and regular meetings with members of the 
senior management team where directors are 
encouraged to discuss operational matters 
and strategy. 

Further details of the Board evaluation findings 
and the actions taken/agreed may be found at 
page 65.

In-line with the mandated triennial 
external requirement set out in the Code 
an independent, externally facilitated Board 
evaluation will be carried out in the year ending 
31 December 2021.

In respect of independence, each non-executive 
director is free from any relationship or 
circumstance that could affect, or appear 
to affect, the exercise of their independent 
judgement. The quality of the debate at 
Board and committee meetings indicates that 
JTC’s non-executives devote sufficient time 
to considering and are well informed on the 
matters relating to the business.

D I R E C T O R S   A N D   T H E I R   O T H E R 
I N T E R E S T S
In accordance with the Companies (Jersey) 
Law 1991, as amended, all Directors who were 
interested in, or subsequently became aware 
of their interest in, a transaction or proposed 
transaction with the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries, are required immediately to 
declare the nature and extent of such interest 
to the Board of Directors. 

The Directors’ Register of Interests and 
Conflicts is maintained by the Company 
Secretary and is reviewed by the Directors 
at every Board meeting. 

Executive Directors may hold external 
directorships if the Board determines that 
such appointments do not cause any conflict 
of interest. Where such appointments are 
approved and held, it is a matter for the Board 
to agree whether fees paid in respect of the 
appointment are retained by the individual or 
paid to the Company.

The Nomination Committee periodically 
reviews the format of the Board Committee 
and Directors’ performance evaluation 
programme to ensure that feedback is actioned.

B O A R D   D I V E R S I T Y 
The most important priority of the Committee 
is to ensure that members of the Board 
collectively possess the broad range of skills, 
expertise and industry knowledge, and business 

and other experience necessary for the 
effective oversight of the Group.

In line with JTC’s Guiding Principles and 
commitment to operating a meritocratic 
approach to career progression the Board is 
generally opposed to the idea of stated quotas. 
However the Committee recognises and 
embraces the benefits of having a socially and 
professionally diverse Board. The Committee 
takes into account a variety of factors before 
recommending any new appointments to the 
Board, including relevant skills to perform the 
role, experience, knowledge and diversity, and 
every effort is made to ensure that the talent 
pool from which new Board members are 
sought is sufficiently diverse in order to result 
in more balanced representation over time.

I am pleased to report that, following the 
appointment of Erika and Wendy, the Board 
now has 29% female representation. This will 
continue to have the attention of the Board 
to ensure that we have the appropriate 
level of diversity and balance throughout 
the organisation.

D I V E R S I T Y   A N D   I N C L U S I O N 
JTC is a people-led business that is inclusive, 
engaged and committed to developing our 
people and supporting their career progression 
through the business, providing a fulfilling and 
fair environment in which to work. In line with 
our Guiding Principles and our commitment 
to operating a meritocratic approach to career 
progression, we have an ambition to achieve 
an improved diversity balance at all levels. 
In terms of gender balance, our progress 
continues to track positively, as shown in 
the charts opposite, however the Board 
acknowledges that there is currently relatively 
low representation of female employees at 
the most senior levels of the organisation. 
At Director level and above, this currently 
stands at 38% vs 62% in favour of male 
employees. At other levels of the business, 
gender representation is more representative 
with, for example, middle management 
(Assistant Manager to Associate Director) 
figures standing at 57% female and 43% 
male. Improving the balance of our leadership 
requires close attention to succession planning 
so we can build a balanced pipeline of talent 
for the future. This will continue to have the 
attention of the Board to ensure that we have 
the appropriate level of diversity and balance 
throughout the organisation over time, and 
we are confident that we are moving in the 
right direction.

P R I O R I T I E S   F O R   T H E   
C O M I N G   Y E A R 
We have a strong Board and executive 
management with a broad range of experience 
which has driven the Company’s success to 
date. The Committee and the Board believe 
that our directors are well qualified to further 
advance the interests of the Company’s 
shareholders, as well as its people, clients and 
consumers, partners and the communities in 
which we work. To underpin our work to date, 
in the coming year we will continue to focus 
on our evolutionary strategy led succession 
planning agenda.

R E - E L E C T I O N
On the recommendation of the Committee 
and in accordance with the Company’s 
Articles of Association and with the Code, all 
currently appointed Directors will retire at the 
forthcoming AGM and offer themselves for 
re-election by shareholders.

The Board recommends the re-election of each 
member of the Board based upon their skills, 
experience and contribution towards delivering 
the Group’s strategy and delivering long-term 
value for stakeholders.

S H A R E H O L D E R   E N G A G E M E N T 
Both the Remuneration Committee and the 
Board as a whole recognise the benefits of 
and welcome the engagement of shareholders 
on a wide range of topics, including executive 
compensation, which may fall outside of the 
usual financial and strategic conversations, and 
I remain available to shareholders to discuss 
these issues throughout the year. 

In light of the current Government measures 
to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 
however, shareholders are advised not to 
attend the AGM in person on this occasion. 
Shareholders who wish to do so may submit 
any questions to the Board before the AGM 
and answers to the questions will be placed on 
the Company’s website. Shareholders should 
submit questions up until 5pm on 22 May 2020 
by emailing them to the Company Secretary at 
agm@jtcgroup.com.

MICHAEL GRAY 
NOMINATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 
21 April 2020

6 8

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

G E N D E R   D I V E R S I T Y 

P L C   B O A R D :   
F E M A L E 
+ 2 9 %

E X E C U T I V E 
C O M M I T T E E S * :   
F E M A L E
+ 3 0 %

D I R E C T O R S * : 
F E M A L E 
+ 3 %

38.0

35.0

A S S I S T A N T 
M A N A G E R   
T O   A S S O C I A T E 
D I R E C T O R * : 
F E M A L E 
- 2.1 %

59.0

57.0

29.0

0
2018

2019

*ICS/PCS/Group Risk

25.0

16.0

2018

2019

2018

2019

2018

2019

C O M M I T T E E   H I G H L I G H T S   F R O M   T H E   Y E A R

Key areas of Nominations Committee focus in 2019

March 2019

July 2019

November 2019

•  Nomination Committee Report within the Annual Report and Accounts
•  Continuing Office of Directors
•  Preparations for the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code

•  Board Effectiveness Report 2018/19
•  Talent Development and Board Succession Planning
•  Board Composition and Independence
•  Diversity and Inclusion Update
•  Executive appointment recommendation

•  NED appointment recommendation
•  NED Tenure Review and Succession Planning
•  Conflicts of Interest: Annual Review

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

A U D I T   &   R I S K
  C O M M I T T E E

“ The Committee supports the Board 
in taking a proactive role in detecting, 
understanding and acting on risk – 
be it financial, macroeconomic, 
regulatory, legal or cyber security-
related – focusing on making sure 
that, between the Committee, the 
management team and the external 
auditor, efforts are concentrated on 
on what is most material in the best 
long-term interests of the Company.”

C O M M I T T E E   M E E T I N G S   I N   2 0 1 9
The Committee met formally five times 
during the year. Attendance by the Committee 
members at these meetings is shown opposite:

Dermot Mathias (Chair)

Mike Liston

Michael Gray

M E M B E R S H I P   O F   T H E 
C O M M I T T E E 
In compliance with the Code, the Committee’s 
membership is limited to the Non-Executive 
Directors and comprises a majority of 
Independent Non-Executive Directors of 
the Company. By invitation, meetings of 
the Committee may be attended by the 
executive directors. 

There have been no changes in Committee 
during the year, however, Erika Schraner 
was appointed as a Committee member on 
3 March 2020. 

JTC (Jersey) Limited, the corporate Company 
Secretary, acts as secretary to the Committee.

Maximum no.  
of meetings

Meetings 
attended

% of meetings 
attended

5

5

5

5

5

5

100%

100%

100%

C O M M I T T E E   M E M B E R S
Dermot Mathias – Committee Chairman, Senior 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Mike Liston – Non-Executive Chairman

Michael Gray – Independent 
Non-Executive Director 

Erika Schraner – Independent Non-Executive 
Director (appointed 3 March 2020)

7 0

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

D E A R   S H A R E H O L D E R S
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to 
present the Audit and Risk Committee’s 
Report for the financial year ended 
31 December 2019.

During the year the Committee comprised of 
the two independent non-executive directors 
and the non-executive Chairman, who was 
independent at appointment. 

The Board reviewed the Committee’s 
membership and terms of reference in 
preparation for the regulatory and governance 
changes introduced during the year and the 
change in emphasis brought about by the 2018 
Code. The Board applied all of the principles 
and provisions of the Code throughout the 
year ended 31 December 2019, except that 
the Chair of the Board was a member of 
the Committee. The Board nevertheless 
considers the composition of the Committee 
to be appropriate given the Committee’s 
activities and focus, and having regard to the 
relevant experience and background of Mr 
Liston. In applying the principle of the Code, 
the Board considers the independence and 
effectiveness of the Committee in discharging 
its functions in terms of the Code continue to 
be enhanced and not in the least compromised 
by Mr Liston’s appointment.

For the purpose of the Code, I satisfy the 
requirement of having appropriate recent and 
relevant financial experience. I am a chartered 
accountant with many years of senior 
financial experience.

I am pleased to report that, following her 
appointment as an independent non-executive 
director in November 2019 and induction, Dr 
Schraner was appointed as a member of the 
Committee on 3 March 2020.

At my request, meetings are attended by the 
Chief Risk Officer, the External Auditor and 
members of the Senior Management team. 

The Committee met separately with the 
Auditors without Executive Management being 
present. I have met privately with the External 
Auditor and to discuss any matters they may 
wish to raise. 

The Committee is satisfied that the External 
Auditor remains independent and objective 
in their work. 

Meeting agendas are linked to the financial 
calendar and to the annual plan which 
is devised to ensure we discharge our 
responsibilities as documented in our Terms 
of Reference.

The annual plan is dynamic and therefore will 
evolve when the Committee feels that there is 
a need for greater focus on a specific area. 

JTC (Jersey) Limited, our corporate Company 
Secretary, acts as Secretary to the Committee 
and I am satisfied that the Committee received 
information on a timely basis and that 
meetings were scheduled adequately to allow 
members to have an informed debate. In 2020 
the Chief Risk Officer will attend all Audit 
and Risk Committee meetings by invitation, 
together with other Senior Managers, to 
discuss matters such as internal control and IT 
controls security.

R O L E   O F   T H E   C O M M I T T E E
The Board has delegated to the Committee 
responsibility for overseeing financial reporting, 
review and assessment of the effectiveness 
of the internal control and risk management 
systems and maintaining an appropriate 
relationship with the External Auditor. 

In order to fulfil these responsibilities, the 
Committee’s duties include the following:

•  Monitoring the integrity of the consolidated 

financial statements

•  Reviewing and challenging the application of 
accounting policies, including estimates and 
judgements made by management, and the 
clarity and completeness of disclosures

•  Reviewing and assessing the internal 

audit function including approval of any 
appointments and the scope of their remit

•  Overseeing the relationship with the 

External Auditor

•  Monitoring the effectiveness of the 

Company’s internal financial controls and 
risk management systems

•  Giving due consideration to applicable laws 

and regulations

•  Advising the Board on various statementsin 

the Annual Report, including those on 
viability, going concern, risk and controls, 
whistleblowing procedures and whether the 
Report taken as a whole is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the information 
necessary for shareholders to assess 
the performance

•  Further details on the Committee’s roles and 
responsibilities can be found in our Terms of 
Reference on our website at jtcgroup.com/
investor-relations.

H I G H L I G H T S   F R O M   T H E   Y E A R
The Audit Committee (the Committee) works 
to a structured agenda linked to events in 
the Group’s financial reporting calendar. 
Throughout the year, the Committee continued 
to support the Board, playing a key role in 
overseeing the integrity of the Company’s 

financial statements and the robustness of 
the Group’s systems of internal control and 
financial and regulatory risk management. 
As in previous years, the Committee’s primary 
focus was on the integrity of the Group’s 
financial reporting activities. In considering the 
financial statements for 2019, the Committee 
concentrated on accounting and disclosures 
related to the valuation of goodwill and 
intangible assets. The Committee concluded 
that executive management had adopted an 
appropriate approach in all significant areas.

During the year, the Committee was updated 
frequently on the Group’s IT strategy including 
an overview of the IT controls framework 
and infrastructure and the ability to quickly 
detect and defend against cyber attack. 
The Committee also spent time reviewing the 
disclosures made by management in respect of 
the new accounting standards IFRS 16 which 
were implemented at the start of the financial 
year. Time was dedicated to considering 
internal audit and the impact of the risk for the 
Group as a whole. The Committee is satisfied 
that the statements made by executive 
management on pages 28 to 35 of the Risk 
Management and Principal Risks sections of this 
Annual Report are appropriate based on what is 
currently known to management as at the date 
of this Report.

During the year, the Committee reviewed 
its Terms of Reference to ensure that they 
continue to be fit for purpose. The review was 
undertaken, with guidance from the Group 
General Counsel and the Company Secretary, 
in the context of changes to regulations and 
the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 
(the 2018 Code). Consideration was also given 
to the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) 
guidance for audit committees and other 
sources of best practice.

C O V I D - 1 9 
The Board’s statements with regards to the 
current COVID-19 situation may be found on 
page 31.

R I S K   A S S E S S M E N T 
The principal risks and uncertainties facing the 
Company are set out in the Risk Management 
report section of the Strategic Report on pages 
34 to 35.

The Board has delegated the day-to-day 
responsibility for designing, operating and 
monitoring the internal control and risk 
management framework and systems to the 
senior management team. The Committee 
evaluates the risk and control arrangements, 
reporting to the Board. The Committee is 
satisfied that there is robust review of the risks 
and that controls of significant risks operate 

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A U D I T   &   R I S K   C O M M I T T E E
C o n t i n u e d

effectively. Based on the review performed, 
the Board has concluded that they have not 
identified any significant failings or weaknesses 
during the year.

I N T E R N A L   C O N T R O L S
The Group does not have a formal internal 
audit function and the Group Risk Committee 
is responsible for overseeing the Group’s 
internal risk audit and accreditation 
arrangements. It manages the remit of the 
Group Risk Function’s audit of each regulated 
jurisdiction’s risk management and compliance 
processes, as part of the JTC Compliance 
Monitoring Plan. The Group Risk Function 
also routinely carries out spot checks on the 
different jurisdictions to ensure compliance and 
adherence to these procedures. JTC has been 
ISAE 3402 Type I certified since 2013 and in 
2016 the Jersey head office and Global Service 
Centre in South Africa were both awarded ISAE 
3402 Type II certification.

Whilst JTC’s regulated entities adhere to 
many compliance and compliance monitoring 
requirements (variously characterised by 
regulators as ‘internal audit’), the size and 
complexity of the Group is such that an 
enhanced more formal, independent internal 
audit function is now in active development.

W H I S T L E B L O W I N G
Under the 2018 Code, the responsibility for 
whistleblowing now resides with the Board, 
and widens the remit from financial to all 
aspects of the business. The Committee 
will review the whistleblowing policy on an 
annual basis, and report to the Board on 
its conclusions and highlight any concerns, 
including any whistleblowing incidents. 
There have been no incidents reported during 
the course of the year. 

E X T E R N A L   A U D I T 
The Group’s auditors are 
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP, and they 
were reappointed as statutory auditor to the 
Group for the year ended 31 December 2019. 
The Committee has recommended to the Board 
that a resolution to reappoint PwC for the 2020 
financial period be prepared and presented to 
shareholders. The audit partner is Mike Byrne, 
who has been the partner on the engagement 
since 2016. The Committee has reviewed the 
quality of the audit plan and related reports for 
the 2018 audit and is satisfied with the quality 
of these documents. 

The Committee will review the effectiveness 
and quality of PwC’s 2019 year-end audit. 
This review is intended to cover the quality 
of the service being provided, the competence 

of the staff and their understanding of 
the business and related financial risks. 
The Committee has reviewed the independence 
of the External Auditor and concluded 
that it complies with UK regulatory and 
professional requirements and that its 
objectivity is not compromised. As a Jersey 
incorporated company JTC is not required to 
comply with the Competition and Markets 
Authority requirement in relation to audit 
tenders every 10 years. The Committee will, 
however, continue to keep this under review 
as part of their review of effectiveness of the 
External Auditor. 

The Committee ensures that the auditors 
are not awarded non-audit work if there is a 
risk that it might impair the objectivity and 
independence of the audit. The award of 
non-audit work to the External Auditors of 
£10,000 or more is subject to the prior approval 
of the Committee. Other than in exceptional 
circumstances non-audit fees should not 
exceed 70% of audit and assurance fees over 
a 3 year rolling period.

A U D I T   F E E S 
Fees payable to the Auditor for audit and 
non-audit services are set out in note 6 to the 
Financial Statements on page 109. There were 
no fees paid for non-audit services in 2019.

E F F E C T I V E N E S S 
Each year, the Audit Committee critically 
reviews its own performance and considers 
where improvements can be made and in so 
doing it considers, amongst other things, those 
matters discussed by the Audit Committee, 
such as:

•  composition, structure and activities 
•  how well the Committee oversees the 

financial reporting process

•  its review of the internal controls function 

and the work of the external auditor 

•  the effectiveness of the process for 

raising concerns 

•  its monitoring of the management of risk
•  how well it understands and evaluates 
the effectiveness and conclusions of 
internal control and the adequacy of the 
related disclosures

•  whether the Committee’s terms of 

reference are appropriate for the particular 
circumstances of the Company and comply 
with prevailing legislation and best practice 

•  whether the number and length of time 
of Committee meetings are sufficient to 
meet the role and responsibilities of the 
Committee and coincide with key dates 
within the financial reporting and audit cycle 

•  identification of additional training needs for 

Committee members

This is underpinned by the annual performance 
evaluation of the Board and its committees, 
referred to on pages 54 and 55. We believe 
that the Committee continues to operate 
effectively, with an appropriately balanced and 
engaged membership.

P R I O R I T I E S   F O R   T H E 
C O M I N G   Y E A R 
In the coming year, the Committee will 
continue to work together with the Board 
and the other committees to monitor and 
review the effectiveness of the Group’s 
financial reporting and risk management and 
internal control framework. We will oversee 
an enhancement to the Group’s internal audit 
function, as noted above and, in addition, 
we will continue to focus on the resilience 
of our cyber security and IT controls and on 
ensuring that all new accounting standards, 
relevant legislation and guidance, including the 
provisions of the 2018 Code, are being met.

S H A R E H O L D E R   E N G A G E M E N T 
I welcome questions from shareholders on the 
Committee’s activities. If you wish to discuss 
any aspect of this report, please contact me 
via the Company Secretary. 

I regret that given current Government 
measures to reduce the transmission of 
COVID-19 it is unlikely I shall be able to meet 
with Shareholders at this year’s AGM in person, 
however, Shareholders who wish to do so may 
submit any questions to the Board before the 
AGM. Answers to questions will be placed on 
the Company’s website. Shareholders should 
submit questions up until 5pm on 22 May 2020 
by emailing them to the Company Secretary at 
agm@jtcgroup.com.

I would like to thank the other members of the 
Committee, management and our External 
Auditors for their support during the year.

DERMOT MATHIAS 
AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 
21 April 2020

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H I G H L I G H T S   F R O M   T H E   Y E A R

Significant issues and  
accounting judgements

Revenue recognition, accrued  
income and trade receivables

Action taken by the committee/board

Management maintains key controls over the largely quarterly billing cycles. The timings of the billing cycle 
are arranged to minimise accrued income balances at key reporting dates and thus give greater certainty over 
income which is still to be converted into cash. Management assesses the recoverability of all receivables 
at the year end and attest to the quality of assets considering past experience of the client, client type and 
liquidity issues of the client. We agreed with management’s assessment that no additional provision for losses 
or impairment either to accrued income or trade receivables was needed.

Evaluation of impairment of  
intangible assets including goodwill 
and useful life of intangible asset

We considered the results of Management’s impairment assessment which reviews triggers for impairment 
around asset lives, valuation and verification of assets. We considered the judgements taken in relation to 
asset lives and the methodology applied to consider asset verification and we were satisfied that no changes 
in treatment were needed. With regards to Goodwill, we consider the judgements taken in relation to short 
and long term growth rates and discount rates used and we were again satisfied that no changes in treatment 
were needed.

Share based payments

Accounting for acquisitions

We have reviewed the methodology used for the accounting of share-based payments and are comfortable 
with the assessment by management as to the number of shares expected to vest under the terms of the 
Performance Share Plan. In doing so we have reviewed and are satisfied with management judgements and 
expectations around the achievement of performance targets.

We have reviewed the judgements made and used by management in the allocation of the purchase price 
of the acquisition completed during the year. We are satisfied that the overall allocations between goodwill 
and identifiable intangible assets are reasonable and also the estimated useful lives of customer and contract 
intangible assets.

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R E M U N E R A T I O N
  C O M M I T T E E

“ We are committed to ensuring that 
JTC’s remuneration policy promotes 
the long-term success, ensuring 
alignment with shareholder value-
creation with pay-for-performance 
set against challenging targets and 
stretching goals.”

D E A R   S H A R E H O L D E R
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to 
present the Committee’s Report for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2019. 

The Committee aims to present clear, 
succinct and informative reports 
relevant to the Company and its 
particular circumstances. To make it 
easier for all stakeholders to assess and 
understand each part of the Report and 
clearly explain the thinking and purpose 
behind the Committee’s decisions, the 
2019 Report is divided into:

C O M M I T T E E   M E M B E R S 
Michael Gray – Committee Chairman, 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Mike Liston – Non-Executive Chairman

Dermot Mathias – Senior Independent Non-
Executive Director 

Erika Schraner – Independent Non-Executive 
Director – appointed 3 March 2020

Maximum no.  
of meetings

Meetings 
attended

% of meetings 
attended

4

4

4

4

4

4

100%

100%

100%

M E M B E R S H I P   O F   T H E 
C O M M I T T E E 
All Committee members are independent 
Non-Executive Directors, as defined under 
the Code, with the exception of the Chairman 
who was independent on his appointment. 
Full biographies of the Committee 
members can be found on pages 54 to 55. 
The Committee members have no personal 
financial interest, other than as shareholders,  
in the matters considered by the Committee.

There were no changes in the Committee 
during the year however Erika Schraner 
was appointed as a Committee member on 
3 March 2020. 

JTC (Jersey) Limited, the corporate Company 
Secretary, acts as secretary to the Committee.

C O M M I T T E E   M E E T I N G S   I N   2 0 1 9
The Committee met formally four times 
during the year. Attendance by the Committee 
members at these meetings is shown below:

Michael Gray (Chair)

Mike Liston

Dermot Mathias

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M A I N   R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S 
In line with the authority delegated by the 
Board, the Committee sets the Company’s 
Remuneration Policy and is responsible 
for determining remuneration terms 
and conditions of employment for the 
executive directors. 

THE COMMITTEE:
•  ensures that the executive directors are 

Performance is critical, but a well-designed 
remuneration programme must also attract 
and retain a high calibre team in order to 
increase shareholder value. We endeavour to 
maintain competitive remuneration packages 
that focuses Executives Directors’ efforts 
on the delivery of the Company’s long-term 
strategic and business objectives, avoiding 
excessive or inappropriate risk taking.

by the Committee during the year. In July, 
the Committee received a detailed update 
on the wider workforce policies and practices. 
This supplements other regular updates; for 
example, at the time decisions are taken 
in respect of salary review for executive 
directors and the Executive Committee, the 
Remuneration Committee is updated on our 
global salary review budgets and trends.

appropriately incentivised to enhance the 
Group’s performance and rewarded for their 
contribution to the success of the business 
by designing, monitoring and assessing 
incentive arrangements, including setting 
stretching targets and assessing performance 
and outcomes against them

In reviewing Executive Directors’ remuneration, 
our overriding considerations were alignment 
with the strategic objectives of the Group, the 
extent to which remuneration will attract, 
motivate and retain the talent needed to 
achieve long-term success and, of course, 
overall affordability. 

•  reviews the remuneration arrangements for 
other senior executives within the Group, 
having regard to the wider remuneration 
philosophy of the Group when developing 
policy and considering executives’ packages, 
monitoring the relationship between them 
and those of the wider workforce
•  maintains an active dialogue with 

shareholders, ensuring their views and those 
of their advisors are sought and considered 
when setting executive remuneration

R E M U N E R A T I O N   F O R   T H E 
Y E A R   U N D E R   R E V I E W
The Committee is conscious that executive 
compensation comes directly from 
shareholders’ profits, and mindful of the 
importance of the relationship between 
pay and performance. The key aims of the 
remuneration policy are to promote the long-
term success of JTC whilst ensuring alignment 
with shareholder value-creation.I am pleased 
to report that we received overwhelming 
shareholder support and approval of the 
Remuneration Policy at last year’s AGM, and 
a summary of the voting is shown in the 
table below.

This is, I believe, testament to how we align 
our remuneration decisions with our business 
strategy, as well as the extensive shareholder 
consultation and engagement process 
undertaken pre-IPO. The full Policy can be 
found on page 80.

In our At a Glance section, on page 77 we 
summarise the performance outcomes 
against our remuneration framework, in the 
context of how the Policy was applied in 2019. 
The annual bonus for the CEO and CFO will 
be 50% of salary (reduced at their request to 
increase funds available to reward employees’ 
performance) and 10% for the COO.

The Committee believes that the outcomes 
of the 2019 annual bonus and PSP awards 
accurately reflect the performance of the 
Company over this period.

DIRECTOR CHANGES 
Wendy Holley and Erika Schraner were 
appointed to the Board on 19 July 2019 and 
18 November 2019, respectively. Details of 
their terms set out on pages 54 and 55 are in 
line with the announcements made on 22 July 
2019 and 18 November 2019 and on page 55 of 
the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 
DEVELOPMENTS 
The Committee has reviewed the legislative 
and best practice developments in respect of 
director remuneration and welcomes change 
to raise the bar in this area. The introduction 
of the 2018 Code which seeks to broaden 
the role of the Committee, as well as to 
introduce additional measures concerning 
director pay, has been carefully considered 

2019 AGM SHAREHOLDER VOTING

Resolution

Votes  
for

Votes 
against

Votes 
withheld

Approve Directors’ Remuneration Report

91,538,065

180,717

2,941,583

99.80%

0.20%

Approve Remuneration Policy 

90,970,146

180,717

3,509,502

99.80%

0.20%

Over the course of the year, preparations 
have been undertaken to ensure that the 
Committee is well placed to fully comply 
with the 2018 Code. 

The Committee also reviewed its terms 
of reference to ensure that they continue 
to be fit for purpose and in line with best 
practice. The review was undertaken with 
guidance from the Group General Counsel 
and Company Secretary. 

A copy of the terms of reference can be found 
on the Company’s website www.jtcgroup.com.

P R I O R I T I E S   F O R   T H E 
C O M I N G   Y E A R 
We remain committed to delivering a leading 
and transparent remuneration framework, 
supported by strong governance processes, 
designed to drive the right behaviours 
across the whole organisation and deliver 
long-term success, meeting the needs of all 
our stakeholders.

C O M M I T T E E   E V A L U A T I O N 
The Committee’s performance was assessed 
as part of the annual Board evaluation. I am 
pleased to report that the Committee is 
regarded as operating effectively and the 
Board takes assurance from the quality of 
the Committee’s work. The findings of this 
year’s evaluation of the performance of the 
Remuneration Committee can be found on 
page 65.

S H A R E H O L D E R   E N G A G E M E N T 
Both the Remuneration Committee and the 
Board as a whole recognise the benefits of 
and welcome the engagement of shareholders 
on a wide range of topics, including 
executive compensation.

I look forward to receiving your support at the 
upcoming AGM.

MICHAEL GRAY 
REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 
21 April 2020

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R E M U N E R A T I O N   C O M M I T T E E
C o n t i n u e d

Key areas of Remuneration Committee focus in 2019
A summary of the matters considered at each meeting is set out below:

February

March

July

September

•  Update on Remuneration Policy consultation
•  Annual bonus outcome for 2018
•  Directors’ salary increase proposals 

•  PSP awards for 2019 
•  Final draft of Directors’ remuneration report for 2018
•  UK Corporate Governance Code

•  Update on market practice and remuneration forward look UK Corporate Governance Code 
•  Update gender pay reporting 2018
•  Reward and performance alignment compared with peers
•  Executive Directors’ benchmarking review
•  Terms of reference for the Remuneration Committee

•  Annual bonus 2020 – structure and targets Directors’ remuneration report planning for 2019
•  Review of mandatory shareholding requirements and update on sourcing for share schemes
•  Remuneration report planning for 2020

W H O   S U P P O R T S   T H E 
C O M M I T T E E ?
To ensure that the Company’s remuneration 
practices are in line with best practice, the 
Committee has appointed independent 
external remuneration advisers, KPMG. 

KPMG attends meetings of the Committee by 
invitation. By invitation, the Executive Directors 
and the Group Head of HR also attended the 
Committee meetings to provide advice and 
respond to specific questions. Such attendances 
specifically excluded any matter concerning 

their own remuneration. The Company 
Secretary acts as secretary to the Committee. 

The Committee reviews the appointment of 
its advisers annually and is satisfied that the 
advice it receives is objective and independent. 
Fees for advice provided by KPMG to the 
Committee during the year were £67,562. 
Separate teams within KPMG also provided 
advisory services during the year.

D I R E C T O R S ’   I N T E R E S T S   I N   S H A R E S
As at 9 April 2020 the Directors have significant shareholdings in the Company, as follows:

Nigel Le Quesne*

Martin Fotheringham 

Wendy Holley

Mike Liston 

Dermot Mathias

Michael Gray 

Legally owned as at 
31.12.2019

10,509,128

718,586

578,618

32,797

25,863

17,242

Unvested 
PSP awards

166,282

127,083

28,902

N/A

N/A

N/A

% interest in 
voting rights

9.17

0.63

0.50

0.02

0.02

0.01

* 

Includes Ordinary Shares held by Ocean Drive Holdings Limited, a company in which Nigel Le Quesne is beneficially interested.

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

R E M U N E R A T I O N   O U T C O M E S   A S   A T   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9   ( U N A U D I T E D )

Element

Base Salary as at 31 December 2019

Pension 

Benefits

Annual Bonus 

PSP (value of max. award at grant) (2)

Total

(1) 

Full annualised figures with no-prorations

(2) 

Face value of award at Grant 

A N N U A L   B O N U S   A W A R D   ( U N A U D I T E D )

Nigel Le Quesne

Martin Fotheringham

Wendy Holley (2)

Nigel
Le Quesne

Martin
Fotheringham

Wendy
Holley(1)

£392,400

£39,240

£11,608

£196,200

£152,484

£791,932

£300,000

£200,000

£17,500

£11,477

£150,000

£116,528

£595,505

£10,000

£1,491

£20,000

£50,000

£281,491

Salary 
£

Max. Bonus
% of salary

Bonus Awarded
as % of max

% 
of salary

392,400

300,000

200,000

75%

75%

12.5%

67%

67%

80%

50%

50%

10%

Bonus Received(1)

£

196,200

150,000

20,000

(1)  The maximum annual bonus opportunity approved by the Committee was 75% of base salary for Nigel Le Quesne and Martin Fotheringham. At the Executive Directors’ request the bonus was reduced 

to 50% of salary to provide a greater reward opportunity for employees. 

(2)  No bonus adjustment was made for Wendy Holley at the time of her appointment to the Board. Her future bonus opportunity will be based on a cap of 50% of base salary.

All cash bonus and Deferred Bonus Shares are subject to malus and clawback. Performance measures and weightings are set out in more detail on the 
following pages.

2 0 1 9   P S P   ( U N A U D I T E D )

Nigel Le Quesne

Annual Salary

£392,400

Martin Fotheringham

£300,000

Wendy Holley (2)

£200,000

TSR = Total Shareholder Return

EPS = underlying Earnings Per Share

GP = Group Business Plan delivery

Max. Award  
(%)

Max. Award  
(£)

Share Award 
(100%)

Performance
Measures(1)

£294,300

98,100

£225,000

75,000

TSR
(50%)

TSR
(50%)

EPS
(50%)

EPS
(50%)

75

75

25

Vesting Date

Hold 
Period

31.12.2022

2 years

31.12.2022

2 years

£50,000

16,667  

TSR 

GP
EPS 
(33%)  (33%)  (34%)

31.12.2022

2 years

(1)  We set a target of 10% revenue growth which is applied to the underlying EPS target. The target for the 19-21 LTIP’s is 27.04p so this means that the 20-22 series target is 29.75p. therefore the EPS 

range is 23.8p to 29.75p.

The floor of 80% set would equate to a 25% entitlement. Thereafter the award would increase in value on a linear scale whereby on reaching 100% 
of the consensus target for the adjusted underlying EPS the full EPS element of the award would be earned. For 2020 the underlying EPS target 
parameters are:

•  Floor (25% award) would be 80% * 29.75 pence = 23.80 pence 
•  100% award would be earned for EPS of 29.75 pence

PSP awards are subject to malus and clawback. Performance measures and weightings are set out in more detail on page on the following pages.

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E X E C U T I V E   P E R F O R M A N C E

A L I G N I N G   E X E C U T I V E ’ S   I N C E N T I V E   P E R F O R M A N C E   M E A S U R E S   S T R A T E G Y
The Company’s remuneration policy is designed to promote the long-term success of JTC, ensuring alignment of executives’ performance measures 
with shareholder value-creation and pay-for-performance set against challenging targets and stretching goals. We continually consider the performance 
measures we use for our incentives to ensure they support the delivery of our strategy. 

V A R I A B L E   C O M P O N E N T S   O F   E X E C U T I V E   R E M U N E R A T I O N
ANNUAL BONUS
The measures provide a fair balance of rewarding financial performance, client service excellence, industry innovation and maintaining JTC’s unique 
culture, which are the foundations of our success. 

Financial measures will typically account for the majority of the bonus. A range of targets is set by the Committee, taking into account factors such as 
the business outlook for the year. If non-financial or individual measures are included, where possible a performance range will be set. The detail of the 
measures, targets and weightings may be varied by the Committee year on year based on the Company’s strategic goals. Each objective is categorised 
by specific measures for which maximum points were assigned. The achievement of the objectives has been illustrated in points and incorporates 
associated behaviours as set out in the Core Values of the Group. 

The following table sets out the 2019 Annual Bonus outcomes for Nigel Le Quesne and Martin Fotheringham:

Measure

Financial 

Risk

Management

Total

Threshold (min. points required to 
trigger a bonus)

Maximum (points required to achieve 
100% of the 75% of salary cap)

Outcome (reflected as actual points 
achieved for each measure)

10

5

5

20

30

14

20

64

16

12

14

42

* 

The maximum annual bonus opportunity approved by the Committee was 75% of base salary for Nigel Le Quesne and Martin Fotheringham. At the Executive Directors’ request the bonus was reduced 

to 50% of salary to provide a greater reward opportunity for employees.

This illustration shows 65% success against objectives and behaviours which provides for a 65% of salary bonus.

The following table sets out the 2019 Annual Bonus outcomes for Wendy Holley:

Measure

Financial 

Risk

Management

Total

Threshold (min. points required to 
trigger a bonus)

Maximum (points required to achieve 
100% of the 12.5% of salary cap)

Outcome (reflected as actual points 
achieved for each measure

7

7

14

14

20

34

8

14

22

* 

The maximum annual bonus opportunity approved by the Committee was 12.5% of base salary for Wendy Holley

P S P 
For the two PSP awards granted to the CEO and CFO since IPO 50% award will be based on 50% underlying EPS and 50% TSR versus comparable 
companies. The target for the 19-21 LTIP’s is 27.04p so this would mean that the 20-22 series target would be 29.75p. The EPS range is 23.8p – 29.75p. 
The floor of 80% set would equate to a 25% entitlement. Thereafter the award would increase in value on a linear scale whereby on reaching 100% of 
the consensus target for the adjusted underlying EPS the full EPS element of the award would be earned. For 2020 the EPS target parameters are:

•  Floor (25% award) would be 80% * 29.75 pence = 23.80 pence 
•  100% award would be earned for underlying EPS of 29.75 pence

Performance Conditions for the COO will remain as they have for previous years of TSR (33%), underlying EPS (33%) and Group Performance (34%).

Such measures remain pursuant to the Performance Share Plan Rules which carry a three year vesting period, two year holding period and malus and 
clawback provisions.

The Committee is comfortable that the underlying EPS and TSR performance conditions are appropriately stretching for the higher incentive 
opportunity and the EPS growth targets are significantly higher than those set in similar incentive plans in most FTSE 350 companies.

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P E R S O N A L   O B J E C T I V E S 
The Executive Directors’ personal objectives focus on the delivery of financial performance, the strategic priorities for the business and the successful 
management of risk. Based on a review of achievement against the personal objectives set out below, the Committee awarded Nigel Le Quesne and 
Martin Fotheringham 65% of salary under this element. At the request of the Executive Directors the final award was reduced to 50% of their salary in 
order to increase the funds available to award staff bonuses.

Theme 

Financial 

Objective

Achievements in the year

Maintain organic and inorganic growth in revenue and 
earnings in-line with consensus

Achieve financial Consensus using adjusted underlying EPS

Deliver opportunities for inorganic growth in accordance 
with the Group’s disciplined M&A strategy

Net organic growth of 8% – 10% (gross 17-20%)  
at Group level

Risk

Maintain JTC’s excellent track record of successful risk 
management 

Introduce Jurisdictional Strength Index
Improve the risk and compliance framework and reporting

Improve EBITDA margin in line with KPI
Indentify and deliver key M&A acquistions in-line with JTC’s 
targeted, disciplined acquisition strategy
Acquisition of Exequitive Partners in key growth jurisdiction

Management

Protect and promote JTC’s unique culture and values, 
including the employee ‘Ownership for All’ programme

Proactive stakeholder management

Maintaining excellent relationships with all regulators

Recruitment, selection and induction of new Chief Risk Officer 

Sponsor the JTC ‘Leading In Our Name’ (LION) senior 
management development and succession planning 
programme
 Sponsor the ‘O4A’ programme and ensure that 20% of shares 
remain in employee ownership 
Act as principal liaison for all stakeholders, including 
shareholders and employees 
Launch Wellbeing programme for the benefit of all 
jurisdictions

Based on a review of achievement against the personal objectives set out below, the Committee awarded Wendy Holley 10% of salary under 
this element.

Theme 

Risk

Management

Objective

Achievements in the year

Ensure swift and successful integration of acquisitions during 
the period

Lead dedicated M&A integration teams to ensure swift and 
successful full integration in accordance with agreed plans

Support the embedded risk culture across the Group

Oversee the improvements to operational reporting

Oversee and sponsor employee engagement programmes
Ensure corporate culture, Group structure and operations 
continue to be fit for purpose
Improve further operational reporting and maintain 
disciplined cost control 

Implement the JTC ‘Leading In Our Name (LION) senior 
management development and succession planning 
programme
Implement the ‘Advance to Buy’ programme
Ensure that JTC’s business continuity planning remains ‘fit for 
purpose’ and lead specific implementation teams
Support the improvements of the ICS Jurisdictional Strength 
Index
Launch Wellbeing programme for the benefit of all 
jurisdictions

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R E M U N E R A T I O N   P O L I C Y

E X E C U T I V E   P A Y   G A P   R E P O R T I N G
As a non-UK incorporated company with fewer than 250 UK employees, JTC is not required to adhere to the CEO pay reporting regulations. 
The Committee is keen, however, to ensure that disclosure in relation to executive pay is transparent and has chosen to make a voluntary disclosure of 
CEO pay ratios: 

Year

2019

Method

Total FTE remuneration for all UK employees

Methodology: 

25th percentile
pay ratio

Median 
pay ratio

75th percentile 
pay ratio

23

12

8

This ratio shows that the CEO’s pay is 12x greater than the median average of all of JTC’s UK employees.

•  Determine the total FTE remuneration for all the Company’s UK employees for the relevant financial year
•  Rank those employees from low to high, based on their total FTE remuneration
•  Identify the employees whose remuneration places them at the 25th, 50th (median) and 75th percentile points

R E M U N E R A T I O N   P O L I C Y
This section sets out our Remuneration Policy. 
The Policy applied with effect from 21 May 
2019 when it was approved by shareholders at 
the Company’s Annual General Meeting and 
will remain in effect for three years until 2022.

The Policy explains the purpose and principles 
underlying the structure of remuneration 
packages and how the Policy links 
remuneration to the achievement of sustained 
high performance and long-term value creation.

Overall remuneration is structured and set 
at levels to enable JTC to recruit and retain 
high calibre colleagues necessary for business 
success whilst ensuring that: 

•  Our reward structure, performance measures 
and mix between fixed and variable elements 
is comparable with similar organisations

•  Rewards are aligned to the strategy and aims 

of the business

•  The approach is simple to communicate to 

participants and Shareholders

•  Particular account has been taken of 

structures used within FTSE 350 companies, 
and other comparable organisations

Our Policy is designed to maintain stability in 
the executive team and to ensure appropriate 
positioning against our comparator groups. 
We believe our approach to be balanced and 
that it will stand the test of time.

related remuneration are both appropriate and 
sufficiently demanding in the context of the 
business environment and the challenges which 
the Group faces as well as complying with the 
provisions of the Code.

The Committee has the discretion to amend 
certain aspects of the Policy in exceptional 
circumstances when considered to be in the 
best interests of Shareholders. Should such 
discretion be used, this will be explained and 
reported in the DRR for the following year.

C O M P O N E N T   P A R T S   O F   T H E 
R E M U N E R A T I O N   P A C K A G E 
The key components of executive directors’ 
remuneration for the Policy Period are 
summarised below:

The Committee considers general pay and 
employment conditions of all employees 
within the Group and is sensitive to these, to 
prevailing market and economic conditions 
and to governance trends when assessing the 
level of salaries and remuneration packages of 
executive directors and other members of the 
Executive Committee.

Remuneration links corporate and individual 
performance with an appropriate balance 
between short and long term elements, and 
fixed and variable components. The Policy is 
designed to incentivise executives to meet the 
Company’s key objectives. A significant portion 
of total remuneration is performance related, 
based on a mixture of internal targets linked to 
the Company’s key business drivers which can 
be measured, understood and accepted by both 
executives and shareholders.

The Committee considers that the targets set 
for the different components of performance-

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the event that any deviation from standard 
policy is required to recruit a new hire, approval 
would be sought at the next AGM. 

The Remuneration Committee recognises that 
it may be necessary in some circumstances to 
provide compensation for amounts foregone 
from a previous employer (‘buyout awards’). 
Any buyout awards would be limited to what 
is felt to be a fair estimate of the value of 
remuneration foregone when leaving the 
former employer and would be structured so as 
to be, to the extent possible, no more generous 
in terms of the fair value and other key terms 
(e.g. time to vesting and performance targets) 
than the incentives it is replacing.

Remuneration Committee, “good leaver” 
status can be applied. In these circumstances a 
participant’s awards will, ordinarily, vest subject 
to the satisfaction of the relevant performance 
criteria and on a time pro-rata basis, with the 
balance of the awards lapsing.

S H A R E   O W N E R S H I P 
G U I D E L I N E S 
In accordance with good practice and further 
aligning Executive Directors with the long-term 
interests of the Company, Executive Directors 
are required to build or maintain a shareholding 
equivalent to 150% of their annual base salary. 
The Executive Directors each hold a significant 
shareholding, as detailed at page 76.

T E R M I N A T I O N   P O L I C Y 
In the event of termination, service contracts 
provide for payments of base salary, pension 
and benefits only over the notice period. 
There is no contractual right to any bonus 
payment in the event of termination although 
in certain “good leaver” circumstances the 
Remuneration Committee may exercise its 
discretion to pay a bonus for the period of 
employment and based on performance 
assessed after the end of the financial year.

The default treatment for any share-based 
entitlements under the Share Plans is that 
any outstanding awards lapse on cessation of 
employment. However, in certain prescribed 
circumstances, or at the discretion of the 

N O T E S   T O   T H E   P O L I C Y   T A B L E 
All PSP awards made in respect of the 2019 
financial year onwards to Executive Directors 
are subject to malus and clawback provisions. 
The Committee may, in its absolute discretion, 
determine to reduce the number of shares to 
which an award or option relates or cancel it 
altogether. Alternatively, the Committee could 
impose further conditions on the vesting or 
exercise of an award or option. 

R E M U N E R A T I O N   P O L I C Y   F O R 
O T H E R   E M P L O Y E E S 
As with the Executive Directors, salary for 
other employees is set at a level sufficient 
to attract and retain them, taking into 
account their experience and expertise. 
Remuneration packages comprise salaries plus 
cash bonuses and/or employee share awards.

The Group regards membership of its share 
plans (as described at pages 82 and 83) as a key 
part of its reward strategy which also aligns 
with the interests of employees and other 
stakeholders. Most employees receive benefits 
such as individual medical cover, permanent 
health insurance and life assurance.

R E C R U I T M E N T   P O L I C Y 
Consistent with best practice, new senior 
management hires (including those promoted 
internally) will be offered packages in line with 
the Remuneration Policy in force at the time. 
It is the Remuneration Committee’s policy that 
no special arrangements will be made, and in 

F I X E D   E L E M E N T S   O F   R E M U N E R A T I O N   F O R   E X E C U T I V E   D I R E C T O R

Element of remuneration NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FEES

Purpose and link to 
company strategy

Fees are set at a level to reflect the amount of time and level of involvement required in order to carry out their duties as 
members of the Board and its Committees, and to attract and retain Non-Executive Directors of the highest calibre with 
relevant commercial and other experience.

Operation

The fees paid to the Non-Executive Directors are determined by the Board as a whole. Additional fees are payable for acting 
as Senior Independent Director and as Chair of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee and Remuneration Committee.

Maximum opportunity

The fees paid to the Non-Executive Directors are determined by the Board as a whole. Additional fees are payable for acting 
as Senior Independent Director and as Chair of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee and Remuneration Committee.

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A N N U A L   R E P O R T   O N   R E M U N E R A T I O N
R E M U N E R A T I O N   P O L I C Y
C o n t i n u e d

Element & link  
to strategy

B A S E   S A L A R Y
Set at levels to attract and 
retain individuals of the calibre 
required to lead the business. 
Reflects the individual’s role, 
experience and contribution.

B E N E F I T S
Provides benefits sufficient to 
attract and retain Executives 
with the appropriate experience 
and expertise.

P E N S I O N S
Sufficient to attract and retain 
Executives with the appropriate 
experience and expertise.

Operation

Reviewed annually with increases 
typically taking effect from 
1 January.

Executive Directors are entitled to 
the following benefits:
•  Life assurance
•  Pension contributions
•  Private medical insurance
•  Certain de minimis benefits 

in kind

Executive Directors are eligible to 
receive employer contributions 
to the Group Occupational 
Retirement plan.

The cost of providing these benefits 
can vary in accordance with market 
conditions, which will, therefore, 
determine the maximum value.

Up to 10% of salary per annum.

Maximum 
opportunity

There is no set maximum to 
salary levels or salary increases. 
Account will be taken of increases 
applied to colleagues as a whole 
when determining salary increases 
for the Executive Directors. 
However, the Committee retains the 
discretion to award higher increases 
where it considers it appropriate, 
especially where salary at the outset 
has been set at a relatively low level.

Performance 
metrics

None

None

None

Read more on page 84

Read more on page 84

Read more on page 84

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D E F E R R E D   B O N U S 
S H A R E   P L A N   ( D B S P )
Incentivise performance in the 
reporting year through the setting of 
targets at the beginning of the year 
consistent with the Group’s 
long-term strategy. The opportunity 
to defer the bonus and take it in 
shares aligns interests with 
Shareholders and discourages 
short-term decision-making.

All employees of the Company and 
its subsidiaries including Executive 
Directors are eligible to participate 
in the DBSP. It is currently intended 
that Executive Directors, Senior 
Managers and certain managers 
below Senior Manager level 
will participate.

The Executive Directors will 
participate to the extent that their 
annual bonus exceeds 50% of their 
base year annual salary.

The DBSP is designed to incentivise 
high performance and may include 
further financial and non-financial 
performance measures, the precise 
measures and targets will be 
reviewed by the Remuneration 
Committee each year.

E M P L O Y E E   I N C E N T I V E 
P L A N
The Company attaches 
considerable importance to the 
role of performance based bonuses 
to drive profitability and business 
growth and to the importance 
of wider all employee share and/
or performance based incentives 
to align employees’ interests with 
the interests of Shareholders. 
The EIP has been adopted to further 
those aims.

All employees of the Company 
and its subsidiaries (excluding all 
Executive Directors and Senior 
Managers) will be eligible to be 
granted an award under the EIP at 
the discretion of the Committee.

Executive Directors and Senior 
Managers are not be eligible to 
participate in the EIP.

The EIP will not include any 
individual limits but it is intended 
that, except potentially in 
exceptional cases, awards would 
typically be a fraction of the 
participant’s salary.

The vesting of an award and receipt 
of shares may be subject to the 
achievement of other conditions 
to be set by the Remuneration 
Committee at the date of grant.

The EIP is designed to incentivise 
high performance and may 
include financial and non-financial 
performance measures, the 
precise measures and targets will 
be reviewed by the Committee 
each year.

A N N U A L   B O N U S 
Incentivise and reward the 
achievement of stretching one year 
key performance targets set by the 
Committee at the start of each 
financial year.

P E R F O R M A N C E   S H A R E 
P L A N   ( P S P )
Incentivise and reward executive 
directors for the delivery of 
longer term financial performance 
and shareholder value. Share-
based to provide alignment with 
Shareholder interests.

The annual bonus is earned by 
the achievement of one year 
performance targets set by the 
Committee at the start of each 
financial year and is delivered in 
cash or a combination of cash 
and Deferred Bonus Shares. 
The Committee retains the 
discretion to adjust the bonus 
outcomes to ensure that they reflect 
underlying business performance.

An annual conditional award of 
ordinary shares which may be 
earned after a single three year 
performance period, based on 
the achievement of stretching 
performance conditions. 
Executive directors normally hold 
vested PSP shares (net of any shares 
sold to meet tax and social security 
liabilities) for a period of two years 
post-vesting.

Up to 100% of salary. In the 
event the Executive Directors are 
in receipt of a bonus equating to 
more than 50% of their base salary 
then this additional amount will be 
deferred into the DBSP for a further 
three years.

Awards are based on financial, 
operational and individual goals 
set at the start of the year. 
The Committee reserves the 
right to make an award of a 
different amount produced by 
achievement against the measures 
if it believes the outcome is not 
a fair reflection of Company 
performance. The split between 
these performance measures will be 
determined by the Committee.

Up to 100% of salary in 2019 for 
the CEO and CFO. Up to 12.5% of 
salary in 2019 for the COO and 
Senior Management.

In any financial year, the total 
market value of shares over which 
awards can be made under the 
PSP to any participant cannot 
normally exceed 150% of their 
annual base salary, but the plan 
rules will allow the Remuneration 
Committee the discretion to award 
up to 250% of annual base salary in 
exceptional circumstances.

Performance is measured 
over 3 financial years. 
Performance measures are 50% 
TSR and 50% underlying EPS for 
the CEO and CFO.

Performance measures for the COO 
are 33% TSR, 33% underlying EPS 
and 34% of the delivery of the 
Group Business Plan.

Read more on page 84

Read more on page 84

Read more on page 84

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R E M U N E R A T I O N   P O L I C Y
C o n t i n u e d

A U D I T E D   S E C T I O N   O F   T H E   R E M U N E R A T I O N   R E P O R T
The Annual Report on Remuneration and the Annual Statement will be put to an advisory Shareholder vote at the AGM on 26 May 2020. 
The information on pages 84 to 85 is audited.

S I N G L E   T O T A L   F I G U R E   O F   R E M U N E R A T I O N   ( A U D I T E D )
The table below sets out the total remuneration payable to each Executive Director for the year ended 31 December 2019.(1)

Element

Nigel
Le Quesne

Martin
Fotheringham

Wendy
Holley

Mike Liston

Dermot 
Mathias Michael Gray

Erika 
Schraner

Base Salary as at 31 December 2019

£392,400

£300,000

£90,959

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Base fee

SID fee

Committee Chair fee(s)

Pension

Benefits

Annual Bonus 

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

£39,240

£17,500

£11,608

£11,477

£196,200

£150,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

£4,548

£1,491

£9,096

PSP (value of max. award at grant)

£152,484

£116,528

£13,102

£100,000

£60,000

£60,000

£7,233

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

£10,000

N/A

£5,000

£10,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total

£791,932

£595,505

£119,196

£100,000

£75,000

£70,000

£7,233

(1)   Pro-rated from the date of appointment

B A S E   S A L A R Y ( A U D I T E D )
The annual rate of base salaries of the executive directors for the year ended 31 December 2019 was:

Base salary

Effective date

Increase % Reason

Nigel Le Quesne 

£392,400

1 January 2019

9 Reflects increased responsibilities following IPO.

Martin Fotheringham

£300,000

1 January 2019

9 Reflects increased responsibilities following IPO.

Wendy Holley

£200,000

1 January 2019

3 ‘Cost of living’ increase.

The proposed annual rate of base salaries of the executive directors from 1 January 2020 will be:

Base salary

Effective date

% Reason

Increase

Nigel Le Quesne 

£420,000

1 January 2020

7 ‘Cost of living’ and incremental increase to achieve parity with peers.

Martin Fotheringham

£306,000

1 January 2020

2 ‘Cost of living’ increase.

Wendy Holley

£230,000

1 January 2020

15 Reflects increased responsibilities following appointment to Board.

2 0 1 9   A N N U A L   B O N U S   ( A U D I T E D )
Further details, including information on the performance assessment of personal objectives are set out on pages 78 and 79.

Nigel Le Quesne 

Martin Fotheringham

Wendy Holley

2019

2018

% of Max. 
Award

£196,200

£150,000

£20,000

67

67

80

£144,000

£110,000

£16,473

% of Max. 
Award

80

80

N/A

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2 0 1 9   P S P   A W A R D S   ( A U D I T E D )
During the year ended 31 December 2019, executive directors received a conditional award of shares which may vest after a three year performance 
period which will end on 31 December 2021, based on the achievement of stretching performance conditions. The maximum levels achievable under 
these awards are set out in the table below:

Annual 
Salary

Max. 
Award (%)

Max. 
Award (£)

Share 
Award 
(100%)

Nigel Le Quesne

£392,400

75

£294,300

98,100

MartinFotheringham

£300,000

75

£225,000

75,000

WendyHolley

£200,000

12.5%

£25,000

16,667

(1)   Face value of award as at the date of grant on 3 April 2019 

Performance Measures(1)

Vesting Date

Hold 
Period(2)

TSR
(50%)

TSR
(50%)

EPS
(50%)

EPS
(50%)

31.12.2022

2 years

31.12.2022

2 years

TSR
(33%)

EPS
(33%)

GP
(34%)

31.12.2022

2 years

(2)   Executive Directors are required to hold vested awards for a period of two years following vesting so as to further strengthen the long term alignment of executives’ remuneration packages with 

Shareholders’ interests and, if required, to facilitate the implementation of provisions related to clawback.

T O T A L   S H A R E   A W A R D S   G R A N T E D   ( A U D I T E D )
The table below sets out details of the Executive Directors’ outstanding share awards as at 31 December 2019.

Nigel Le Quesne

Martin Fotheringham

Wendy Holley

Max. No. 
Shares

% vesting 
at threshold 
performance

End of 
performance 
period

Award

Vest Date

Hold 
Period

25% 31.12.2021

31.12.2020

N/A

25% 31.12.2022

31.12.2021

2 years

25% 31.12.2021

31.12.2020

N/A

25% 31.12.2022

31.12.2021

2 years

25% 31.12.2021

31.12.2020

N/A

25% 31.12.2022

31.12.2021

2 years

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

68,182

98,100

Total

166,282

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

52,083

75,000

Total

127,083

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

Total

12,235

16,667

28,902

Total

322,267

P A Y   F O R   P E R F O R M A N C E   –   C E O
The Committee believes that the Policy and the supporting reward structure provide a clear alignment with the strategic objectives and performance of 
the Company. The table below shows the CEO’s total remuneration since IPO and the achieved annual variable and long-term incentive pay awards as a 
percentage of the plan maxima. 

Single total figure of remuneration 

Annual Bonus award against maximum % 

PSP vesting rates against maximum opportunity %

2019

2018

£791,932

£538,239

67%

N/A

80%

N/A

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D I R E C T O R S ’   R E P O R T

This Directors’ Report forms part of the 
management report as required under DTR 4. 
The Company has chosen to include certain 
matters in its Strategic Report that would 
otherwise be required to be disclosed in this 
Directors’ Report. The Strategic Report can 
be found on pages 4 to 47 and includes an 
indication of future likely developments in 
the Company, details of important events and 
the Company’s business model and strategy. 
The Corporate Governance Report on pages 
48 to 85 and the Directors’ Responsibilities 
Statement on page 87 are incorporated into the 
Directors’ Report by reference.

Additional information which is incorporated 
by reference into this Directors’ Report, 
including information required in accordance 
with the Listing Rules 9.8.4R of the UK Financial 
Conduct Authority’s listing rules, specifically 
the following disclosures, have been included 
elsewhere within the Annual Report and 
are incorporated into this Directors’ Report 
by reference:

Disclosure

Financial Risk Management

Future Developments in the 
business

Statement of directors’ 
responsibilities including 
disclosure of information to the 
auditor

Shareholder information

Viability statement

Going concern statement

Page

131

7

89

36

C O M P A N Y   S T A T U S 
JTC PLC is public company incorporated in 
Jersey. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange 
main market with a premium listing.

S U B S I D I A R Y   C O M P A N I E S 
JTC operates through a number of subsidiaries 
in various different countries. The list of 
subsidiaries is available at note 33 to the 
Financial Statements.

C O M P L I A N C E   W I T H 
T H E   U K   C O R P O R A T E 
G O V E R N A N C E   C O D E 
It is a requirement of Listing Rule 9.8.7R that as 
an overseas company with a premium listing 
JTC must comply with the Code or explain in 
its Annual Report and accounts any areas of 
non-compliance and the Company’s reasons for 
this. As at the date of this Report, the Company 
complies with the UK Corporate Governance 
Code published by the Financial Reporting 
Council (the “Code”) to the extent applicable to 

“smaller companies” (being those outside the 
FTSE 350) other than the following exception: 
the Chair of the Board was a member of 
the Audit and RIsk Committee. The Board 
nevertheless considers the composition 
of the Committee to be appropriate given 
the Committee’s activities and focus, and 
having regard to the relevant experience and 
background of Mr Liston. 

F O R W A R D - L O O K I N G 
S T A T E M E N T S 
This annual report contains certain forward-
looking statements. By their nature, any 
statements about the future outlook involve 
risk and uncertainty because they relate to 
events and depend on circumstances that may 
or may not occur in the future. Actual results, 
performance or outcomes may differ materially 
from any results, performance or outcomes 
expressed or implied by such forward-looking 
statements. Each forward looking statement 
speaks only as of the date of that particular 
statement. No representation or warranty 
is given in relation to any forward-looking 
statements made by JTC, including as to their 
completeness or accuracy. Nothing in this 
Report and accounts should be construed as a 
profit forecast. Both the Strategic Report and 
the Directors’ Report have been drawn up and 
presented in accordance with and in reliance 
upon applicable Jersey Company law, and the 
liabilities of the Directors in connection with 
these Reports shall be subject to the limitations 
and restrictions provided by such law.

R E S U L T S   A N D   D I V I D E N D S 
In the year ended 31 December 2019, the 
Group delivered an underlying profit before tax 
of £20.5 million (2018: £17 million), an increase 
of 20%; and a statutory profit before tax of 
£17.6 million (2018: -£2.1 million), a change of 
-928.5%.

A summary of the dividends on ordinary shares 
for the financial year ended 31 December 2019 
compared to the prior year is shown below:

Year

2019

2019

2019

2018

2018

2018

Dividend

Final (recommended)

0.6

Total

Final (recommended)

0.6

Total

Pence per 
share

3.6p

1.7p

5.3p

2.0p

1.0p

3.0p

The 2019 interim dividend of 1.7 pence per 
existing ordinary share (2018: 1.0 pence) was 
paid to shareholders on 25 October 2019.

Payment of the recommended final dividend 
for the year 31 December 2019, if approved at 
the 2020 AGM, will be made on 3 July 2020 to 
shareholders registered at the close of business 
on 5 June 2020. The shares will be quoted ex-
dividend from 4 June 2020.

D I R E C T O R S 
Details of the directors in office at the date 
of this Report are listed on pages 54 to 55. 
In accordance with the Code, each director will 
retire and submit himself or herself for election 
or re-election at the 2020 AGM. 

As announced, Wendy Holley was appointed as 
an executive director with effect from 19 July 
2019 and Erika Schraner was appointed as an 
independent non-executive director with effect 
from 18 November 2019.

Copies of the Executive Directors’ service 
contracts are available to Shareholders for 
inspection at the Company’s registered office 
and at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). 
Details of the Directors’ remuneration and 
service contracts and their interests in the 
shares of the Company are set out on page 76.

A P P O I N T M E N T   A N D 
R E P L A C E M E N T   O F   D I R E C T O R S 
Directors may be appointed by ordinary 
resolution of the Shareholders, or by the 
Board. Appointment of a Director from outside 
the Group is on the recommendation of 
the Nomination Committee, whilst internal 
promotion is a matter decided by the Board 
unless it is considered appropriate for a 
recommendation to be requested from the 
Nomination Committee. At every AGM of 
the Company, any of the Directors who have 
been appointed by the Board since the last 
AGM shall seek election by the members. 
Notwithstanding provisions in the Company’s 
Articles of Association, the Board has agreed, in 
accordance with the UK Corporate Governance 
Code all of the Directors wishing to continue 
will retire and, being eligible, offer themselves 
for re-election by the Shareholders at the 
2020 AGM.

D I R E C T O R S ’   I N D E M N I T Y 
Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance is 
maintained by the Company

P O W E R S   O F   T H E   D I R E C T O R S 
Subject to the Company’s Articles of 
Association, the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991, 
as amended, and any directions given by special 
resolution, the business of the Company will 
be managed by the Board who may exercise all 
the powers of the Company, whether relating 
to the management of the business of the 
Company or not. In particular, the Board may 

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exercise all the powers of the Company to 
borrow money, to guarantee, to indemnify, 
to mortgage or charge any of its undertakings, 
property, assets (present and future) and 
uncalled capital and to issue debentures and 
other securities and to give security for any 
debt, liability or obligation of the Company 
or of any third party.

S T A T E M E N T   O F   D I R E C T O R S ’ 
R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S 
Our statement on Director’s Responsibilities 
has been provided on page 89 of this Report.

M A T E R I A L   I N T E R E S T   I N   S H A R E S 
Up to year-end being 31 December 2020 and 
as at 9 April 2020, being the latest practicable 
date before the publication of the report, the 
following disclosures of major holdings in 
voting rights have been made to the Group 
pursuant to Rule 5 DTR.

Shareholder

Liontrust Asset Management 

Nigel Le Quesne

Fidelity Mgt & Research

Aberdeen Standard Investments 
(Standard Life)

Invesco

% interest in 
voting rights

9.70

9.17

7.98

7.56

6.92

S H A R E   C A P I T A L 
General 
The issued share capital of the Group and 
details of movements in share capital during 
the year are shown in the Consolidated 
Statement of Changes in Equity shown on page 
103 of the Financial Statements. The holders 
of the shares are entitled to receive dividends 
when declared, to receive a copy of the Annual 
Report and accounts, to attend and speak at 
general meetings of the Company, to appoint 
proxies and to exercise voting rights.

The rights attached to the shares are provided 
by the Company’s Articles of Association, which 
may be amended or replaced by means of a 
special resolution of the Company in a general 
meeting. The Directors’ powers are conferred 
on them by Jersey company law and by the 
Articles of Association. Shares are admitted to 
trading on the London Stock Exchange and may 
be traded through the CREST system.

There are no restrictions on the transfer of 
ordinary shares in the capital of the Company 
other than those restrictions which may from 
time to time be imposed by law, for example, 
insider trading law. With respect to EU Market 
Abuse Regulation, all employees are required 
to seek the approval of the Company to deal in 
its shares.

The Company is not aware of any agreements 
between shareholders that may result in 
restrictions on the transfer of securities and/or 
voting rights.

The Company’s articles of association may only 
be amended by special resolution at a general 
meeting of shareholders.

The Company is not aware of any significant 
agreements to which it is party that take effect, 
alter or terminate upon a change of control of 
the Company following a takeover.

More detailed information relating to the rights 
and obligations attaching to the Company’s 
ordinary shares, in addition to those conferred 
by law, are set out in the Company’s articles 
of association, which are available on the 
Company’s website www.jtcgroup.com

A L L O T M E N T   O F   S H A R E S
The Shareholders have generally and 
unconditionally authorised the Directors to 
allot relevant securities up to two-thirds of 
the nominal authorised share capital. It is the 
Directors’ intention to seek the renewal of this 
authority in line with the guidance issued by 
the Investment Association. The resolution will 
be set out in the notice of the AGM. 

The Directors are seeking further authority 
to allot Equity Securities for cash without 
application of the pre-emption rights contained 
in Article 10 of the Articles equivalent to 
approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share 
capital of the Company. This extra authority 
is being sought in accordance with the Pre-
Emption Group’s Statement of Principles for 
the Disapplication of Pre-Emption Rights which 
permits disapplication authorities of up to 10% 
of issued ordinary share capital in total to be 
sought provided the extra 5% is used only in 
connection with the financing (or refinancing) 
of an acquisition or specified capital investment 
(as defined). 

It is the Board’s intention to propose that an 
additional special resolution be passed at the 
AGM to allow the Company to allot equity 
securities up to a further 5% of the Company’s 
issued share capital for transactions which the 
Board determines to be an acquisition or other 
capital investment.

P U R C H A S E   O F   S H A R E S 
The Shareholders approved the authority for 
the Company to buy back up to 10% of its own 
ordinary shares by market purchase until the 
conclusion of the AGM to be held this year. 
The Directors will seek to renew this authority 
for up to 10% of the Company’s issued share 
capital at the forthcoming AGM. This power 

will only be exercised if the Directors are 
satisfied that any purchase will increase the 
earning per share of the ordinary share capital 
in issue after the purchase and accordingly, that 
the purchase is in the interest of Shareholders.

A R T I C L E S   O F   A S S O C I A T I O N 
The Company’s Articles of Association set 
out its internal regulations and cover the 
rights of Shareholders , the appointment of 
Directors and the conduct of Board and general 
meetings. Copies of the Articles of Association 
are available upon request from the Group 
Company Secretary, and at JTC’s AGM.

S H A R E   D E A L I N G   C O D E 
JTC has adopted a share dealing code which 
applies to the Company’s Directors, its other 
PDMRs and all Group employees. In accordance 
with the Market Abuse Regulation, the 
Directors and PDMRs are responsible for 
procuring the compliance of their respective 
connected persons with the JTC share dealing 
code. The share dealing code has been 
published on the JTC intranet and further 
training will be provided on an ongoing basis 
to all of the JTC team.

P O S T   B A L A N C E   S H E E T   E V E N T S 
Details of post-balance sheet events are given 
in note 40 of the financial statements.

D O N A T I O N S   A N D   P O L I T I C A L 
E X P E N D I T U R E 
Charitable objectives support the Company’s 
ESG strategy and have primarily focused on 
improving the environment, education, health 
and wellbeing, community engagement and 
responsible business practice. Donations have 
included employee involvement through 
fundraising and financial support.

Group charitable donations

2019

£

103,203

JTC has not made any donations to any political 
party. The Board has consistently confirmed 
that it operates a policy of not giving any 
cash contribution to any political party in the 
ordinary meaning of those words and that it 
has no intention of changing that policy.

C O M M U N I C A T I N G   W I T H 
S H A R E H O L D E R S 
The Company places considerable importance 
on communication with its shareholders, 
including its private shareholders. The Group 
CEO and the Group CFO are closely involved 
in investor relations and a senior executive 
has day to day responsibility for such matters. 
The views of the Company’s major shareholders 
are reported to the Board by the Group CEO 

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C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

D I R E C T O R S ’   R E P O R T
C o n t i n u e d

and the Group CFO as well as by the Chairman 
(who remains in contact with our largest 
shareholders) and are discussed at its meetings. 

Details of long term incentive plans can be 
found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on 
pages 74 to 85.

There is regular dialogue with institutional 
shareholders, and private shareholders at the 
AGM. Contact with institutional shareholders 
(and with financial analysts, brokers and the 
media) is controlled by written guidelines in 
the Company’s Corporate Communications 
Code and Market Soundings Policy, in 
compliance with EU Market Abuse Regulation 
requirements to ensure the continued 
protection of share price sensitive information 
that has not already been made generally 
available to the Company’s shareholders. 
Contact is also maintained, when appropriate, 
with shareholders to discuss overall 
remuneration plans and policies.

The Annual Report is available to all 
shareholders and can be accessed via the 
Company’s website www.jtcgroup.com. 
The Group’s annual and interim results are also 
published on the Company’s website, together 
with all other announcements and documents 
issued to the market, such as statements, 
interviews and presentations by the Group CEO 
and Group CFO.

The Notice of Annual General Meeting is 
circulated to all shareholders at least 21 clear 
days prior to such meeting and it is Company 
policy not to combine resolutions to be 
proposed at general meetings. The results of 
proxy voting for and against each resolution, 
as well as abstentions, are announced to the 
London Stock Exchange and are published on 
the Company’s website as soon as practicable 
after the meeting.

U K   L I S T I N G   R U L E   9 . 8 . 4 
There are no disclosures required to be made 
under UK Listing Rule 9.8.4 which have not 
already been disclosed elsewhere in this Report. 

A U D I T O R S 
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP, which was re-
appointed in 2019, has expressed its willingness 
to continue in office as the Group’s Auditor 
and accordingly, resolutions to reappoint it 
and to authorise the Directors to determine 
its remuneration will be proposed at the AGM. 
These are resolutions 4 and 5 set out in the 
Notice of Meeting.

G O I N G   C O N C E R N 
Under the UK Corporate Governance Code, 
the Board is required to report whether the 
business is a going concern. In considering this 
requirement, the Directors have taken into 
account the following: 

•  The Group’s latest rolling forecast for the 
next three years, in particular the cash 
flows, borrowings and undrawn facilities. 
Sensitivity analysis is included within 
these forecasts; 

•  The headroom under the Group’s financial 

covenants; and

•  The risks included on the Group’s risk register 
that could impact on the Group’s liquidity 
and solvency over the next 12 months. 

Having due regard to these matters and after 
making appropriate enquiries, the Directors 
have a reasonable expectation that the Group 
and Company have adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence until at least 
December 2020. Therefore, the Board continues 
to adopt the going concern basis in preparing 
the financial statements.

D I S C L O S U R E   T O   T H E   A U D I T O R S 
The Directors who held office at the date of the 
approval of this Directors’ report confirm that 
so far as they are aware, there is no relevant 
audit information of which the Company’s 

Auditor is unaware and each Director has taken 
all the necessary steps to make themselves 
aware of any relevant audit information and 
to establish that the Company’s Auditor is 
aware of that information.

A G M 
The AGM will be held on 26 May 2020 at 
10.30am at JTC House, 28 Esplanade, St. Helier, 
Jersey, JE2 3QA. At that meeting, Shareholders 
will be asked to vote separately on the Annual 
Report and on the Report on Directors’ 
Remuneration. Separate resolutions will also 
be proposed on every substantive issue. A poll 
will be held on each resolution to ensure that 
the votes of the Shareholders unable to attend 
the meeting are taken into account, and results 
of the voting will be placed on our website as 
soon as possible after the meeting. 

In light of Government measures to 
reduce the transmission of COVID-19, and 
specifically the avoidance of public gatherings, 
shareholders are advised not to attend the 
AGM. If the measures continue to be similar 
or even more restrictive then shareholders 
(other than those specifically required to form 
the quorum for the AGM) will be refused entry 
to the meeting. Shareholders who wish to do 
so may submit any questions to the Board 
before the AGM and answers to the questions 
will be placed on the Company’s website. 
Shareholders should submit questions up until 
5pm on 22 May 2020 by emailing them to the 
Company Secretary at agm@jtcgroup.com.

On behalf of the Board

MIRANDA LANSDOWNE 
JOINT COMPANY SECRETARY 
JTC (JERSEY) LIMITED, COMPANY 
SECRETARY
21 April 2020

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D I R E C T O R S ’   R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y   S T A T E M E N T

C O R P O R A T E   G O V E R N A N C E

“The corporate secretary is 
an important link between 
the Board, management, 
shareholders and other 
stakeholders. Good corporate 
governance ensures the Group 
not only conforms but performs.“

M I R A N D A   L A N S D O W N E
C O M P A N Y   S E C R E T A R Y 
J T C   ( J E R S E Y )   L I M I T E D , 
C O M P A N Y   S E C R E T A R Y ,   J T C   P L C

The Directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report and the Group financial 
statements in accordance with applicable laws 
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare 
Group financial statements for each financial 
year. Under that law they are required to 
prepare the financial statements in accordance 
with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European 
Union and applicable law.

Under company law the Directors must not 
approve the financial statements unless they 
are satisfied that they give a true and fair view 
of the state of affairs of the Group and of 
their profit or loss for that period. In preparing 
each of the Group financial statements, the 
Directors are required to:

•  Select suitable accounting policies and then 

apply them consistently

•  Make judgements and estimates that are 

reasonable and prudent

•  State whether applicable accounting 

standards have been followed, subject to any 
material departures disclosed and explained 
in the Financial Statements

•  Prepare the financial statements on the 

going concern basis unless it is inappropriate 
to presume that the Group and the parent 
company will continue in business

The Directors confirm that they have applied 
with all the above requirements in preparing 
the Financial Statements.

The Directors are responsible for keeping 
proper accounting records that are sufficient to 
show and explain the Group’s transactions and 
disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time 
the financial position of the Group and enable 
them to ensure that its financial statements 
comply with the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991. 
They are also responsible for safeguarding 
the assets of the Group and hence for taking 
reasonable steps for the prevention and 
detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the 
Directors are also responsible for preparing 
a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report, 
Directors’ Remuneration Report and Corporate 
Governance Statement that complies with that 
law and those regulations.

The Directors are responsible for the 
maintenance and integrity of the corporate 
and financial information included on the 
Company’s website. Legislation in the UK 
governing the preparation and dissemination of 
financial statements may differ from legislation 
in other jurisdictions.

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y   S T A T E M E N T 
O F   T H E   D I R E C T O R S   I N 
R E S P E C T   O F   T H E   A N N U A L 
F I N A N C I A L   R E P O R T 
The Annual Report and Accounts complies 
with the Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules of the United Kingdom’s 
Financial Conduct Authority and the UK 
Corporate Governance Code in respect of 
the requirements to produce an annual 
financial report.

The Annual Report and Accounts is the 
responsibility of, and has been approved by, 
the directors.

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

•  The Financial Statements, prepared in 
accordance with the applicable set of 
accounting standards, give a true and 
fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial 
position and profit or loss of the Company 
and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole;

•  The Strategic Report (contained on pages 

4 to 47) includes a fair review of the 
development and performance of the 
business and the position of the issuer 
and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole, together 
with a description of the principal risks and 
uncertainties that they face; and 

•  The directors consider the Annual Report, 
taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the information 
necessary for shareholders to assess the 
Group’s position, performance, business 
model and strategy.

Approved by the Board on 21 April 2020 and 
signed on its behalf by:

MIRANDA LANSDOWNE 
JOINT COMPANY SECRETARY 
JTC (JERSEY) LIMITED, COMPANY 
SECRETARY

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Independent Auditor’s Report
Consolidated Income Statement
 Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

92 
98 
99 
100  Consolidated Balance Sheet
101 
102  Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
103 
149 
150  Glossary

 Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Investor Relations Information

 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

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I N D E P E N D E N T   A U D I T O R ’ S   R E P O R T
T O   T H E   M E M B E R S   O F   J T C   P L C

R E P O R T   O N   T H E   A U D I T   O F   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
OUR OPINION
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position of JTC PLC (the “company”) and 
its subsidiaries (together “the group”) as at 31 December 2019, and of their consolidated financial performance and their consolidated cash flows for 
the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union and have been properly prepared 
in accordance with the requirements of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.

What we have audited
The group’s consolidated financial statements comprise:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

the consolidated balance sheet as at 31 December 2019; 
the consolidated income statement for the year then ended;
the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year then ended; 
the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year then ended;
the consolidated cash flow statement for the year then ended; and
the notes to the consolidated financial statements, which include a description of the significant accounting policies.

BASIS FOR OPINION
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (“ISAs”). Our responsibilities under those standards are further 
described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements section of our report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

Independence
We are independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the consolidated financial statements 
of the group, as required by the Crown Dependencies’ Audit Rules and Guidance. We have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with 
these requirements.

OUR AUDIT APPROACH
Overview

Materiality
•  Overall group materiality for the consolidated financial statements was £882,000 which represents 5% of the 

group profit before tax. 

Materiality

Audit scope
•  Group audit scoping was performed based on profit before tax which identified seventeen significant 

Audit
scoping

Areas of
focus

components covering at least 85% of the group’s profit before tax. 

•  We conducted the majority of our audit work in Jersey, with audit work also undertaken by component auditors 

in Luxembourg, South Africa, the Netherlands, Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man. 

•  In determining the significant components we also considered total revenue and total net assets of the 

group, ensuring that the seventeen identified significant components also cover at least 85% of these criteria. 
Additional factors were also considered, including new acquisitions, common reporting processes and regulatory 
requirements to identify whether any additional components should be scoped in. 

•  The group is primarily based in Jersey, where the major financial reporting functions are located. 

Trading subsidiaries are based in Africa, Americas, Caribbean, Middle East, Asia and Europe. 

Key audit matters
•  Recoverability of work in progress (“WIP”)
• 
Impairment of goodwill
•  Business combinations
•  Management’s consideration of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the group

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Audit scope
As part of designing our audit, we determined materiality and assessed the risks of material misstatement in the consolidated financial statements. 
In particular, we considered where the directors made subjective judgements; for example, in respect of significant accounting estimates that involved 
making assumptions and considering future events that are inherently uncertain. As in all of our audits, we also addressed the risk of management 
override of internal controls, including among other matters, consideration of whether there was evidence of bias that represented a risk of material 
misstatement due to fraud.

We tailored the scope of our audit in order to perform sufficient work to enable us to provide an opinion on the consolidated financial statements 
as a whole, taking into account the structure of the group, the accounting processes and controls, and the industry in which the group operates.

Materiality 
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. An audit is designed to obtain reasonable assurance whether the consolidated 
financial statements are free from material misstatement. Misstatements may arise due to fraud or error. They are considered material if 
individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the consolidated 
financial statements.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined certain quantitative thresholds for materiality, including the overall group materiality for the 
consolidated financial statements as a whole as set out in the table below. These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine 
the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures and to evaluate the effect of misstatements, both individually and 
in aggregate on the consolidated financial statements as a whole.

Overall group materiality

£882,000 (2018: £661,500).

How we determined it

5% of group profit before tax (Prior year: group loss before tax adjusted for one-off costs relating to the initial public 
offering (“IPO”) of the group).

Rationale for the  
materiality benchmark

The determination of materiality and the benchmark used is a matter of professional judgement. Profit before tax is 
the measure used by management to assess the performance of the business and to communicate results to market. 

This is a change from our prior year benchmark which adjusted group loss before tax for the one-off costs relating 
to the IPO, which was considered appropriate in the prior year as those costs were not seen as representative of the 
underlying performance of the group. 

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit above £44,000 (de minimis posting level 
calculated as 5% of overall materiality), as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements 
of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our 
opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

Recoverability of work in progress (“WIP”) 
Recoverability of WIP, where services are provided on a time spent basis 
for client matters which have not yet been billed, is considered a key 
audit matter. 

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the billing 
process and quarterly valuation of WIP;

For a sample of clients where WIP has been recognised, we confirmed 
subsequent billing and when possible the amounts recovered post year end; 

WIP is required to be stated at the amount which is recoverable. There is 
a significant level of judgement applied by management in assessing and 
determining the value of WIP at the year end. Therefore, there is a risk of 
material misstatement that WIP as at year end may not be recoverable 
and that revenue could be overstated.

Accounting policies and disclosures in respect of revenue and WIP are set 
out in note 13 of the annual report. 

Where WIP was not billed post year end for the sample selected, 
we challenged management’s judgement and rationale around the 
recoverability of the amounts through analysis of client agreements, 
communication with clients, billing and payment history to support 
the judgements made where required; 

Analytical procedures were performed to analyse the implied recovery 
of historic WIP for us to assess the reasonableness of the implied recovery 
of WIP on a sample basis at year end; and

We assessed the provisions applied, the level of WIP write-offs and credit 
notes raised on post year end invoices, on a sample basis and challenged 
the rationale for those provisions raised and the impact on the year-end 
WIP balance. 

As a result of the procedures performed we have not identified any material 
issues in respect of the WIP balance at year end. 

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I N D E P E N D E N T   A U D I T O R ’ S   R E P O R T
T O   T H E   M E M B E R S   O F   J T C   P L C

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

Impairment of goodwill
Various acquisitions by the group have generated a significant 
amount of goodwill being recognised on the consolidated balance 
sheet. The initial allocation of goodwill (calculated as the fair value 
of the consideration paid less the fair value of net assets acquired, 
less corresponding valuation of customer contract intangible assets) 
is determined in the year of acquisition. Management is required to 
perform annual impairment reviews in respect of the carrying value 
of goodwill on a cash generating unit (“CGU”) basis. 

Management uses a discounted cash flow model to determine the value 
in use of each CGU to which goodwill is allocated.

The annual impairment tests performed by management were 
considered significant to our audit due to the complexity of the 
assessment process and the judgments applied by management 
when determining the assumptions included in the assessment. 
These assumptions are based on estimates that are affected by expected 
future economic and market conditions in the geographical region and 
division within which a particular CGU operates. 

Accounting policies and disclosures relating to impairment of goodwill 
are set out in note 21 of the annual report. 

Business combinations
The group has completed two business combinations during the year. 
Significant judgement is involved in calculating the fair value of acquired 
assets and the allocation of the purchase price to customer contracts.

Judgements arise from the fact that there are a number of assumptions 
included in the valuation model used to determine the fair values of 
customer contract intangible assets. These include estimates for the 
economic useful lives of the intangible assets, projected future earning 
levels, growth rates, client attrition rates and discount rates.

Judgement is also applied in considering whether acquisitions meet the 
definition of a business combination. 

Accounting policies and disclosures relating to the acquisitions are 
disclosed in note 31 of the annual report.

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the 
preparation and review of impairment calculations.

We evaluated the inputs, assumptions and approvals in the preparation 
of the forecast used by management in determining the value in use for 
each of the CGUs, including the appropriateness of the base case forecast. 
We challenged management’s judgements, tested the underlying value 
in use calculation and compared forecast used in the calculation to 
management’s approved forecasts and budgets;

We challenged management’s key assumptions for short- and long-term 
growth rates in the forecasts by comparing them to historical performance 
and challenging the basis of the forecast. We challenged the discount rates 
used in the calculation by considering the cost of capital for each CGU;

We performed sensitivity analysis to identify the key assumptions in the 
value in use calculation and challenged management’s rationale for the 
applied rates. We also performed sensitivity analysis to determine the 
extent to which a reduction in key assumptions would result in goodwill 
impairment and challenged management on the likelihood of such events 
occuring; and 

We assessed the mathematical accuracy of each discounted cash flow 
model and assessed whether the calculated value in use is higher/lower 
than the carrying amount; and 

We considered the adequacy of the disclosure in the consolidated financial 
statements of the impairment assessment of goodwill. 

As a result of the testing performed we have not identified any material 
issues in respect of the impairment of goodwill. 

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the 
preparation, review and accounting for acquisitions.

We challenged management on the assumptions used in the valuation 
models and purchase price allocations. This included benchmarking 
against comparable data. The most significant challenges were around 
attrition rates, useful economic life and future projections of revenue/
EBITDA margins;

We performed sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions used in the 
valuation model, including useful economic life, projected future earning 
levels, growth rates;

We reconciled source data used in the models to underlying accounting 
records; and

We obtained management’s accounting judgement papers and challenged 
whether the valuations performed were appropriately accounted for in 
accordance with applicable financial reporting standards.

As a result of the testing performed we have not identified any material 
issues in respect of the accounting for business combinations. 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

Management’s consideration of the potential impact of 
COVID-19 on the group
COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic during 2020. 
Management and the board have considered the potential impact of the 
non-adjusting post balance sheet events that have been caused by the 
pandemic, COVID-19, on the current and future operations of the group. 
In doing so, management has made estimates and judgements that are 
critical to the outcomes of these considerations with a particular focus 
on the group’s viability and ability to continue as a going concern. 

As a result of the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and 
the group, we have determined management’s consideration of the 
potential impact of COVID-19 (including their associated estimates 
and judgements) to be a key audit matter.

In assessing management’s consideration of the potential impact of 
COVID-19, we have undertaken the following audit procedures.

We obtained management’s latest assessment that supports the board’s 
assessment and their conclusions with respect to the statements of 
viability and going concern respectively;

We discussed with management and the board the critical estimates 
and judgements applied in this assessment so we could understand and 
challenge the rationale underlying factors incorporated and the sensitivities 
applied as a result of COVID-19;

We considered the impact assessment provided to evaluate its consistency 
with our understanding of the operations of the group and the markets in 
which the group operates; and

We reviewed the impact assessment stress testing to confirm that 
management and the board have considered adverse circumstances in the 
assessment of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the viability and going 
concern of the group.

In discussing, challenging and evaluating the estimates and judgments 
made by management and the board in the impact assessment, we 
noted the following factors that were considered to be fundamental in 
their consideration of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the current 
and future operations of the group and which support the statements 
of viability and going concern respectively:

•  The group has a highly visible recurring revenue not linked to Assets 
under Administration (c. 90% of revenue is recurring with an average 
client lifespan of 10 years and negligible midlife attrition). 

•  The group has the ability to deliver ‘business as usual’ service to clients 

under prolonged business continuity conditions.

•  The group controls the underlying assets of many of its clients and 

therefore the macroeconomic impact on Expected Credit Losses was 
considered low.

•  The group has prudent debt levels with a leverage level maintained 

within the guidance range of 1.5x to 2x underlying EBITDA to net debt.

Based on our procedures and the information available at the time of the 
directors’ approval of the consolidated financial statements we have not 
identified any matters to report with respect to both management and the 
board’s consideration of the impact of COVID-19 on the current and future 
operations of the group, albeit acknowledging that the situation continues 
to evolve.

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

I N D E P E N D E N T   A U D I T O R ’ S   R E P O R T
T O   T H E   M E M B E R S   O F   J T C   P L C

OTHER INFORMATION
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises all the information included in the Annual Report but does not 
include the consolidated financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance 
conclusion thereon. 

In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information identified above and, in doing 
so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, 
or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this 
other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The directors are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair view in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union, the requirements of Jersey law and for such internal control as the directors 
determine is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud 
or error. 

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group’s ability to continue as a going concern, 
disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate 
the group or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of 
assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence 
the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements. 

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

•  Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform 
audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk 
of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, 
intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. 

•  Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but 

not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the group’s internal control.

•  Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by 

the directors. 

•  Conclude on the appropriateness of the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether 
a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the group’s ability to continue as a going concern 
over a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we 
are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the consolidated financial statements or, if such disclosures are 
inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future 
events or conditions may cause the group to cease to continue as a going concern.

•  Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the consolidated financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the 

consolidated financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

•  Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the group to express an 
opinion on the consolidated financial statements. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the group audit. We remain 
solely responsible for our audit opinion. 

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit 
findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit. 

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, 
and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, 
related safeguards.

From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the 
consolidated financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s report 
unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not 
be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits 
of such communication.

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

USE OF THIS REPORT 
This independent auditor’s report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the members as a body in accordance with Article 113A of 
the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose 
or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

R E P O R T   O N   O T H E R   L E G A L   A N D   R E G U L A T O R Y   R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Company Law exception reporting
Under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit;
•  proper accounting records have not been kept; or
•  the consolidated financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records.

We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
We have nothing material to add or draw attention to in respect of the following matters which we have reviewed based on the requirements of the 
Listing Rules of the FCA: 

•  The directors’ confirmation that they have carried out a robust assessment of the principal and emerging risks facing the group, including a 

description of the principal risks, what procedures are in place to identify emerging risks, and an explanation of how those risks are being managed 
or mitigated.

•  The directors’ explanation as to how they have assessed the prospects of the group, over what period they have done so and why they consider that 
period to be appropriate, and their statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the group will be able to continue in operation 
and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary 
qualifications or assumptions.

We have nothing to report having performed a review of the directors’ statement that they have carried out a robust assessment of the principal and 
emerging risks facing the group and the directors’ statement in relation to the longer-term viability of the group. Our review was substantially less 
in scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries and considering the directors’ process supporting their statements; checking that the 
statements are in alignment with the relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”); and considering whether the statements 
are consistent with the knowledge and understanding of the group and its environment obtained in the course of the audit.

Additionally, we have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when:

•  The directors’ statement relating to Going Concern in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained 

in the audit.

•  The statement given by the directors that they consider the Annual Report taken as a whole to be fair, balanced and understandable, and provides 
the information necessary for the members to assess the group’s position and performance, business model and strategy is materially inconsistent 
with our knowledge of the group obtained in the course of performing our audit.

•  The section of the Annual Report describing the work of the Audit Committee does not appropriately address matters communicated by us to the 

Audit Committee.

•  The directors’ statement relating to the company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose a departure from a relevant provision of the 

Code specified, under the Listing Rules, for review by the auditors.

MICHAEL BYRNE
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS CI LLP
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AND RECOGNIZED AUDITOR
JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS
21 APRIL 2020
a. 

The maintenance and integrity of the JTC PLC website is the responsibility of the directors; the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of these matters and, accordingly, 

the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially presented on the website.

b. 

Legislation in Jersey governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

C O N S O L I D A T E D   I N C O M E   S T A T E M E N T
F O R   T H E   Y E A R   E N D E D   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9 

Revenue

Staff costs

Establishment costs

Other operating expenses

Credit impairment losses

Other operating income

Share of profit of equity-accounted investee

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (“EBITDA”)

Comprising:

Underlying EBITDA

Non-underlying items

Impact of IFRS 16

Depreciation and amortisation

Profit from operating activities

Other (losses)/gains

Finance income

Finance cost

Profit/(loss) before tax

Comprising:

Underlying profit before tax

Non-underlying items

Impact of IFRS 16

Tax

Profit/(loss) for the year

Earnings per ordinary share (“EPS”)

Basic EPS 

Diluted EPS

The notes on pages 103 to 148 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

9 8

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Note

4 

5 

6 

12 

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

99,274 

77,254 

(46,699)

(50,703)

(1,446)

(4,705)

(16,362)

(15,638)

(1,253)

(1,285)

53 

146 

343 

92 

33,713 

5,358 

7

3.2 

31,686 

23,929 

(1,670) 

(18,571)

3,697

33,713 

–

5,358 

8 

(10,752)

(4,637)

22,961 

721 

9 

10 

10 

7

3.2 

(1,479)

170 

(4,013)

17,639

522 

103 

(3,475)

(2,129)

20,398 

16,990 

(2,106) 

(19,119) 

(653)

–

17,639 

(2,129)

11 

(458)

(1,728)

17,181 

(3,857)

Pence 

15.43 

15.35 

Pence 

(3.87)

(3.87)

34.1 

34.2 

C O N S O L I D A T E D   S T A T E M E N T   O F   C O M P R E H E N S I V E   I N C O M E
F O R   T H E   Y E A R   E N D E D   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9 

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Profit/(loss) for the year

Other comprehensive (loss)/income:

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:

Exchange difference on translation of foreign operations (net of tax)

Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the year

The notes on pages 103 to 148 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

2019 
£’000

2018 
£’000

17,181 

(3,857)

(1,375)

1,334 

15,806 

(2,523)

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

C O N S O L I D A T E D   B A L A N C E   S H E E T
A S   A T   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9

Assets
Property, plant and equipment
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Investment in equity-accounted investee
Other non-financial assets
Other receivables
Deferred tax assets
Total non-current assets

Trade receivables
Work in progress
Accrued income
Other non-financial assets
Other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Total current assets
Total assets

Equity 
Share capital
Share premium
Own shares
Capital reserve
Translation reserve
Retained earnings
Total equity

Liabilities
Trade and other payables
Loans and borrowings
Lease liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Other non-financial liabilities
Provisions
Total non-current liabilities

Trade and other payables
Loans and borrowings
Lease liabilities
Other non-financial liabilities
Current tax liabilities
Provisions
Total current liabilities
Total equity and liabilities

Note

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

20 
21 
21 
32 
22 
15 
23 

12 
13 
14 
22 
15 
16 

26.1 
26.1
26.2 
26.3 
26.3 
26.3 

17 
18 
19 
23 
24 
25 

17 
18 
19 
24 
11
25 

37,865 
124,880 
48,039 
1,124 
965 
217 
103 
213,193 

16,255 
9,297 
12,906 
2,992 
6,266 
26,317 
74,033 
287,226 

1,141 
100,658 
(3,027)
451 
1,069 
28,265 
128,557 

– 
86,681 
28,616 
7,656 
518 
1,116 
124,587 

21,148 
508 
2,875 
7,536 
1,942 
73 
34,082 
287,226

6,406 
104,835 
41,835 
978 
1,536 
244 
135 
155,969 

16,142 
7,084 
9,309 
3,002 
1,335 
32,457 
69,329 
225,298 

1,109 
94,599 
(2,565)
(112)
2,444 
13,426 
108,901 

4,713 
72,032 
–
6,010 
997 
1,038 
84,790 

19,398 
683 
–
8,254 
2,871 
401 
31,607 
225,298 

The notes on pages 103 to 148 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

The consolidated financial statements on pages 98 to 148 were approved by the Board of Directors on the and signed on its behalf by:

NIGEL LE QUESNE   
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

1 0 0

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C O N S O L I D A T E D   S T A T E M E N T   O F   C H A N G E S   I N   E Q U I T Y
F O R   T H E   Y E A R   E N D E D   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Balance at 1 January 2018 as originally 
presented
Adoption of new standards
Restated total equity at 1 January 2018

Loss for the year
Other comprehensive income for the year
Total comprehensive loss for the year
Issue of share capital
Cost of share issuance
Share-based payment expense
Movement in EBT and JSOPs
Movement of own shares
EBT12 gain on sale of shares
Dividends paid
Balance at 31 December 2018

Balance at 1 January 2019 as originally
presented
Adoption of new standard
Restated total equity at 1 January 2019
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive loss for the year
Total comprehensive income for the year
Issue of share capital
Cost of share issuance
Share-based payment expense
Movement in EBT
Movement of own shares
Dividends paid
Balance at 31 December 2019

Share 
capital 
£’000 

Share 
premium 
£’000

Own 
shares 
£’000 

Capital 
reserve 
 £’000

Translation 
reserve 
£’000

Retained 
earnings 
£’000

Note

10
–
10

–
–
–
1,099 
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,109 

1,109 
–
1,109 
–
–
–
32 
–
–
–
–
–
1,141 

238
–
238

–
–
–
95,103 
(742)
–
–
–
–
–
94,599 

94,599 
–
94,599 
–
–
–
6,093 
(34)
–
–
–
–
100,658 

(1)
–
(1)

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
(2,564)
–
–
(2,565)

(2,565)
–
(2,565)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
(462)
–
(3,027)

(1,213)
–
(1,213)

–
–
–
–
–
443 
658 
–
–
–
(112)

(112)
–
(112)
–
–
–
–
–
694 
(131)
–
–
451 

1,110 
–
1,110

–
1,334 
1,334 
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2,444 

2,444 
–
2,444 
–
(1,375)
(1,375)
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,069 

2,884
(168)
2,716

(3,857)
–
(3,857)
–
–
–
–
–
15,641 
(1,074)
13,426 

13,426 
1,792 
15,218 
17,181 
–
17,181 
–
–
–
–
–
(4,134)
28,265 

26.1 

36.2 

26.2 
26.2 
27 

3.2

26.1 

36.2 

26.2 
27 

Total 
equity 
£’000

3,028 
(168)
2,860

(3,857)
1,334 
(2,523)
96,202 
(742)
443 
658 
(2,564)
15,641 
(1,074)
108,901 

108,901 
1,792 
110,693 
17,181 
(1,375)
15,806 
6,125 
(34)
694 
(131)
(462)
(4,134)
128,557 

The notes on pages 103 to 148 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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1 0 1

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

C O N S O L I D A T E D   C A S H   F L O W   S T A T E M E N T 
F O R   T H E   Y E A R   E N D E D   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9 

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital 

Increase in receivables

(Decrease)/increase in payables

Cash generated by operations

Income taxes paid

Net cash from operating activities

Comprising:

Underlying net movement in cash from operating activities

Non-underlying cash items

Investing activities

Interest received

Payment for property, plant and equipment

Payment for intangible assets

Payment for business combinations

Loans to third parties

Net cash used in investing activities

Financing activities

Share capital raised

Share issuance costs

Repayment of loan notes

Proceeds from sale of EBT12 shares

Sale and purchase of own shares

Dividends paid

Repayment of loans and borrowings

Proceeds from loans and borrowings

Loan arrangement fees

Interest paid on loans and borrowings

Facility fees paid on loans and borrowings

Principal paid on lease liabilities (2018: Principal paid on finance leases)

Interest paid on lease liabilities (2018: Interest paid on finance leases)

Net cash from financing activities

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

The notes on pages 103 to 148 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Note

35.1 

2019 
£’000 

34,261 

(4,912)

(5,751)

23,598 

(2,009)

21,589 

2018 
£’000 

5,709 

(3,436)

4,565 

6,838 

(907)

5,931 

26,739 

18,601 

35.2 

(5,150)

(12,670)

21,589 

5,931 

20 

21 

31 

171 

(2,009)

(1,417)

103 

(1,175)

(1,024)

(22,279)

(31,176)

(4,317)

–

(29,851)

(33,272)

–

(33)

–

–

(434)

(4,134)

20,000 

(742)

(2,161)

15,641 

(2,565)

(1,074)

26.2 

26.2 

27 

(689)

(56,689)

18.1 

15,509 

72,960 

(285)

(2,193)

(183)

(2,167)

(936)

4,455 

(1,318)

(1,718)

(93)

(18)

(3)

42,220 

(3,807)

14,878 

32,457 

(2,333)

26,317 

16,164 

1,415 

32,457 

16 

1 0 2

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
F O R   T H E   Y E A R   E N D E D   3 1   D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 9

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

S E C T I O N   1   –   B A S I S   F O R   R E P O R T I N G   A N D 
G E N E R A L   I N F O R M A T I O N 
1.  Reporting entity

S E C T I O N   5   –   E Q U I T Y
26.  Share capital and reserves

27.  Dividends

2.  Basis of preparation

3. 

Significant accounting policies

S E C T I O N   2   –   R E S U L T   F O R   T H E   Y E A R
4. 

Segmental Reporting

5. 

Staff costs

6.  Other operating expenses

7.  Non-underlying items

S E C T I O N   6   –   R I S K
28.  Critical accounting estimates and judgements

29.  Financial risk management

30.  Capital management

S E C T I O N   7   –   G R O U P   S T R U C T U R E
31.  Business combinations

32. 

Interest in equity-accounted investee

8.  Depreciation and amortisation

33.  Subsidiaries

S E C T I O N   8   –   O T H E R   D I S C L O S U R E S
34.  Earnings per share

35.  Cash flow information

36.  Share-based payments

37.  Commitments

38.  Foreign currency

39.  Related party transactions

40.  Events occurring after the reporting period

9.  Other (losses)/gains

10.  Finance income and finance cost

11. 

Income tax expense

S E C T I O N   3   –   F I N A N C I A L   A S S E T S   
A N D   F I N A N C I A L   L I A B I L I T I E S
12.  Trade receivables

13.  Work in progress

14.  Accrued income

15.  Other receivables

16.  Cash and cash equivalents

17.  Trade and other payables

18.  Loans and borrowings

19.  Leases

S E C T I O N   4   –   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   A S S E T S   
A N D   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   L I A B I L I T I E S
20.  Property, plant and equipment

21. 

Intangible assets 

22.  Other non-financial assets

23.  Deferred taxation

24.  Other non-financial liabilities

25.  Provisions

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S E C T I O N   1   –   B A S I S   F O R   R E P O R T I N G   
A N D   G E N E R A L   I N F O R M A T I O N
1 .  
JTC PLC (the “Company”) was incorporated on 2 January 2018 and is 
domiciled in Jersey, Channel Islands. The address of the Company’s 
registered office is 28 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey. 

R E P O R T I N G   E N T I T Y

The consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended 
31 December 2019 comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together 
the “Group” or “JTC”) and the Group’s interest in an associate. 

The Company was admitted to the London Stock Exchange on 14 March 
2018 (the “IPO”) having obtained control of the entire share capital 
of JTC Group Holdings Limited (“JTCGHL”) via a share exchange, and 
thus control of the Group, see note 26. The consolidated balance sheet 
at 31 December 2018 reflected the change in legal ownership of the 
Group, including the share capital of JTC PLC and the effects of the share 
exchange transactions.

The Group provides fund, corporate and private wealth services to 
institutional and private clients.

2 .  
2.1. 

B A S I S   O F   P R E P A R A T I O N
 STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE AND BASIS OF 
MEASUREMENT

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) 
as adopted by the European Union, the interpretations of the IFRS 
Interpretations Committee (“IFRS IC”) and Companies (Jersey) Law 1991. 
The consolidated financial statements comply with IFRS as issued by 
the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and have been 
prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention.

2.2.  FUNCTIONAL AND PRESENTATION CURRENCY
The consolidated financial statements are presented in pounds sterling, 
which is the functional and reporting currency of the Company and 
the presentation currency of the consolidated financial statements. 
All amounts disclosed in the consolidated financial statements and 
notes have been rounded to the nearest thousand (`000) unless 
otherwise stated.

3 .  
3.1. 

S I G N I F I C A N T   A C C O U N T I N G   P O L I C I E S
 CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND NEW 
STANDARDS ADOPTED

The accounting policies set out in these consolidated financial statements 
have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless 
otherwise stated. 

New standards and interpretations issued and effective from 
1 January 2019
To the extent they are relevant, the Group has adopted, from 1 January 
2019, all IFRS standards and interpretations including amendments that 
were in issue and effective for accounting periods beginning on 1 January 
2019. These are as follows:

•  IFRS 16 ‘Leases’
•  IFRIC 23 ‘Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments’
•  Prepayment Features with Negative Compensation (Amendments to 

IFRS 9)

•  Long-term Interests in Associates and Joint Ventures (Amendments to 

IAS 28)

•  Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle
•  Plan Amendment, Curtailment or Settlement (Amendments to IAS 19)

These standards and interpretations had no material impact for the 
Group, except for IFRS 16, as described below. 

New standards and interpretations issued but not yet adopted
Certain new accounting standards and interpretations have been 
published that are not mandatory for 31 December 2019 reporting 
periods and have not been early adopted by the Group. These standards 
are not expected to have a material impact on the entity in the current 
or future reporting periods and on foreseeable future transactions, except 
for Definitions of a Business (Amendments to IFRS 3). 

This amendment narrows the definition of a business and adds an 
optional concentration test that permits a simplified assessment of 
whether an acquired set of activities and assets is not a business. For the 
Group, this amendment could result in more acquisitions being accounted 
for as asset acquisitions.

IFRS 16 ‘LEASES’ 

3.2. 
This note explains the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ on the 
Group’s consolidated financial statements. 

The Group has adopted IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ retrospectively from 1 January 
2019, but has not restated comparatives for the 2018 reporting period, 
as permitted under the specific transition provisions in the standard. 
The reclassifications and the adjustments arising from the new leasing 
rules are therefore recognised in the opening balance sheet on 1 January 
2019. The new accounting policies are disclosed in note 19.

To assess the impact of IFRS 16, Management have considered existing 
operating and finance leases as well as reviewing all other contracts in 
place within the business to ascertain if they fall within the definition of 
a lease. The most significant contracts identified are where the Group 
enters into leases for the rental of office space in different countries. 
Leases are negotiated for a variety of terms over which rentals are 
primarily fixed with break clauses and options to extend for further 
periods at the prevailing market rate. Any lease incentives are spread over 
the term of the lease. The break dates for the lease agreements vary. 

On adoption of IFRS 16, the Group recognised lease liabilities in relation 
to leases which had previously been classified as ‘operating leases’ under 
the principles of IAS 17 ‘Leases’. The liabilities were measured at the 
present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the 
lessee’s incremental borrowing rate as at 1 January 2019. 

The incremental borrowing rate applied to each lease was determined 
considering the Group’s borrowing rate and the risk-free interest rate, 
adjusted for factors specific to the country, currency and term of the 
lease. The incremental borrowing rates applied to individual leases ranged 
between 1.5% and 9.2%. The weighted average lessee’s incremental 
borrowing rate applied to the lease liabilities on 1 January 2019 was 3.1%.

For those leases previously classified as finance leases, the right-of-use 
asset and lease liability are measured at the date of initial application at 
the same amounts as under IAS 17 immediately before the date of initial 
application. The measurement principals of IFRS 16 are only applied after 
that date.

The right-of-use assets recognised relate only to leases for the rental of 
office space, other right-of-use assets were all considered to be low-value 
or short-term. 

Practical expedients applied
In applying IFRS 16 for the first time, the Group used the following 
practical expedients permitted by the standard:

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•  The exclusion of initial direct costs in the measurement of the right-of-use asset for operating leases at the date of initial application.
•  Reliance on previous assessments on whether leases are onerous instead of performing an impairment review.
•  For operating leases with a remaining lease term of less than 12 months and for leases of low-value assets, accounting for the lease expense  

on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term.

•  The use of hindsight in determining the lease term where the contract contains options to extend or terminate leases.
The Group has also elected not to reassess whether a contract is, or contains, a lease at the date of initial application. Instead, for contracts entered  
into before the transition date the Group relied on the assessment it made in applying IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 ‘Determining whether an Arrangement 
Contains a Lease’. 

Measurement of lease liabilities
The following is a reconciliation of total operating lease commitments at 31 December 2018 to the lease liabilities recognised at 1 January 2019:

Operating lease commitments disclosed at 31 December 2018

Discount applied using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate at the date of initial application

Add: finance lease liabilities recognised at 31 December 2018

Less: Recognition exemptions

– Leases with remaining lease term of less than 12 months

– Leases of low-value assets

Other adjustments relating to commitment disclosures

Total lease liabilities recognised under IFRS 16 at 1 January 2019

Of which:

Current lease liabilities

Non-current lease liabilities

£'000 

37,698 

(8,246)

35 

(330)

(143)

160 

29,174 

2,631 

26,543 

29,174 

Measurement of right-of-use assets
The associated right-of-use assets for property leases were measured at the amount equal to the lease liability, adjusted by the amount of any prepaid 
or accrued lease payments relating to that lease recognised in the balance sheet as at 31 December 2018. There were also onerous lease contracts that 
required adjustment to the right-of-use asset at the date of initial application.

Adjustments recognised in the balance sheet on 1 January 2019
The change in accounting policy affected the following items in the balance sheet on 1 January 2019:

•  Property, plant and equipment increased by £29.1m for right-of-use assets.
•  Prepayments decreased by £0.1m.
•  Provisions for onerous leases decreased by £0.1m.
•  Provisions for rent-free periods decreased by £1.6m.
•  Lease liabilities increased by £29.2m; £26.6m is shown in non-current liabilities and £2.6m in current liabilities.
•  The net impact on retained earnings on 1 January 2019 was an increase of £1.8m.

Impact for the current financial year end
For the current financial year end, IFRS 16 has impacted as follows:

•  EBITDA for the year to 31 December 2019 increased by £3.7m.
•  Profit after tax for the year to 31 December 2019 decreased by £0.7m.
•  The carrying value of non-current lease liabilities is £28.7m and £2.9m for current lease liabilities at 31 December 2019, see note 19.1.
•  The carrying value of right-of-use assets is £30.2m at 31 December 2019, this is presented within property, plant and equipment, see note 20.
•  Basic Earnings Per Share have decreased by 0.06p per share for the year to 31 December 2019 as a result of the adoption of IFRS 16.

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C o n t i n u e d

S I G N I F I C A N T   A C C O U N T I N G   P O L I C I E S   ( C O N T I N U E D )

3 .  
3.3.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The basis of consolidation is described below, otherwise significant accounting policies related to specific items are described under the relevant note. 
The description of the accounting policy in the notes forms an integral part of the accounting policies. Unless otherwise stated, these policies have been 
consistently applied to all the years presented.

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled by the Company (its “subsidiaries”). 
The Group controls an entity when it is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect 
those returns through its power to direct the activities of the entity. 

De-facto control exists where the Company has the practical ability to direct the relevant activities of the investee without holding the majority of 
the voting rights. In determining whether de-facto control exists the Company considers the size of the Company’s voting rights relative to other 
parties, substantive potential voting rights held by the Company and by other parties, other contractual arrangements and historical patterns in 
voting attendance.

Subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group. They are deconsolidated from the date that control 
ceases. When the Group loses control over a subsidiary, it derecognises the assets and liabilities of the subsidiary, and any related non-controlling 
interest and other components of equity. Any resulting gain or loss is recognised in the consolidated income statement.

Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of subsidiaries to bring their accounting policies in line with the Group. All inter-
company transactions and balances, including unrealised gains and losses, arising from transactions between Group companies are eliminated 
on consolidation. 

The acquisition method of accounting is used to account for business combinations by the Group (see note 31). Associates are accounted for via the 
equity method of accounting (see note 32).

Company only financial statements
Under Article 105(11) of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991, the Directors of a holding company need not prepare separate financial statements (i.e. 
company only financial statements). Separate financial statements for the Company are not prepared unless required to do so by the members of 
the Company by ordinary resolution. The members of the Company had not passed a resolution requiring separate financial statements and, in the 
Directors’ opinion, the Company meets the definition of a holding company. As permitted by law, the Directors have elected not to prepare separate 
financial statements.

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S E C T I O N   2   –   R E S U L T   F O R   T H E   Y E A R
4 .  

S E G M E N T A L   R E P O R T I N G

Revenue
Revenue is recognised in the consolidated income statement to 
the pro-rated part of the services rendered to the client at the 
reporting date.

Revenue is recognised to the extent that it is probable that the 
economic benefits will flow to the Group and the revenue can 
be reliably measured. Revenue is measured as the fair value of 
the consideration received or receivable for services provided in 
the normal course of business, excluding discounts and sales-
related taxes. 

Revenue comprises fees and commissions from providing corporate, 
fund and private client administration services to institutional and 
private clients. The contractual arrangements can be time based, 
based on a percentage of net asset value (“NAV”), fixed fees or service 
charges and can be billed in advance or in arrears.

Principal versus agent consideration
When the Group acts in the capacity of an agent rather than as the 
principal in a transaction, the revenue recognised is the net amount  
of commissions made by the Group. 

Other revenue
Where revenue is derived from offering treasury services to clients, 
revenue is recognised when it is probable that the economic 
benefits will flow to the Group and the amount of revenue can be 
measured reliably.

Rental income where the Group acts as lessor is recognised on a 
straight-line basis over the relevant term of the lease.

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

4.1. BASIS OF SEGMENTATION
The Group has a multi-jurisdictional footprint and the core focus of 
operations is on providing services to its institutional and private 
client base, with revenues from alternative asset managers, financial 
institutions, corporates, high-net-worth (“HNW”) and ultra-high-net-
worth (“UHNW”) individuals and family office clients. Declared revenue 
is generated from external customers. Business activities include:

Fund services
Supporting a diverse range of asset classes, including real estate, private 
equity, renewables, hedge, debt and alternative asset classes providing 
a comprehensive set of fund administration services (e.g. fund launch, 
NAV calculations, accounting, compliance and risk monitoring, investor 
reporting, listing services).

Corporate services
Includes clients spanning across small and medium entities, public 
companies, multinationals, sovereign wealth funds, fund managers, HNW 
and UHNW individuals and families requiring a ‘corporate’ service for 
business and investments. As well as entity formation, administration and 
other company secretarial services, the Group also services international 
and local pension plans, employee share incentive plans, employee 
ownership plans and deferred compensation plans.

Private client services
Supporting HNW and UHNW individuals and families, from ‘emerging 
entrepreneurs’ to established single and multi-family offices. Services  
include JTC’s own comprehensive Private Office, as well as the formation 
and administration of trusts, companies, partnerships, and other 
vehicles and structures across a range of asset classes, including cash 
and investments.

The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are together 
the Chief Operating Decision Makers of the Group and determine 
the appropriate business segments to monitor financial performance. 
Each segment is defined as a set of business activities generating 
a revenue stream determined by divisional responsibility and the 
management information reviewed by the Board. They have determined 
that the Group has two reportable segments: these are Institutional 
Client Services (“ICS”) and Private Client Services (“PCS”). 

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S E G M E N T A L   R E P O R T I N G   ( C O N T I N U E D )

4 .  
4.2.  SEGMENTAL INFORMATION
The table below shows the segmental information provided to the Board for the two reportable segments (ICS and PCS) on an underlying basis:

Revenue

Direct staff costs

Other direct costs

Underlying gross profit

Underlying gross profit margin %

Indirect staff costs

Other operating expenses

Other income

Underlying EBITDA

Underlying EBITDA margin %

ICS

PCS

Total

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

54,824 

43,362 

44,450 

33,892 

99,274 

77,254 

(21,371)

(16,465)

(14,897)

(10,782)

(36,268)

(27,247)

(157)

(416)

(1,592)

(2,046)

(1,749)

(2,462)

33,296 
60.7%

26,481 

61.1%

27,961 
62.9%

21,064 

62.2%

61,257 
61.7%

47,545 

61.5%

(5,221)

(4,169)

(12,471)

(10,043)

28 

219 

(4,760)

(7,318)

171 

(3,600)

(6,240)

217 

(9,981)

(7,769)

(19,789)

(16,283)

199 

436 

15,632 
28.5%

12,488 

28.8%

16,054 
36.1%

11,441 

33.8%

31,686 
31.9%

23,929 

31.0%

The Board evaluates segmental performance based on revenue, underlying gross profit and underlying EBITDA. Profit before income tax is not used  
to measure the performance of the individual segments as items such as depreciation, amortisation of intangibles, other gains and net finance costs are  
not allocated to individual segments. Consistent with the aforementioned reasoning, segment assets and liabilities are not reviewed regularly on a  
by-segment basis and are therefore not included in the IFRS segmental reporting.

5 .  

S T A F F   C O S T S

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Short-term benefits
Short-term employee benefits are expensed as the related service is provided. A liability is recognised for the amount expected to be paid if the 
Group has a present, legal or constructive obligation to pay this amount as a result of past service provided by the employee, and the obligation can 
be estimated reliably.

Defined contribution plans
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are recognised as an expense when employees have rendered services entitling them 
to contributions. The Group has no further payment obligation once the contributions have been paid.

Termination benefits
Termination benefits are expensed at the earlier of when the Group can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits and when the Group 
recognises costs for a restructuring that is within the scope of IAS 37 and involves the payment of termination benefits. If benefits are not expected 
to be settled wholly within one year of the end of the reporting period, then they are discounted.

Employee Benefit Trust (“EBT”)
The Group is committed to the concept of shared ownership and it is this ethos that has historically led to the creation of EBTs to hold shares in 
the Company for the benefit of employees. All permanent employees of the Group automatically become beneficiaries once they complete their 
probationary period. Any awards that were made upon completion of a capital event were expensed to staff costs immediately. Due to the capital 
nature of these awards they are considered to be non-underlying.

Salaries and Directors' fees

Capital distribution from EBT12

Other short-term employee benefits

Defined contribution pension costs

Share-based payments

Training and other staff-related costs

Note

2019 
£’000 

39,667 

7 

(407) 

36.2 

1,216 

1,735 

694 

3,794 

2018 
£’000 

31,925 

13,211 

986 

1,355 

443 

2,783 

46,699 

50,703 

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Other operating expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis.

Third party administration fees

Legal and professional fees

Auditor’s remuneration for audit services

Auditor’s remuneration for other services:

– Acquisitions

– IPO

Insurance 

Travelling

Marketing

IT expenses

Other expenses

Other operating expenses

7 .   N O N - U N D E R L Y I N G   I T E M S

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

2019 
£’000 

1,789 

3,825 

1,033 

 –

–

607 

1,418 

890 

4,436 

2,364 

2018 
£’000 

2,518 

4,140 

795 

78 

285 

593 

961 

715 

3,565 

1,988 

16,362 

15,638 

The Group classifies certain one-off charges or non-recurring credits that have a material impact on the Group’s financial results as non-underlying 
items. They represent specific items of income or expenditure that are not of an operational nature and do not represent the core operating results, 
and based on their significance in size or nature are presented separately to provide further understanding about the financial performance of 
the Group. 

EBITDA

Non-underlying items within EBITDA:

Capital distribution from EBT12(i)

Acquisition and integration costs(ii)

IPO costs

Office closures

One-off costs to reorganise Senior Management team

Total non-underlying items within EBITDA

Impact of IFRS 16

Underlying EBITDA

Profit/(loss) before tax

Total non-underlying items within EBITDA

Unwinding of discount on capital distribution(i)

Gain on bargain purchase(iii) 

Impairment of customer relationship intangible asset(iv)

Loss on disposal of acquired fixed asset

Accelerated amortisation of loan arrangement fees

Total non-underlying items within profit before tax

Impact of IFRS 16

Underlying profit before tax

Note

2019 
£’000 

33,713 

2018 
£’000 

5,358 

(407)

2,041 

13,211 

4,257 

36 

– 

– 

954 

56 

93 

1,670 

18,571 

3.2

(3,697) 

–

31,686

23,929 

17,639 

1,670 

(2,129)

18,571 

165

(188)

459

–

– 

2,106 

653 

190 

(457)

– 

564 

251 

19,119 

–

20,398

16,990 

3.2

(i) 

Following the IPO in March 2018, the Group expensed £13.21m to staff costs being the discounted value of the total committed capital distributions from EBT12. During 2019, £0.4m was credited to 

staff costs in relation to leavers who forfeited their distributions. 

(ii)  During 2019, the Group completed two acquisitions (Exequtive and Aufisco) and expensed £0.82m of acquisition and integration expenditure (see notes 31.1 and 31.2). Also expensed in the year was 

£0.78m in relation to the acquisition of Minerva (see note 31.3) and £0.37m in relation to the acquisition of Van Doorn (see note 31.4). Acquisition and integration costs includes but is not limited to: 

travel costs, professional fees, legal fees, tax advisory fees, onerous leases, transitional services agreement costs, any client-acquired penalties, acquisition-related share-based payments and staff 

reorganisation costs.

(iii)  The gain on bargain purchase arose on the acquisition of Aufisco (see note 31.2) (2018: gain on bargain purchase arose on the acquisition of BAML).

(iv) 

Impairment of customer relationship intangible asset separately identified on acquisition of NACT (see note 21.2).

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C o n t i n u e d

8 .   D E P R E C I A T I O N   A N D   A M O R T I S A T I O N

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment(i)

Amortisation of intangible assets

Amortisation of contract assets

Depreciation and amortisation

(i)  Depreciation has increased by £3.2m following the adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases` (see note 3.2) as a result of recognising right-of-use assets.

9 .   O T H E R   ( L O S S E S ) / G A I N S

Loan written back

Foreign exchange (losses)/gains

Net profit/(loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Gain on bargain purchase

Impairment of customer relationship intangible asset

Other (losses)/gains

1 0 .   F I N A N C E   I N C O M E   A N D   F I N A N C E   C O S T

Note

20

21 

22

Note

21.2

2019 
£’000 

4,588 

5,566 

598 

10,752 

2019 
£’000 

–

(1,215)

7 

188 

(459)

(1,479)

2018 
£’000 

942 

3,247 

448 

4,637 

2018 
£’000 

30 

558 

(523)

457 

–

522 

Finance income includes interest income from loan receivables and bank deposits and is recognised when it is probable that the economic benefits 
will flow to the Group and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably.

Finance costs include interest expenses on loans and borrowings, the unwinding of the discount on provisions, lease liabilities and contingent 
consideration and the amortisation of directly attributable transaction costs which have been capitalised upon issuance of the financial instrument 
and released to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the contractual term.

Bank interest

Loan interest

Finance income

Bank loan interest

Loan note interest 

Amortisation of loan arrangement fees

Unwinding of net present value discounts(i)

Other finance expense

Finance cost

(i)  Unwinding of net present value discounts has increased by £0.9m following adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases` (see note 3.2) as a result of recognising lease liabilities.

2019 
£’000 

158 

12 

170

2018 
£’000 

90 

13 

103 

2,065 

1,611 

–

376 

1,259 

313 

4,013 

48 

555 

986 

275 

3,475 

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1 1 .  

I N C O M E   T A X   E X P E N S E

Current tax
Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable income or loss for the year using tax laws enacted or substantively enacted at 
the balance sheet date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years. Management periodically evaluate positions taken in tax 
returns with respect to situations in which applicable tax regulation is subject to interpretation. It establishes provisions, where appropriate, on the 
basis of amounts expected to be paid to the tax authorities.

Deferred tax
Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial 
statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit, and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability method. 
Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that 
it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are 
not recognised if the temporary difference arises from the initial recognition of goodwill or from the initial recognition (other than in a business 
combination) of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the taxable profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at the end of each reporting period and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable 
that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax is calculated using tax rates that are expected to apply when the liability is settled or the asset realised using tax rates enacted or 
substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

The measurement of deferred tax liabilities and assets reflects the tax consequences that would follow from the manner in which the Group 
expects, at the end of the reporting period, to recover or settle the carrying amount of its assets and liabilities.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets against current tax liabilities and 
when they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the Group intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a 
net basis.

Current tax and deferred tax for the year
Current and deferred tax are recognised in the consolidated income statement, except when they relate to items that are recognised in other 
comprehensive income or directly in equity, in which case, the current and deferred tax are also recognised in other comprehensive income or 
directly in equity respectively. Where current tax or deferred tax arises from the initial accounting for a business combination, the tax effect is 
included in the accounting for the business combination.

Current tax expense

Jersey tax on current year profits

Foreign company taxes on current year profits

Deferred tax expense (see note 23)

Jersey origination and reversal of temporary differences

Temporary movements in relation to customer relationship intangible assets

Foreign company origination and reversal of temporary differences

Total tax charge for the year

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

323

903 

1,226 

17 

(787)

2

(768)

458 

587

1,463 

2,050 

110 

(389)

(43)

(322)

1,728 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

I N C O M E   T A X   E X P E N S E   ( C O N T I N U E D )

1 1 .  
The difference between the total current tax shown above and the amount calculated by applying the standard rate of Jersey income tax to the profit/
(loss) before tax is as follows:

Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before tax

Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities at standard Jersey income tax rate of 10% (2018: 10%)

Effects of:

Results from entities subject to tax at a rate of 0% (Jersey company)

Results from tax exempt entities (Foreign company)

Foreign taxes not at Jersey rate

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances (Jersey company)

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances (Foreign company)

Temporary difference arising on amortisation of customer relationships

Non-deductible (income)/expenses

Additional provisions

Consolidation adjustments

Other differences

Total tax charge for the year

2019 
£’000 

17,639

1,764

2018 
£’000 

(2,129)

(213)

(1,403) 

1,073 

(204)

663

17 

2

(787)

(14) 

–

412 

8 

458

(87)

788 

110 

(43)

(389)

72 

200 

173 

44 

1,728 

Income tax expense computations are based on the jurisdictions in which profits were earned at prevailing rates in the respective jurisdictions.

The Company is subject to Jersey income tax at the general rate of 0%; however, the majority of the Group’s profits are reported in Jersey by Jersey 
financial services companies. The income tax rate applicable to certain financial services companies in Jersey is 10%. It is therefore appropriate to use 
this rate for reconciliation purposes.

Reconciliation of effective tax rates

Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities

Effect of:

Results from entities subject to tax at a rate of 0% (Jersey company)

Results from tax exempt entities (Foreign company)

Foreign taxes not at Jersey rate

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances (Jersey company)

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances (Foreign company)

Temporary difference arising on amortisation of customer relationships

Non-deductible (income)/expenses

Additional provisions

Consolidation adjustments

Other differences

Effective tax rate

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

10.00% 

10.00% 

(7.96%)

(50.67%)

(1.16%) 

4.11% 

3.76%

0.10%

0.01% 

(37.19%)

(5.19%)

2.02% 

(4.46%) 

18.36% 

(0.08%)

0.00%

2.33%

0.05%

2.60%

(3.36%)

(9.44%)

(8.15%)

(2.06%)

(81.58%)

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

S E C T I O N   3   –   F I N A N C I A L   A S S E T S   A N D   F I N A N C I A L   L I A B I L I T I E S

This note provides information about the Group’s financial instruments, including: accounting policies; specific information about each 
type of financial instrument; and, where applicable, information about determining the fair value, including judgements and estimation 
uncertainty involved.

Financial assets
The Group classifies its financial assets as either amortised cost, fair value through profit or loss (“FVTPL”) or fair value through other comprehensive 
income (“FVOCI”) depending on the Group’s business model objective for managing financial assets and their contractual cash flow characteristics.

As the Group‘s financial assets arise principally from the provision of services to clients (e.g. trade receivables), but also incorporate other types 
of financial assets where the objective is to hold these assets in order to collect contractual cash flows and the contractual cash flows are solely 
payments of principal and interest, they are classified at amortised cost.

Financial assets are recognised initially on the trade date which is the date that the Group became party to the contractual provisions of the 
instrument and are derecognised when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or it transfers the rights to receive the 
contractual cash flows in a transaction in which substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset are transferred.

Financial assets are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs that are directly attributable to their acquisition or issue, and are 
subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less provision for impairment.

The Group assesses, on a forward-looking basis, the expected credit losses associated with its financial assets carried at amortised cost. 
The impairment methodology applied takes into consideration whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk.

Financial assets comprise trade receivables, work in progress, accrued income, other receivables and cash and cash equivalents. For further details on 
impairment for each, see notes 12 to 16.

Financial liabilities
The Group classifies its financial liabilities as either amortised cost or FVTPL depending on the purpose for which the liability was acquired.

As the Group does not have any financial liabilities held for trading (derivatives), all other financial liabilities are classified as measured at amortised 
cost. Other financial liabilities include trade and other payables and borrowings.

Trade and other payables represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the Group prior to the end of the financial year which are unpaid. 
They are recognised initially at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method and are presented 
as current liabilities unless payment is not due within 12 months after the reporting period. The Group derecognises a financial liability when its 
contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or expired.

Borrowings are initially recognised at fair value, net of transaction costs incurred. Borrowings are subsequently measured at amortised cost. 
Any difference between the proceeds (net of transaction costs) and the redemption amount is recognised in the consolidated income statement 
over the period of the borrowings using the effective interest rate method. 

Borrowings are removed from the consolidated balance sheet when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or has expired. 
The difference between the carrying amount of a financial liability that has been extinguished or transferred to another party and the consideration 
paid, including any non-cash assets transferred or liabilities assumed, is recognised in the consolidated income statement as finance income or 
finance cost.

Borrowings are classified as current liabilities unless the Group has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months 
after the reporting period.

Offsetting financial assets and liabilities
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount is reported in the consolidated balance sheet where there is a legally enforceable right 
to offset the recognised amounts, and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

1 2 .   T R A D E   R E C E I V A B L E S
The ageing analysis of trade receivables with the loss allowance is as follows:

2019

<30 days

30 – 60 days

61 – 90 days

91 – 120 days

121 – 180 days

>180 days

Total

2018

<30 days

30 – 60 days

61 – 90 days

91 – 120 days

121 – 180 days

>180 days

Total

The movement in the allowances for trade receivables is as follows:

Balance at the beginning of the year

IFRS 9 opening balance adjustment

Impairment losses recognised in the consolidated income statement

Amounts written off (net of any unused amounts reversed)

Total allowance for doubtful debts

Gross 
£’000 

8,724 

1,474 

1,199 

731 

1,042

7,087 

20,257 

Gross 
£’000 

10,048 

1,214 

1,090 

996 

256 

6,197 

19,801 

 Loss 
allowance 
£’000 

(151)

(38)

(72)

(59)

(175)

(3,507)

(4,002)

 Loss 
allowance 
£’000 

(213)

(38)

(41)

(96)

(89)

(3,182)

(3,659)

2019 
£’000 

(3,659)

– 

(1,253)

910 

Net 
£’000 

8,573

1,436 

1,127 

672 

867 

3,580 

16,255

Net 
£’000 

9,835 

1,176 

1,049 

900 

167 

3,015 

16,142 

2018 
£’000 

(2,635)

(301)

(1,285)

562 

(4,002)

(3,659)

To measure the expected credit losses, trade receivables are grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due. The expected 
credit losses are estimated collectively using a provision matrix based on the Group’s historical credit loss experience, adjusted for factors that are 
specific to the debtor’s financial position (this includes unlikely to pay indicators such as liquidity issues, insolvency or other financial difficulties) 
and an assessment of both the current as well as the forecast direction of macroeconomic conditions at the reporting date. The Group has identified 
gross domestic product and inflation in each country the Group provides services in to be the most relevant macroeconomic factors. The impact of 
expected changes in these forward-looking macroeconomic factors has been assessed and is considered to be highly immaterial. Provision rates are 
segregated according to geographical location and by business line. The Group considers specific impairment on a by-client basis rather than on a 
collective basis. The carrying amount of the asset is reduced through the use of an allowance account and the amount of the loss is recognised in the 
consolidated income statement as credit impairment losses. When a trade receivable is uncollectible, it is written off against the allowance account. 
Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off are credited against credit impairment losses.

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1 3 .   W O R K   I N   P R O G R E S S 

Total

Loss allowance 

Net

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

 2019 
£’000 

9,350 

(53)

9,297 

 2018 
£’000 

7,132 

(48)

7,084 

Work in progress (“WIP”) represents the net unbilled amount expected to be collected from clients for work performed to date. It is measured at 
the chargeable rate agreed with the individual clients less progress billed, less allowances for unrecoverable amounts and less expected credit losses. 
As these financial assets relate to unbilled work and have substantially the same risk characteristics as trade receivables, the Group has concluded that 
the expected loss rates for trade receivables <30 days, excluding specific provisions, is an appropriate estimation of the expected credit losses.

Sensitivity analysis
The total carrying amount of WIP (before ECL allowances) is £9.35m (2018: £7.13m). If Management’s estimate of the recoverability of the WIP (the 
amount expected to be billed and collected from clients for work performed to date) is 10% lower than expected on the total WIP balance due to 
allowances for unrecoverable amounts, revenue would be £0.94m lower (2018: £0.71m lower).

1 4 .   A C C R U E D   I N C O M E

Total

Loss allowance 

Net

 2019 
£’000 

12,927 

(21)

12,906 

 2018 
£’000 

9,334 

(25)

9,309 

Accrued income across all the service lines represents the billable provision of services to clients which has not been invoiced at the reporting date. 
Accrued income is recorded based on agreed fees billed in arrears less expected credit losses. As these financial assets relate to unbilled work and have 
substantially the same risk characteristics as trade receivables, the Group has concluded that the expected loss rates for trade receivables <30 days is 
an appropriate estimation of the expected credit losses.

1 5 .   O T H E R   R E C E I V A B L E S

Non-current

Loans receivable from employees

Loans receivable from related undertakings

Total non-current

Current

Other receivables

Loans receivable from employees

Loans receivable from third parties

Total current

Total other receivables

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

153 

64

217 

1,867 

180

4,219 

6,266 

6,483 

180 

64 

244 

1,335 

–

–

1,335 

1,579 

Loans receivable from employees include the following: (i) a loan for £0.18m which is interest bearing (LIBOR +1.5%) and repayable on 31 December 
2020 unless the employment contract is terminated at an earlier date; and (ii) £0.15m which is due from employees participating in the Advance to 
Buy (“A2B”) programme; these are interest bearing at 3% per annum and repayable two years after the commencement date (in early 2021) unless the 
employment contract is terminated at an earlier date.

Loans receivable from Northpoint Byala IC (£53k) and Northpoint Finance IC (£11k) are unsecured and interest free and, as the repayment date is 
unspecified, these are non-current. Both are incorporated cell companies registered in Jersey, Channels Islands and are considered related parties due to 
common directorships.

Loans receivable from third parties are due from NES Financial (“NESF”), a business acquired by the Group on 2 April 2020. On 26 November 2019, the 
Group provided an unsecured interest free, short-term loan of $2m to secure exclusivity. On 5 December 2019, a further loan was extended for $3.5m 
which was secured, with interest payable at 3% per annum with a repayment date of 5 June 2021. Both of these loans have been settled post year end 
as part of the purchase consideration calculation (see note 40).

Other receivables are subject to the impairment requirements of IFRS 9 but as balances are primarily with related parties or part of a business 
combination, they were assessed to have low credit risk and no loss allowance is recognised. 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

1 6 .   C A S H   A N D   C A S H   E Q U I V A L E N T S 

Cash attributable to the Group

Committed EBT capital distributions (restricted)

Total

 2019 
£’000 

23,693 

2,624 

26,317 

 2018 
£’000 

26,354 

6,103 

32,457 

For the purpose of presentation in the statement of cash flow, cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other 
short-term highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank overdrafts. 

Cash and cash equivalents are subject to the impairment requirements of IFRS 9 but, as balances are mainly held with reputable international banking 
institutions, they were assessed to have low credit risk and no loss allowance is recognised. 

1 7 .   T R A D E   A N D   O T H E R   P A Y A B L E S

Non-current

Other payables

Deferred consideration

Total non-current

Current

Trade payables

Other taxation and social security

Other payables

Accruals

Deferred consideration

Total current

Total trade and other payables

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

–

– 

– 

4,472 

241 

4,713 

1,196 

646 

5,670

5,176 

8,460 

21,148 

21,148 

1,008 

210 

4,939 

5,273 

7,968 

19,398 

24,111 

Included in current other payables is £2.5m being the discounted value of capital distributions due from EBT12 to employees (2018: £3.0m).

Included in non-current other payables in the prior year was the discounted value of capital distributions due from EBT12 to employees of £2.85m.

Deferred consideration payable is discounted to net present value, split between current and non-current and is due by acquisition as follows: £7.64m 
for Exequtive (see note 31.1), £0.56m for Aufisco (see note 31.2) and £0.26m for S&GFA (2018: £5.06m for Van Doorn, £1.96m for Minerva, £0.88m for 
NACT and £0.3m for S&GFA). 

Due to their short-term nature, Management consider the carrying value of these financial liabilities to approximate to their fair value.

1 8 .   L O A N S   A N D   B O R R O W I N G S

Non-current

Bank loans

Finance leases

Other loans

Total non-current

Current

Finance leases

Other loans

Total current

Total loans and borrowings

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

86,681 

71,494 

–

–

30 

508 

86,681 

72,032 

–

508 

508 

5 

678 

683 

87,189 

72,715 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

18.1.  BANK LOANS
The terms and conditions of outstanding bank loans are as follows:

Facility

Term facility

Revolving facility

Revolving facility

Total principal value

Issue costs

Total bank loans

Currency

Termination date

Interest rate(i)

GBP

GBP

EUR

8 March 2023

LIBOR + 1.75%

8 March 2023

LIBOR + 1.75%

8 March 2023

EURIBOR + 1.75%

2019 
£’000

45,000 

19,000 

23,836 

87,836 

2018 
£’000 

45,000 

19,000 

9,014 

73,014 

(1,155) 

(1,520) 

86,681 

71,494 

(i) 

The initial interest rate margin was 2%; this can change as a result of net leverage calculations. As at 31 December 2019, the interest rate margin was 1.75% (2018: 1.75%).

Under the terms of the facility, HSBC Bank Plc (“HSBC”) holds a charge against the shares of JTC PLC and other subsidiaries deemed to be obligors and, 
in the event of default, could place charges against the net assets held. 

Movement in bank facilities during the year:

Principal value

Issue costs

Total

At 1 January 
2019 
£’000

73,014 

(1,520)

Drawdowns 
£’000

15,509 

–

71,494 

15,509 

Amortisation 
release 
£’000

–

365 

365 

Effect of 
foreign 
exchange 
£’000

(687)

–

At 31 
December 
2019 
£’000 

87,836 

(1,155)

(687) 

86,681 

On 9 March 2018, the Group entered into a five year loan facility agreement with HSBC for a total commitment of £55m (or its equivalent in EUR 
and USD) consisting of a term loan of £45m and a revolving facility commitment of £10m. The loan agreement was amended on 19 October 2018 
to increase the total commitment to £100m and to introduce Barclays Bank Plc (“Barclays”), Santander UK Plc (“Santander”) and the Bank of Ireland 
(“BOI”) as incoming lenders with an additional revolving facility commitment of £15m each. 

An amount of £45m from the loan facility was used to partially fund the repayment of the existing secured bank loan with HSBC and Royal Bank 
of Scotland Plc totalling £55.8m in March 2018. The issue costs of £251k associated with this loan have been written off, having previously been 
capitalised for amortisation over the term of the loan. On 25 September 2018 and 16 November 2018, further withdrawals were made for £9m and 
£19m respectively to partially fund the two acquisitions made by the Group during the prior year, see notes 31.3 and 31.4. On 22 March 2019, a further 
withdrawal was made for £15.5m (€17.9m) to partially fund the acquisition of Exequtive, see note 31.1. 

The cost of the facility depends upon net leverage, being the ratio of total net debt to underlying EBITDA (for LTM at average FX rates and adjusted 
for pro-forma contributions from acquisitions and synergies) for a relevant period. As at 31 December 2019, arrangement and legal fees amounting to 
£1.75m have been capitalised for amortisation over the term of the loan.

At 31 December 2019, the Group had available £12.1m of committed facilities currently undrawn (2018: £27m). All facilities are due to be repaid on or 
before the termination date of 8 March 2023. 

On 9 January 2020, the revolving facility commitment was increased by £50m increasing the total facility commitment to £150m. The commitments 
were increased by bank as follows: £10m from Barclays, Santander and BOI and £20m from HSBC. The additional commitments are made on the same 
terms as the existing commitments.

18.2. COMPLIANCE WITH LOAN COVENANTS
The Company has complied with the financial covenants of its borrowing facilities during the 2019 and 2018 reporting period, see note 30.

18.3. OTHER LOANS
On 10 April 2017, the Group entered into a loan facility with Close Leasing Limited for £2.52m. The loan arrangement fee of £25k and an initial 
instalment of £194k were deducted from the cash received and the remaining balance due is being settled in 41 monthly instalments of £65k each. 

18.4. FAIR VALUE
For the majority of the borrowings, the fair values are not materially different from their carrying amounts, since the interest payable on those 
borrowings is close to current market rates or the borrowings are short-term in nature.

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

1 9 .   L E A S E S

This note provides information for leases where the Group is a lessee.

The Group has changed its accounting policy for leases where the Group is the lessee. Note 3.2 explains the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 
‘Leases’ on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

Until 31 December 2018, contracts for the rental of office furniture and equipment leases where the Group, as lessee, had substantially all the risks 
and rewards of ownership were classified as finance leases. Finance leases were capitalised at the lease’s inception at the fair value of the leased 
asset or, if lower, the present value of the minimum lease payments. The corresponding rental obligations, net of finance charges, were included in 
current and non-current loans and borrowings (see note 18). Each lease payment was allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance 
cost was charged to the consolidated income statement over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining 
balance of the liability for each period. The office furniture and equipment acquired under the finance lease was depreciated over the asset’s useful 
life, or over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term if there is no reasonable certainty that the Group will obtain ownership at the 
end of the lease term.

Leases for the rental of buildings where a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership were not transferred to the Group as lessee were 
classified as operating leases. Rentals payable under such leases were charged to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the 
term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from 
the leased assets are consumed. When an operating lease was terminated before the lease period has expired, any payment required to be made to 
the lessor by way of penalty was recognised as an expense in the period in which termination took place. Any incentives received from the lessor in 
relation to operating leases were recognised as a reduction of rental expense over the lease term on a straight-line basis.

From 1 January 2019, leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for 
use by the Group.

Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net present value of the 
following lease payments:

•  fixed payments, less any lease incentives receivable;
•  variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate;
•  amounts expected to be payable by the lessee under residual value guarantees;
•  the exercise price of a purchase option if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and 
•  payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the lessee exercising that option.

Lease payments to be made under reasonably certain extension options are also included in the measurement of the liability.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease. If that rate cannot be determined, which is generally the case for 
leases in the Group, the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate is used, being the rate that the lessee would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary 
to obtain an asset of similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment with similar terms, security and conditions.

The incremental borrowing rate applied to each lease was determined considering the Group’s borrowing rate and the risk-free interest rate, 
adjusted for factors specific to the country, currency and term of the lease. 

The Group can be exposed to potential future increases in variable lease payments based on an index or rate which are not included in the lease 
liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability is reassessed and 
adjusted against the right-of-use asset.

Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to the consolidated income statement over the lease 
period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.

Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising of:

•  the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability;
•  any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received;
•  any initial direct costs; and
•  restoration costs.

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis. 

Payments associated with short-term leases of equipment and vehicle and all leases of low-value assets are recognised on a straight-line basis as an 
expense in the consolidated income statement. Short-term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less. Low-value assets comprise IT 
equipment and small items of office furniture.

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19.1.  AMOUNTS RECOGNISED IN THE CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

Right-of-use assets

Buildings

Lease liabilities

Current 

Non-current

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Note

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

20 

30,230 

29,139 

2,875 

28,616 

31,491 

2,631 

26,543 

29,174 

In 2018, the Group only recognised lease assets and lease liabilities in relation to leases that were classified as ‘finance leases’ under IAS 17 ‘Leases’. 
The assets were presented in property, plant and equipment and the liabilities as part of Group loans and borrowings. For adjustments recognised on 
adoption of IFRS 16 on 1 January 2019, please refer to note 3.2.

Sensitivity analysis
The Group has measured the lease liability at the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted using the lessee’s incremental borrowing 
rate at the date of transition and right-of-use assets at an amount equal to the lease liability, adjusted by the amount of any prepaid or accrued lease 
payments recognised in the consolidated balance sheet before transition. The discount rate determined on a lease-by-lease basis is a significant 
estimate. The incremental borrowing rate for each lease has been determined by considering the term of the arrangement, the value of the lease 
liability and the economic environment specific to the jurisdiction. Should the discount rate used for the calculation on each lease arrangement be 
increased by 1%, the right-of-use asset and lease liability recognised upon transition would both be £2m lower. 

19.2. AMOUNTS RECOGNISED IN THE CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
The consolidated income statement shows the following amounts relating to leases:

Buildings right-of-use asset depreciation charge

Interest expense (included in finance cost)

Expense relating to short-term leases (included in establishment costs)

Expense relating to leases of low-value assets that are not shown above as short-term leases (included in other 
operating expenses)

The total cash outflow for leases in 2019 was £3.1m.

2019 
£’000 

3,415 

938 

136 

27 

2018 
£’000 

–

–

–

–

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

S E C T I O N   4   –   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   A S S E T S   A N D   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   L I A B I L I T I E S 
2 0 .   P R O P E R T Y ,   P L A N T   A N D   E Q U I P M E N T

Items of property, plant and equipment are initially recorded at cost and are stated at historical cost less depreciation and impairment losses. 
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives, using the straight-line 
method, on the following bases:

Leasehold improvements – over the period of the lease

Computer equipment – 4 years

Office furniture and equipment – 4 years

The estimated useful lives, residual values and depreciation methods are reviewed at the end of each reporting period with the effect of any changes 
in estimate accounted for on a prospective basis. An asset’s carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset’s 
carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount. 

An item of property, plant and equipment and any significant part initially recognised is derecognised upon disposal or when no future economic 
benefits are expected from its use or disposal. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between the net 
disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is included in the consolidated income statement when the asset is derecognised.

Assets under the course of construction are stated at cost. These assets are not depreciated until they are available for use.

Cost

At 1 January 2018

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2018

Adoption of new standards (see note 3.2)

At 1 January 2019

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2018

Charge for the year

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2018

Charge for the year

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Carrying amount

At 31 December 2019

At 31 December 2018(i)

Computer 
equipment 
£’000 

 Office 
furniture and 
equipment 
£’000 

Leasehold 
improvements 
£’000 

Right-of-use 
assets
£’000 

2,639 

372 

114 

(372)

6 

927 

256 

277 

(254)

–

6,071 

843 

514 

(581)

42 

2,759 

1,206 

6,889 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,759 

477 

24 

(40)

(45)

–

1,206 

680 

38 

(71)

(32)

–

6,889 

1,269 

–

(32)

(66)

29,139 

29,139 

4,018 

1,069 

(499)

(261)

Total 
£’000 

9,637 

1,471 

905 

(1,207)

48 

10,854 

29,139 

39,993 

6,444 

1,131 

(642)

(404)

3,175 

1,821 

8,060 

33,466 

46,522 

1,938 

423 

(327)

4 

2,038 

430 

(41)

(37)

2,390 

735 

99 

(217)

3 

620 

237 

(69)

(21)

767 

1,460 

420 

(119)

29 

1,790 

513 

–

(39)

–

–

–

–

–

3,415 

(141)

(38)

4,133 

942 

(663)

36 

4,448 

4,595 

(251)

(135)

2,264 

3,236 

8,657 

785 

721 

1,054 

586 

5,796 

5,099 

30,230 

37,865 

–

6,406 

(i) 

The carrying value of office furniture and equipment included an amount of £162k where the Group was a lessee under finance leases. These leases expired during 2019.

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2 1 .   I N T A N G I B L E   A S S E T S

Goodwill
Goodwill that arises on the acquisition of subsidiaries is considered an intangible asset. See note 31 for the measurement of goodwill at initial 
recognition; subsequent to this, measurement is at cost less accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets acquired in a business combination
Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and recognised separately from goodwill are initially recognised at their fair value at the 
acquisition date (which is regarded as their cost). Subsequent to initial recognition, these are measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and 
accumulated impairment losses.

Amortisation is recognised in the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset from the date of 
acquisition. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

Customer relationships – 8.7 to 12 years

The estimated useful lives and residual value are reviewed at each reporting date and adjusted if appropriate, with the effect of any change in 
estimate being accounted for on a prospective basis.

Intangible assets acquired separately
Intangible assets that are acquired separately by the Group and have finite useful lives are measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and 
accumulated impairment losses. 

Amortisation is recognised in the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset from the date 
that they are available for use. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

Regulatory licence – 12 years

Software – 4 years

Customer relationships – 10 years

The estimated useful lives and residual value are reviewed at each reporting date and adjusted if appropriate, with the effect of any change in 
estimate being accounted for on a prospective basis.

Intangible assets under the course of construction are stated at cost and are not depreciated until they are available for use.

Impairment of non-financial assets
Goodwill and intangible assets that have an indefinite useful life are not subject to amortisation and are tested annually for impairment, or more 
frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that they might be impaired. Other non-financial assets are tested for impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount might not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for 
the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value 
less costs of disposal and value in use. For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are 
separately identifiable cash inflows which are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets (cash-generating units). 
Non-financial assets other than goodwill that suffered an impairment are reviewed for possible reversal of the impairment at the end of each 
reporting period.

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

2 1 .   I N T A N G I B L E   A S S E T S   ( C O N T I N U E D )
The movements of the intangible assets and goodwill are as follows:

Cost

At 1 January 2018

Adjustments

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2018

Transfers

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Impairment charge

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Accumulated amortisation

At 1 January 2018

Charge for the year

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2018

Charge for the year

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Carrying amount

At 31 December 2019

At 31 December 2018

Goodwill 
£’000 

Customer 
relationships
£’000 

Regulatory 
licence 
£’000

Software 
£’000

Assets under 
construction 
£’000

Total 
£’000 

76,183 

23,274 

245 

2,786 

27 

–

–

–

28,110 

21,604 

–

515 

–

1,155 

–

–

–

–

6 

–

623 

45 

(40)

22 

104,835 

46,033 

251 

3,436 

–

44 

–

853 

21,246 

11,988 

–

(1,245)

(459)

(635)

124,880 

57,780 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,730 

2,743 

–

157 

5,630 

5,012 

487 

11,129 

–

–

–

–

(13)

238 

29 

20 

–

3 

52 

20 

(3)

69 

81 

520 

–

–

(3)

4,034 

1,785 

484 

(7)

22 

2,284 

534 

(3)

2,815 

–

–

81 

–

–

–

81 

(81)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

102,488 

27 

704 

49,759 

(40)

1,698 

154,636 

–

1,417 

33,234 

(459)

(1,896)

186,932 

4,544 

3,247 

(7)

182 

7,966 

5,566 

481 

14,013 

124,880 

104,835 

46,651 

40,403 

169 

199 

1,219 

1,152 

–

81 

172,919 

146,670 

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21.1.  GOODWILL
Goodwill impairment
Goodwill is not amortised but it is tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amount may not be recoverable. Goodwill is monitored by Management at jurisdictional levels. Goodwill is allocated to CGUs for the purpose of 
impairment testing and this allocation is made to those CGUs or groups of CGUs that are expected to benefit from the business combination in which 
the goodwill arose. The aggregate carrying amounts of goodwill allocated to each CGU is as follows:

In the current year:
CGU

Jersey

Guernsey

BVI

Switzerland

Cayman

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Dubai

Mauritius

Total

In the prior year:
CGU

Jersey

Guernsey

BVI

Switzerland

Cayman

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Dubai

Mauritius

Total

Balance at 
1 Jan 2019 
£’000 

64,006 

10,598 

752 

2,349 

237 

7,273 

15,281 

1,876 

2,463 

104,835 

Balance at 
1 Jan 2018 
£’000 

54,337 

10,598 

752 

1,077 

225 

7,204 

1,990 

–

–

Post-
acquisition 
 adjustments 
£’000 

(19)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

63 

44 

Business 
combinations 
£’000 

Exchange 
differences 
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

21,246 

–

–

–

–

–

–

(21)

(6)

(279)

(799)

(61)

(79)

Total 
£’000 

63,987 

10,598 

752 

2,328 

231 

28,240 

14,482 

1,815 

2,447 

21,246 

(1,245)

124,880 

Post-
acquisition 
 adjustments 
£’000 

Business 
combinations 
£’000 

Exchange 
differences 
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

9,669 

–

–

1,208 

–

–

27 

13,159 

–

–

1,761 

2,313 

Total 
£’000 

64,006 

10,598 

752 

2,349 

237 

7,273 

15,281 

1,876 

2,463 

104,835 

–

–

–

64 

12 

69 

105 

115 

150 

515 

76,183 

27 

28,110 

Key assumptions used in discounted cash flow projection calculations
The recoverable amount of all CGUs has been determined based on a value in use calculation using cash flow projections. Projected cash flows 
are calculated with reference to each CGU’s latest budget and business plan which are subject to a rigorous review and challenge process. 
Management prepare the budgets through an assessment of historical revenues from existing clients, the pipeline of new projects, historical 
pricing, and the required resource base needed to service new and existing clients, coupled with their knowledge of wider industry trends and the 
economic environment.

The year 1 cash flow projections are based on detailed financial budgets and years 2 to 5 on detailed outlooks prepared by Management. The revenue 
growth rate assumed beyond the initial five year period is between 0.3% and 2.5%, based on the expected long-term inflation rate of the relevant 
jurisdiction of the CGU (the “terminal value growth rate”).

Management estimate discount rates using pre-tax rates that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money. In assessing the discount 
rate applicable to the Group the following factors have been considered:

•  Long-term treasury bond rate for the relevant jurisdiction
•  The cost of equity based on an adjusted Beta for the relevant jurisdiction
•  The risk premium to reflect the increased risk of investing in equities

The above assumptions have resulted in weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) of between 10.5% and 16.4%.

A summary of the values assigned to the key assumptions used in the value in use calculations are as follows: 

•  Revenue growth rate: up to 19.0%
•  Terminal value growth rate: between 0.3% and 2.5%
•  Discount rate: between 10.5% and 16.4%
•  EBIT margin: between 31.3% and 63.0% 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

2 1 .   I N T A N G I B L E   A S S E T S   ( C O N T I N U E D )
21.1.  GOODWILL (CONTINUED)
Sensitivity analysis
Management believe that any reasonable changes to the key assumptions on which recoverable amounts are based would not cause the aggregate 
carrying amount to exceed the recoverable amount of the CGUs, except for the revenue growth rate in the Luxembourg CGU. For this CGU, should the 
revenue growth rate estimated by Management in their detailed outlook for years 1 to 5 be 4% lower, an impairment of £0.9m would be recognised.

Conclusion
The recoverable amount of goodwill determined for each CGU as at 31 December 2019 was found to be higher than its carrying amount.

21.2. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP INTANGIBLE ASSETS
The carrying amounts of the identifiable customer relationship intangible assets acquired separately and through business combinations are as follows:

Acquisition

Signes(i)

KB Group(i)

S&GFA(i)

BAML(i)

NACT(i)

Van Doorn(i)

Minerva(i)

Exequtive

Aufisco

Sackville

Total

Note

Useful 
economic 
life (“UEL”)

10 years

12 years

10 years

10 years

10 years

11.4 years

Carrying amount

2019 
£’000 

1,486 

2,616 

2,198 

7,987 

1,703 

6,500 

2018 
£’000 

1,853 

2,965 

2,666 

9,100 

2,582 

7,539 

8.7 – 11.8 years

12,323 

13,698 

31.1

31.2

21.2(b)

10 years

10 years

10 years

9,111 

1,928 

799 

–

–

–

46,651

40,403 

(i) 

Acquisitions in previous years included: Signes S.a.r.l and Signes S.A. (“Signes”), Kleinwort Benson (Channel Islands) Fund Services Limited (“KB Group”), Swiss & Global Fund Administration (Cayman) 

Ltd (“S&GFA”), International Trust and Wealth Structuring Business of Bank of America (“BAML”), New Amsterdam Cititrust B.V. (“NACT”), Minerva Holdings Limited and MHL Holdings S.A. (“Minerva”) 

and Van Doorn B.V. (“Van Doorn”).

(a)  Customer relationships acquired in a business combination
Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and recognised separately from goodwill are initially recognised at their fair value at the 
acquisition date. In 2019, the Group acquired Exequtive and Aufisco and recognised customer relationship intangible assets of £9.9m and  
£2.3m respectively, see notes 31.1 and 31.2. 

Key assumptions in determining fair value
The fair value at acquisition was derived using the multi-period excess earnings method (“MEEM”) financial valuation model. Management consider the 
key assumptions in this model to be:

•  Year on year revenue growth
•  The discount rate applied to free cash flow

Sensitivity analysis
Management carried out a sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions used in the valuation of new customer relationship intangible assets.

For Exequtive, an increase of 2% in year on year revenue growth would increase fair value by £0.56m and an increase in discount rate of 2%  
would decrease fair value by £0.59m. 

Management estimate that any similar changes to these key assumptions for the other customer relationship intangible assets recognised in the  
year would not result in a significant change to fair value.

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(b)  Customer relationships acquired separately
On 12 February 2019, the Group entered into a facilitation and referral agreement and an outsourcing agreement with Sackville Bank and Trust 
Company Limited (“Sackville”) whereby Sackville’s clients would be referred to the Group as a provider of trust, custody and administration services.

The fair value of the customer relationships acquired is the consideration due, this is based on a percentage of revenue attributable to each client 
successfully introduced. The assets are being amortised over their estimated useful economic life of 10 years.

Amounts due from Sackville for £0.64m where clients were billed in advance of transferring to JTC have been offset against consideration due for 
customer relationships acquired of £0.78m. These amounts have been offset in accordance with the accounting policy for offsetting financial assets and 
financial liabilities, see section 3.

(c)  Customer relationship intangible asset impairment
Management review customer relationship intangible assets for indicators of impairment at the reporting date. The only indicators identified were that 
actual revenues generated by BAML, KB Group, Minerva and NACT were lower than forecast. 

An impairment assessment was performed on those assets with indicators and Management concluded that the only impairment was on the NACT 
customer relationship intangible asset. An in-depth review of the client relationships acquired from this business identified some customer relationships 
would be terminated sooner than originally anticipated due to an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, this resulted in an impairment of 
£0.46m. 

All other customer relationship intangible assets were deemed to have a recoverable amount in excess of the carrying amount as at 31 December 2019.

2 2 .   O T H E R   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   A S S E T S

Contract assets
Incremental costs of obtaining a contract (i.e. costs that would not have been incurred if the contract had not been obtained) are recognised as 
a contract cost within financial assets if the costs are expected to be recovered. The capitalised costs of obtaining a contract are amortised on 
a straight-line basis over the estimated useful economic life of the contract. The carrying amount of contract asset is tested for impairment in 
accordance with the policy described in note 21.

Non-current

Prepayments

Contract assets

Total non-current

Current

Prepayments

Other receivables

Contract assets

Total current

Total other non-financial assets

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

342 

623 

965 

693 

843 

1,536 

2,112 

2,054 

554 

326 

2,992 

3,957 

495 

453 

3,002 

4,538 

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

2 3 .   D E F E R R E D   T A X A T I O N

For the accounting policy on deferred income tax, see note 11.

The deferred taxation (assets) and liabilities recognised in the consolidated financial statements are set out below:

Intangible assets

Other origination and reversal of temporary differences

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

The movement in the year is analysed as follows:

Intangible assets

Balance at the beginning of the year

Recognised through business combinations

Recognised in the consolidated income statement

Foreign exchange (to other comprehensive income)

Balance at 31 December 

Other origination and reversal of temporary differences

Balance at the beginning of the year

Recognised in the consolidated income statement

Balance at 31 December 

2 4 .   O T H E R   N O N - F I N A N C I A L   L I A B I L I T I E S

Note

2019 
£’000 

7,528 

25

2018 
£’000 

5,869 

6 

7,553 

5,875 

(103)

7,656

7,553

2019 
£’000

5,869 

2,648 

(787)

(202)

7,528 

6 

19 

25 

(135)

6,010 

5,875 

2018 
£’000

2,817 

3,327 

(389)

114 

5,869 

(61)

67 

6 

11 

Deferred income
Fixed fees received in advance across all the service lines and up-front fees in respect of services due under contract are time apportioned to 
respective accounting periods, and those billed but not yet earned are included in deferred income in the consolidated balance sheet. As such 
liabilities are associated with future services, they do not give rise to a contractual obligation to pay cash or another financial asset.

Contract liabilities
Commissions expected to be paid over the term of a customer contract are discounted and recognised at the net present value. The finance cost is 
charged to the consolidated income statement over the contract life so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance 
of the liability for each period. 

Non-current

Contract liabilities

Current

Deferred income

Contract liabilities

Total current

Total other non-financial liabilities

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

518 

997 

6,930 

606 

7,536 

8,054 

7,744 

510

8,254 

9,251 

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2 5 .   P R O V I S I O N S

Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of 
resources will be required to settle the obligation, and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation. Provisions are not recognised 
for future operating losses.

The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the end of the reporting 
period, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. If the impact of the time value of money is material, provisions are 
determined by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money  
and the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost in the consolidated income statement.

Dilapidations
The Group has entered into leases for rental agreements in different countries. The estimated cost of the dilapidations amount payable at the end 
of each tenancy, unless specified, is generally estimated by reference to the square footage of the building and in consultation with local property 
agents, landlords and prior experience. Having estimated the likely amount due, a country specific discount rate is applied to calculate the present 
value of the expected outflow. The discounted dilapidation cost has been capitalised against the leasehold improvement asset in accordance with 
IAS 16. 

Onerous contracts
An onerous contract is considered to exist where the Group has a contract under which the unavoidable costs of meeting the obligations under the 
contract exceed the economic benefits expected to be received from the contract. For 2018, present obligations arising under onerous contracts 
were recognised and measured as provisions. For 2019, following the adoption of IFRS 16, onerous lease balances have been adjusted against the 
right-of-use assets recognised at the date of initial application of this new accounting standard, see note 3.2.

At 1 January 2018

Additions

Unwind of discount

Amounts utilised

Impact of foreign exchange

At 31 December 2018

Release upon application of IFRS 16

Additions

Disposals

Unwind of discount

Amounts utilised

Impact of foreign exchange

At 31 December 2019

Analysis of total provisions:

Amounts falling due within one year

Amounts falling due after more than one year

Total

Dilapidation 
provisions 
£’000 

Note

Onerous 
lease 
provisions 
£’000 

3.2

471 

422 

28 

–

7 

928 

–

516 

(132)

11 

(118)

(16)

1,189 

362 

334 

12 

(210)

13 

511 

(103)

–

(178)

1 

(229)

(2)

–

2019 
£’000 

73 

1,116 

1,189 

Total 
£’000 

833 

756 

40 

(210)

20 

1,439 

(103)

516 

(310)

12 

(347)

(18)

1,189 

Total 
£’000 

401 

1,038 

1,439 

Dilapidations provision
As part of the Group’s property leasing arrangements there are a number of leases which include an obligation to remove any leasehold improvements 
(thus returning the premises to an agreed condition at the end of the lease) and to restore wear and tear by repairing and repainting. The provisions are 
expected to be utilised when the leases expire or upon exit.

Onerous lease provisions
The Group had identified onerous leases for premises in Jersey, Guernsey and Switzerland. Following transition to IFRS 16, for leases that have already 
commenced, no requirements are necessary. After commencement date, the Group appropriately reflects an onerous lease contract by applying the 
requirements of the policy described in note 19. 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

S E C T I O N   5   –   E Q U I T Y
2 6 .   S H A R E   C A P I T A L   A N D   R E S E R V E S
26.1. SHARE CAPITAL

The Group’s Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of Ordinary shares are recognised as a 
deduction from equity, net of any tax effects.

Authorised

300,000,000 Ordinary shares (2018: 300,000,000 Ordinary shares)

Called up, issued and fully paid

2019 
£’000 

Total 
£’000 

3,000 

3,000 

114,068,353 Ordinary shares (2018: 110,895,327 Ordinary shares)

1,141 

1,109 

Ordinary shares have a par value of £0.01 each. All shares are equally eligible to receive dividends and the repayment of capital and represent one vote 
at Shareholders’ meetings of JTC PLC.

Movements in share capital

Share issue for IPO Offer

Acquisition of Van Doorn

Acquisition of Minerva

At 31 December 2018

Acquisition of Exequtive

PLC EBT issue

Acquisition of Aufisco

Movement in the year

At 31 December 2019

Note

No.

106,896,552 

1,121,077 

2,877,698 

29.4 

29.3 

Par value 
 £’000 

1,069 

11 

29 

110,895,327 

1,109 

29.1 

1,925,650 

1,128,210 

29.2 

119,166 

3,173,026 

20 

11 

1 

32 

114,068,353 

1,141

Movements in the current year
On 29 March 2019, the Company issued and admitted an additional 1,925,650 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the share consideration payable 
for its acquisition of Exequtive, see note 31.1.

On 1 October 2019, the Company issued an additional 1,128,210 Ordinary shares in order for PLC EBT to satisfy future exercises of awards granted 
to beneficiaries.

On 26 November 2019, the Company issued an additional 119,166 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the share consideration payable for its 
acquisition of Aufisco, see note 31.2.

Movements in the prior year
The Company was incorporated on 12 January 2018 with an authorised share capital of £10,000 divided into 1,000,000 shares of £0.01 each. 
Immediately prior to Admission, the Group undertook a reorganisation (the “Reorganisation”) of its corporate structure that resulted in the Company 
being the ultimate holding company of the Group and JTCGHL becoming a direct subsidiary of the Company. In connection with the Reorganisation and 
the IPO Offer, the authorised share capital of the Company was increased from £10,000 divided into 1,000,000 Ordinary shares to £3,000,000 divided 
into 300,000,000 Ordinary shares (known as “PLC shares”).

The Reorganisation was effected pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement, whereby all of the shares in, and remaining Loan Notes issued by JTCGHL, 
were transferred to the Company and the Company issued an additional 99,097,573 Ordinary shares to such Shareholders and noteholders, following 
which the Company became the sole shareholder of JTCGHL. 

On 14 March 2018, the Directors authorised the issue of 99,097,573 Ordinary shares at par for the Reorganisation and a further 6,896,552 Ordinary 
shares at par for the IPO Offer and Admission. 

The IPO Offer comprised the sale by Original Shareholders of 77,173,702 Ordinary shares and 6,896,552 New Ordinary Shares at £2.90 per share, 
raising gross proceeds of £243.8m. These were admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority with a Premium Listing and approval to trade on 
the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Following the IPO, the Company settled a new EBT, known as the JTC PLC Employee Benefit Trust (“PLC EBT”). A capital appointment of £1.5m was 
made from EBT12 to PLC EBT and 741,345 Ordinary shares in the Company were purchased to be held by PLC EBT. 

On 28 September 2018, the Company issued and admitted an additional 1,121,007 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the share consideration 
payable for its acquisition of Van Doorn, see note 31.4.

On 20 November 2018, the Company issued an additional 2,877,698 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the share consideration payable for its 
acquisition of Minerva, see note 31.3.

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26.2. OWN SHARES

Own shares represent the shares of the Company that are unallocated and held by PLC EBT and previously share ownership trusts (“SOPs”) and 
EBT12 (together the “Trusts”). Own shares are recorded at cost and deducted from equity. When shares vest unconditionally, are cancelled or are 
reissued they are transferred from the own shares reserve at their cost. Any consideration paid or received by the Trusts for the purchase or sale of 
the Company’s own shares is shown as a movement in shareholders’ equity.

At 1 January 2018

IPO movements

Acquisition of Minerva

Acquisition of Van Doorn

Purchase of own shares

At 31 December 2018

Acquisition of Exequtive

PLC EBT issue

Purchase of own shares 

Movement in year

At 31 December 2019

SOPs 
No. 

EBT12 
No. 

 29,122 

 84,000 

PLC EBT 
No. 

–

PLC EBT 
£’000

–

 (29,122)

 (84,000)

 474,500 

1,500 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 101,179 

 115,000 

 50,666 

 741,345 

 173,482 

–  1,128,210 

–

 117,630 

–  1,419,322 

406 

461 

199 

2,565 

–

11 

450 

462 

–  2,160,667 

3,027 

Movements in the current year
On 29 March 2019, as part of the acquisition of Exequtive, 173,482 Ordinary shares were contributed to PLC EBT. 

On 1 October 2019, the Company issued an additional 1,128,210 Ordinary shares for PLC EBT.

During the year, shares were purchased for PLC EBT using surplus cash held and following capital appointments from EBT12 using its surplus cash from 
leavers who forfeited their capital distributions.

Movements in the prior year
Under the share exchange agreement (see note 26.1), the shares and loan notes held by EBT12 were converted into PLC shares and then sold for 
£15.64m upon IPO. Following the IPO, PLC EBT was settled by a capital appointment of £1.5m. Subsequent to this, purchases were made as part of the 
acquisitions of Minerva and Van Doorn and also from surplus cash held from EBT12 where leavers had forfeited their capital distributions.

26.3. OTHER RESERVES
Capital reserve
This reserve is used to record the gains or losses recognised on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of the Company’s own shares, which may arise 
from capital transactions by the Group’s employee benefit trusts as well as any movements in share-based awards to employees.

Translation reserve
The translation reserve comprises all foreign currency differences arising from the translation of the financial statements of foreign operations. 

Retained earnings
Retained earnings includes accumulated profits and losses.

2 7 .   D I V I D E N D S

Provision is made for the amount of any dividend declared, being appropriately authorised and no longer at the discretion of the entity, on or before 
the end of the reporting period but not distributed at the end of the reporting period. Interim dividends are recognised when paid.

The following dividends were declared and paid by the Company for the year:

Interim dividend for 2018 of 1p per qualifying ordinary share

Final dividend for 2018 of 2p per qualifying ordinary share

Interim dividend for 2019 of 1.7p per qualifying ordinary share

Total dividend declared and paid

2019 
£’000 

–

2,235 

1,899 

4,134 

Total 
£’000 

1,074 

–

–

1,074 

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C o n t i n u e d

S E C T I O N   6   –   R I S K
2 8 .   C R I T I C A L   A C C O U N T I N G   E S T I M A T E S   A N D   J U D G E M E N T S
In the application of the Group’s accounting policies, Management are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying 
amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical 
experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the year in which 
the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that year, or in the year of the revision and future years if the revision affects both current and 
future years.

28.1.  CRITICAL JUDGEMENTS IN APPLYING THE GROUP’S ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following are the critical judgements that Management have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies and that have the 
most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the consolidated financial statements.

Recognition of customer relationship intangibles
In 2019, the Group entered into transactions with Exequtive and Aufisco, see notes 31.1 and 31.2. IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations’ requires Management 
to identify assets and liabilities purchased including intangible assets. Following their assessment, Management concluded that the only material 
intangible asset meeting the recognition criteria is customer relationships. The customer relationship intangible assets recognised through these 
acquisitions were £9.86m and £2.28m respectively.

Extension options on leases
Many of the leases for office space contain extension options as these provide operational flexibility. The Group will assess at each reporting period 
if they are reasonably certain that an extension option will be exercised. Such assessment involves management judgement and is based on the 
information available at the time the assessments are made. This includes the following factors: the length of time remaining before the option is 
exercisable, current trading, future trading forecasts and business plans for the jurisdiction, taking into account any potential business combinations. 
As at the reporting date, Management have assessed the extension options available in their leases and have deemed they cannot be reasonably certain 
at this time that they would exercise the extension options. 

28.2. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS
The following are the critical estimates that Management have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies and that have the most 
significant effect on the amounts recognised in the consolidated financial statements.

Recoverability of work in progress (“WIP”)
To assess the fair value of consideration received for services rendered, Management are required to make an assessment of the net unbilled amount 
expected to be collected from clients for work performed to date. To make this assessment, WIP balances are reviewed regularly on a by-client basis 
and the following factors are taken into account: the ageing profile of the WIP, the agreed billing arrangements, value added and status of the client 
relationship. See note 13 for the sensitivity analysis.

Incremental borrowing rate for transition to IFRS 16
On adoption of IFRS 16, the incremental borrowing rate determined for each lease to measure the lease liability at the present value of the remaining 
lease payments and right-of-use assets that is an amount equal to the lease liability is considered a significant estimate by Management. See note 19.1 
for sensitivity analysis. Incremental borrowing rate for transition to IFRS 16.

Goodwill impairment – key assumptions in calculating the recoverable amount for each CGU
Goodwill is tested annually for impairment and the recoverable amount of CGUs is determined based on a value in use calculation using cash flow 
projections containing key assumptions. See note 21.1 for the sensitivity analysis.

Fair value of customer relationship intangibles
The customer relationship intangible assets are valued using the MEEM financial valuation model. Cash flow forecasts and projections are produced by 
Management and form the basis of the valuation analysis. Other key estimates and assumptions used in the modelling to derive the fair values include: 
year on year growth rates, client attrition rates, EBIT margins, the useful economic life of the customer relationships and the discount rate applied to 
free cash flow. See note 21.2 for the sensitivity analysis.

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2 9 .   F I N A N C I A L   R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T
The Group is exposed through its operations to the following financial risks: market risk (including foreign currency risk and interest rate risk), credit risk 
and liquidity risk.

The Group is exposed to risks that arise from the use of its financial instruments. This note describes the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for 
managing those risks and the methods used to measure them.

There have been no substantive changes in the Group’s exposure to financial instrument risks, its objectives, policies and processes for managing those 
risks or the methods used to measure them from previous periods unless otherwise stated in this note.

Principal financial instruments
The principal financial instruments used by the Group, from which financial instrument risk arises, are as follows. All are classified as measured at 
amortised cost:

Financial assets

Trade receivables

Work in progress

Accrued income

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities

Trade and other payables

Loans and borrowings

Lease liabilities

Note

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

16,255 

9,297 

12,906 

6,483 

26,317 

71,258 

16,142 

7,084 

9,309 

1,579 

32,457 

66,572 

21,148 

87,189 

31,491 

24,111 

72,715

– 

139,828 

96,826 

General objectives, policies and processes
The Board has overall responsibility for determining the Group’s financial risk management objectives and policies and, whilst retaining ultimate 
responsibility for them, it delegates the authority for designing and operating processes that ensure effective implementation of the objectives and 
policies to Management, in conjunction with the Group’s finance department.

The financial risk management policies are considered on a regular basis to ensure that these are in line with the overall business strategies and the 
Board’s risk management philosophy. The overall objective is to set policies to minimise risk as far as possible without adversely affecting the Group’s 
financial performance, competitiveness and flexibility. 

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C o n t i n u e d

2 9 .   F I N A N C I A L   R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T   ( C O N T I N U E D )
29.1. MARKET RISK
Market risk arises from the Group’s use of interest-bearing, tradeable and foreign currency financial instruments. It is the risk that changes in interest 
rates (interest rate risk) or foreign exchange rates (currency risk) will affect the Group’s future cash flows or the fair value of the financial instruments 
held. The objective of market risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising 
the return.

Foreign currency risk management
Foreign currency risk arises when individual Group entities enter into transactions denominated in a currency other than their functional currency. 
The Group’s policy is, where possible, to allow Group entities to settle liabilities denominated in their functional currency with the cash generated from 
their own operations in that currency. Where Group entities have liabilities denominated in a currency other than their functional currency (and have 
insufficient reserves of that currency to settle them), cash already denominated in the currency will, where possible and ensuring no adverse impact  
on local regulatory capital adequacy requirements (see note 30), be transferred from elsewhere in the Group.

The Group’s exposure to the risk of changes in exchange rates relates primarily to the Group’s operating activities when the revenue or expenses are 
denominated in a different currency from the Group’s functional and presentation currency of pounds sterling (“£”). For trading entities that principally 
affect the profit or net assets of the Group, the exposure is mainly from Euro, United States dollar and South African rand. The loans and borrowings of 
the Group are denominated in £ and Euro.

As at 31 December 2019, the Group’s exposure to the Group’s material foreign currency denominated financial assets and liabilities are as follows:

Net foreign currency  
assets/(liabilities)

Trade receivables

Work in progress

Accrued income

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade and other payables

Loans and borrowings

Lease liabilities

Total net exposure

Euro

United States dollar

South African rand

£

2019 
£’000 

10,790

6,821

5,308

986

7,673

2018 
£’000 

12,199

4,479

3,266

583

14,618

2019 
£’000 

2,866

1,617

1,327

398

8,514

(6,903)

(12,253)

(10,171)

(63,353)

(63,666)

(23,836)

(23,903)

–

(5,044)

2018 
£’000 

1,215

2,081

854

195

9,999

(7,554)

(9,014)

–

2019 
£’000 

2,455

592

6,152

4,812

9,088

2018 
£’000 

2,530

222

5,110

574

6,155

(2,476)

(2,419)

–

(683)

–

–

(62,581)

(40,774)

(24,329)

(2,224)

19,940

12,172

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

3

–

67

–

608

(777)

–

(381)

(480)

5

–

45

–

1,192

(1,186)

–

–

56

In order to implement and monitor this policy, Management receive a monthly analysis showing cash reserves by individual Group entities and in major 
currencies together with information on expected liabilities due for settlement. The effectiveness of this policy is measured by the number of resulting 
cash transfers made between entities and any necessary foreign exchange trades. Management consider this policy to be working effectively but will 
continue to regularly assess if a foreign currency hedge is appropriate. 

Foreign currency risk sensitivity
The following table illustrates the possible effect on comprehensive income for the year and net assets arising from potential changes in the Euro, 
United States dollar and South African rand exchange rates. A strengthening or weakening of pounds sterling by 20% is considered an appropriate 
variable for the sensitivity analysis given the scale of foreign exchange fluctuations over the last three years.

Euro

United States dollar

South African rand

Total

Euro

United States dollar

South African rand

Total

(i)  Holding all other variables constant.

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Strengthening/ 
(weakening) of 
pound sterling(i)

+20%

+20%

+20%

(20%)

(20%)

(20%)

Effect on comprehensive 
income and net assets

2019 
£’000 

4,055

2018 
£’000 

370

(3,323)

(2,029)

80

812

(9)

(1,668)

(6,082)

4,985

(120)

(1,217)

(556)

3,043

14

2,501

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

Interest rate risk management
The Group is exposed to interest rate risk as it borrows all funds at floating interest rates. The interest rates are directly linked to LIBOR and/or 
EURIBOR plus a margin based on the leverage ratio of the Group, the higher the leverage ratio the higher the margin on LIBOR and/or EURIBOR. 
The risk is managed by the Group maintaining an appropriate leverage ratio and through this ensuring that the interest rate is kept as low as possible.

The interest fluctuations are low which minimises the Group’s exposure to interest rate fluctuations. As a result, no hedging instruments have been 
put in place. The Group’s exposures to interest rates on financial assets and financial liabilities are detailed in the liquidity risk management section of 
this note.

Interest rate risk sensitivity
The following sensitivity analysis has been determined based on the floating rate liabilities.

The Group considers a reasonable interest rate movement in LIBOR to be 50 basis points based on recent historical changes to interest rates. If interest 
rates had been higher/lower by 50 basis points and all other variables were held constant, the Group’s profit for the year ended 31 December 2019 
would decrease/increase by £0.43m (2018: £0.36m).

29.2. CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group should a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fail to meet its contractual obligations. 
The Group’s principal exposure to credit risk arises from contracts with customers and therefore the following financial assets: trade receivables, work 
in progress and accrued income (together “customer receivables”).

The Group manages credit risk for each new customer by giving consideration to the risk of insolvency or closure of the customer’s business, current or 
forecast liquidity issues and general creditworthiness (including past default experience of the customer or customer type).

Subsequently, customer credit risk is managed by each of the Group entities subject to the Group’s policy, procedures and control relating to customer 
credit risk management. Outstanding customer receivables are monitored and followed up continuously. Provisions are made when there is objective 
evidence that the Group will not be able to bill the customer in line with the contract or collect the debts arising from previous invoices. This evidence 
can include the following: indication that the customer is experiencing significant financial difficulty or default, probability of bankruptcy, problems in 
contacting the customer, disputes with a customer, or similar factors. This analysis is performed on a customer-by-customer basis. 

Credit risk in relation to other receivables is considered for each separate contractual arrangement by Management. As these are primarily with related 
parties the risk of the counterparty defaulting is considered to be low.

Credit risk also arises from cash and cash equivalents and deposits with banks and financial institutions. Cash and cash equivalents are held mainly with 
banks which are rated ‘A-’ or higher by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services or Fitch Ratings Ltd for long-term credit rating. 

The financial assets are subject to the impairment requirements of IFRS 9, for further detail of how this is assessed and measured, see notes 12 to 16.

Credit risk exposure
Trade receivables, work in progress and accrued income result from the provision of services to a large number of customers (individuals and corporate), 
spread across different industries and geographies. The gross carrying amount of financial assets represents the maximum credit exposure and as at the 
reporting date this can be summarised as follows:

Trade receivables

Work in progress

Accrued income

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total 
2019 
£’000

20,257

9,350 

12,927 

6,483 

26,317 

75,334 

Loss 
allowance 
2019 
£’000

Net 
2019 
£’000 

Total
2018 
£’000 

Loss 
allowance 
2018 
£’000 

Net 
2018 
£’000 

(4,002) 

16,255

19,801 

(3,659) 

16,142 

(53) 

(21) 

–

–

9,297 

12,906 

6,483 

26,317 

(4,076) 

71,258 

7,132 

9,334 

1,579 

32,457 

70,304 

(48) 

(25) 

–

–

(3,732) 

7,084 

9,309 

1,579 

32,457 

66,572 

For the ageing of trade receivable and the provisions thereon at the year end, including the movement in the provision, see note 12.

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C o n t i n u e d

2 9 .   F I N A N C I A L   R I S K   M A N A G E M E N T   ( C O N T I N U E D )
29.3. LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Group manages liquidity risk to maintain 
adequate reserves by regular review around the working capital cycle using information on forecast and actual cash flows.

The Board is responsible for liquidity risk management and they have established an appropriate liquidity risk management framework for the 
management of the Group’s short, medium and long-term funding and liquidity management requirements. Regulation in most jurisdictions also 
requires the Group to maintain a level of liquidity so the Group does not become exposed.

Liquidity tables
The tables detail the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its financial liabilities with agreed repayment years. The tables have been drawn up 
based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the earliest date on which the Group can be required to pay. The table includes 
both interest and principal cash flows. To the extent that interest flows are floating rate, the undiscounted amount is derived from interest rates at the 
balance sheet date. The contractual maturity is based on the earliest date on which the Group may be required to pay.

2019

Loans and borrowings(i)

Trade payables and accruals 

Deferred consideration for acquisitions

Lease liabilities

2018

Loans and borrowings(i)

Trade payables and accruals 

Deferred consideration for acquisitions

(i) 

 This includes the future interest payments not yet accrued and the repayment of capital upon maturity.

Total 
contractual 
cash flow 
£’000 

94,897 

13,812

6,205 

–

–

–

<3 months 
£’000 

3 – 12 
months 
£’000 

1 – 5 years 
£’000 

>5 years 
£’000 

462 

2,114 

92,321 

13,294

823 

930 

–

5,382 

2,790 

518

–

12,531 

23,205 

39,456 

15,509 

10,286 

105,370 

23,205 

154,370 

<3 months 
£’000 

390 

11,941 

6,003 

18,334 

3 – 12 
months 
£’000 

1,952 

–

1,965 

3,917 

1 – 5 years 
£’000 

>5 years 
£’000 

78,685 

5,469 

242 

84,396 

–

–

–

–

Total 
contractual 
cash flow 
£’000 

81,027 

17,410 

8,210 

106,647 

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3 0 .   C A P I T A L   M A N A G E M E N T
Risk management
The Group’s objective for managing capital is to safeguard the ability to continue as a going concern, while maximising the return to Shareholders 
through the optimisation of the debt and equity balance and to ensure capital adequacy requirements are met for local regulatory requirements at 
entity level.

Loan covenants
As disclosed in note 18, the Group has bank loans which require it to meet leverage and interest cover covenants. In order to achieve the Group’s capital 
risk management objective, the Group aims to ensure that it meets financial covenants attached to bank borrowings. Breaches in meeting the financial 
covenants would permit the lender to immediately recall the loan. In line with the loan agreement the Group tests compliance with the financial 
covenants on a quarterly basis.

Under the terms of the loan facility, the Group is required to comply with the following financial covenants:

•  Leverage (being the ratio of total net debt to underlying EBITDA (for LTM at average FX rates and adjusted for pro-forma contributions from 

acquisitions and synergies for a relevant period), must not be more than 3.5:1)

•  Interest cover (being the ratio of EBITDA to net finance charges, must not be less than 4:1)

The Group has complied with these covenants throughout the reporting period. 

Capital adequacy
Individual regulated entities within the Group are subject to regulatory requirements to ensure adequate capital and liquidity to meet local 
requirements in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the UK, the US, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Mauritius, South Africa and the 
Caribbean; all are monitored regularly to ensure compliance. There have been no breaches of applicable regulatory requirements during the 
reporting period.

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

S E C T I O N   7   –   G R O U P   S T R U C T U R E
3 1 .   B U S I N E S S   C O M B I N A T I O N S

A business combination is defined as a transaction or other event in which an acquirer obtains control of one or more businesses. Where the 
business combination does not include the purchase of a legal entity but the transaction includes acquired inputs and processes applied to those 
inputs in order to generate outputs, the transaction is also considered a business combination.

The Group applies the acquisition method to account for business combinations. The consideration transferred in an acquisition is measured at the 
fair value of assets transferred, the liabilities incurred to the former owners of the acquiree and the equity interests issued by the Group in exchange 
for control of the acquiree. The identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured at their fair values at the 
acquisition date. Acquisition-related costs are recognised in the income statement as non-underlying items within operating expenses. 

The excess of the consideration transferred, the amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the acquisition date fair value of any 
previous equity interest in the acquiree over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. If those amounts are less 
than the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the business acquired, the difference is recognised directly in the consolidated income statement 
as a gain on bargain purchase.

When the consideration transferred includes an asset or liability resulting from a contingent consideration arrangement, this is measured at its 
acquisition-date fair value. Changes in fair value of the contingent consideration that qualify as measurement period adjustments are adjusted 
retrospectively, with corresponding adjustments against goodwill. Measurement period adjustments are adjustments that arise from additional 
information obtained during the measurement period (which cannot exceed one year from the acquisition date) about facts and circumstances that 
existed at the acquisition date. 

The subsequent accounting for changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration that do not qualify as measurement period adjustments 
depend on how the contingent consideration is classified. Contingent consideration that is classified as equity is not re-measured at subsequent 
reporting dates and its subsequent settlement is accounted for within equity. Contingent consideration that is classified as an asset or liability is 
re-measured at subsequent reporting dates at fair value with the corresponding gain or loss being recognised in the consolidated income statement.

31.1  EXEQUTIVE PARTNERS S.A. (“EXEQUTIVE”)
On 25 March 2019, JTC entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Exequtive from Primitivo S.à.r.l, De Gorzen S.à.r.l, Tika 
Holdings S.à.r.l, Pimpiri S.à.r.l and Stichting Administratiekantoor Employee Benefit Jomaroma. Exequtive was a privately owned Luxembourg-based 
provider of domiciliation and corporate administration services. 

The acquired business contributed revenues of £4.72m and profit before tax of £2.25m to the Group for the period from 1 April to 31 December 
2019. If the business had been acquired on 1 January 2019, the consolidated pro-forma revenue and profit for the year for the Group would have been 
£100.86m and £18.83m respectively. 

Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed on acquisition

(a) 
The following table shows, at fair value, the recognised assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Trade receivables

Accrued income

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets

Deferred income

Deferred tax liabilities

Current tax liabilities

Trade and other payables

Liabilities

Total identifiable net assets

€’000

72 

11,530 

1,351 

35 

160 

£’000 

62 

9,863 

1,156 

30 

137 

2,431 

2,079 

15,579 

13,327 

2,361 

2,883 

569 

423 

2,019 

2,466 

487 

362 

6,236 

5,334 

9,343 

7,993 

Deferred tax liabilities have been recognised in relation to identified customer relationship intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-
deductible against Luxembourg Corporation Tax and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

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(b)  Consideration 
Total consideration is satisfied by the following:

Cash consideration

Equity instruments (1,925,650 Ordinary shares issued at fair value)

Contingent consideration discounted to fair value (70% cash, 30% equity)

Fair value of total consideration

€’000

£’000 

18,637 

15,943 

6,660 

8,883 

5,697 

7,599 

34,180 

29,239 

Contingent consideration of €9m is payable within 20 business days of the adoption of the 2019 audited financial statements for Exequtive business 
and is contingent on it maintaining agreed targets for underlying EBITDA and revenue. Based on the historical performance of the business and 
Management’s view of expected future revenue, it is anticipated this will be paid in full. The amount payable has been discounted to its present value of 
€8.9m.

(c)  Goodwill 
Goodwill arising from the acquisition has been recognised as follows:

Total consideration 

Less: Fair value of identifiable net assets

Goodwill

(d) 

Impact on cash flow 

Cash consideration paid 

Less: Cash balances acquired

Net cash outflow from acquisition

€’000

£’000 

34,180 

29,239 

(9,343) 

(7,993) 

24,837 

21,246 

€’000

£’000 

18,340 

15,688 

(2,431) 

(2,079) 

15,909 

13,609 

(e)  Acquisition-related costs
The Group incurred acquisition-related costs of £0.36m for professional, legal and advisory fees. These costs have been recognised in other operating 
expenses in the Group’s consolidated income statement (see note 6) and are treated as non-underlying items to calculate underlying EBITDA (see 
note 7). 

31.2. AUFISCO B.V. (“AUFISCO”)
On 1 April 2019, Van Doorn CFS B.V. (now JTC Institutional Services (Netherlands) B.V. (“JTC Institutional”), see note 31.4) entered into a facilitation and 
referral agreement with Aufisco B.V. and Oak Tree Management B.V. (“Aufisco” or the “Sellers”) whereby Aufisco will refer, introduce and recommend 
its clients to JTC Institutional as a replacement provider of the trust, custody and administration services and JTC Institutional will offer employment 
contracts to Aufisco staff.

Management concluded that the transaction should be accounted for as a business combination as the acquired inputs (skilled workforce and customer 
relationship intangible assets) and processes (expertise, industry knowledge and operational processes) applied to those inputs had the ability to 
generate outputs (revenue). 

The results of the acquired business have been consolidated from 1 July 2019 as Management concluded this was the date control was obtained by the 
Group, this being the date that access was gained to the customer relationships being transferred.

The transaction has contributed revenues of £0.6m (€0.69m) to the Group for the period from 1 July to 31 December 2019. If the transaction has 
completed on 1 January 2019, the consolidated pro-forma revenue for the year for the Group would have been £1.08m (€1.23m).

Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed on acquisition

(a) 
The following table shows, at fair value, the recognised of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

Intangible assets

Assets

Deferred tax liabilities

Liabilities

Identifiable net assets

€’000

 2,375 

 2,375 

 203

 203 

£’000 

2,125

 2,125 

182 

 182

 2,172 

 1,943 

Deferred tax liabilities have been recognised in relation to identified customer relationship intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-
deductible against Netherlands Corporation Tax and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 1 .   B U S I N E S S   C O M B I N A T I O N S   ( C O N T I N U E D )
31.2. AUFISCO B.V. (“AUFISCO”) (CONTINUED)
(b)  Consideration 
Total consideration is satisfied by the following:

Cash consideration

Equity instruments (119,166 Ordinary shares issued at fair value)

Contingent consideration 

Fair value of total consideration

Contingent consideration of £0.59m (€0.66m) was paid in March 2020.

(c)  Negative goodwill 
Negative goodwill arising from the acquisition has been recognised as follows:

Total consideration 

Less: Fair value of identifiable net assets

Foreign exchange translation to average rate

Negative goodwill

€’000

800 

500 

658 

£’000 

716 

447 

589 

1,958 

1,752 

Note

7

€’000

1,958 

£’000 

1,752 

(2.172) 

(1,943)

–

(214)

3

(188)

Negative goodwill represents a bargain purchase and is supported by the significant synergies Management expect to be realised and the transaction 
price being impacted by the Sellers’ wish to find alternative servicing arrangements for their clients.

Impact on cash flow

(d) 
No cash was acquired so the net cash outflow from the transaction during the reporting period was the cash consideration of £0.72m (€0.8m).

(e)  Acquisition-related costs
The Group incurred acquisition-related costs of £41k for professional, legal and advisory fees. These costs have been recognised in other  
operating expenses in the Group’s consolidated income statement (see note 6) and are treated as non-underlying items to calculate underlying EBITDA 
(see note 7). 

31.3.  MINERVA HOLDINGS LIMITED AND MHL HOLDINGS S.A. (“MINERVA”)
On 5 September 2018, the Group acquired 100% of the share capital of Minerva, a global provider of private client, corporate, fund and treasury 
services, operating in Jersey, Dubai, Mauritius, Switzerland, the UK and Singapore. 

The fair value of consideration was £32.8m for acquired identifiable net assets of £17.8m resulting in goodwill of £15m. Contingent  
consideration of £2m was payable in the six months following completion, contingent on the Minerva business maintaining an underlying EBITDA 
target. On 21 May 2019, contingent consideration of £2m was paid as the target was maintained. 

Within the acquired identifiable net assets were customer relationship intangibles of £13.7m, spilt across the following jurisdictions: Jersey £9.74m (UEL 
11.8 years), Mauritius £1.8m (UEL 10 years), Dubai £1.4m (UEL 10 years) and Switzerland £0.74m (UEL 8.7 years). Deferred tax liabilities of £1.4m were 
recognised in relation to identified intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-deductible against Corporation Tax in the different jurisdictions 
and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

31.4.  VAN DOORN CFS B.V. (“VAN DOORN”)
On 17 August 2018, JTC entered into an agreement with International Capital Group B.V. to purchase 100% of the share capital of Van Doorn,  
a Netherlands-based provider of corporate and fiduciary services. 

The fair value of consideration was £19.37m (€21.61m) for acquired identifiable net assets of £6.21m (€6.93m) resulting  
in goodwill of £13.16m (€14.68m). 

Contingent consideration of £5m (€5.5m) was paid in February 2019 as the business performed successfully, exceeding the revenue  
and underlying EBITDA targets set for 2018. 

Within the acquired identifiable net assets were customer relationship intangibles of £7.54m (€8.6m) with a UEL of 11.4 years. Deferred tax liabilities 
of £1.93m (€2.15m) were recognised in relation to identified intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-deductible against Netherlands 
Corporation Tax and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

On 7 October 2019, Van Doorn changed its name to JTC Institutional Services Netherlands B.V.

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3 2 .   I N T E R E S T   I N   E Q U I T Y - A C C O U N T E D   A S S O C I A T E

The Group’s interests in an equity-accounted investee solely comprises an interest in an associate. An associate is an entity in which the Group has 
significant influence, but not control or joint control, over the financial and operating policies.

Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method. Under the equity method, the investment in an associate is initially recognised 
at cost, which includes transaction costs. Subsequent to initial recognition, the carrying amount of the investment is adjusted to recognise the 
Group’s share of post-acquisition profits or losses in the consolidated income statement within EBITDA, and the Group’s share of movements in 
other comprehensive income of the investee in other comprehensive income. Unrealised gains and losses resulting from transactions between the 
Group and the associate are eliminated to the extent of the interest in the associate. 

The carrying amount of equity-accounted investments is tested for impairment in accordance with the policy described in note 21.

The Group has a 42% (2018: 42%) interest in Kensington International Group Pte. Ltd (“KIG”), a company incorporated in Singapore. KIG provides 
corporate, fiduciary, trust and accounting services and is a strategic partnership for the Group, providing access to new clients and markets in the Far 
East. The associate has share capital consisting of Ordinary and preference shares, which are held directly by the Group. The country of incorporation 
is also its principal place of business, and the proportion of ownership interest is the same as the proportion of voting rights held. KIG is a private 
company and there is no quoted market price available for its shares. There are no contingent liabilities relating to the Group’s interest in KIG.

The summarised financial information for KIG, which is accounted for using the equity method, is as follows:

Summarised income statement

Revenue

Gross profit

Profit/(loss) for the year

Other comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the year

Summarised balance sheet

Total non-current assets

Total current assets

Total assets

Total current liabilities

Net assets less current liabilities

Reconciliation of summarised financial information

Opening net assets

Profit/(loss) for the year

Other comprehensive income

Increase in equity

Foreign exchange differences

Closing net assets

Group's share of closing net assets

Goodwill

Carrying value of investment in associate

2019 
£’000 

4,695 

3,673 

394 

15 

409 

2019 
£’000 

418 

2,974 

3,392 

1,969 

1,423 

2019 
£’000 

1,077 

394 

15 

–

(63)

2018 
£’000 

3,639 

2,762 

(47)

15 

(32)

2018 
£’000 

516 

2,133 

2,649 

1,572 

1,077 

2018 
£’000 

813 

(47)

15 

225 

71 

1,423 

1,077 

602 

522 

1,124 

456 

522 

978 

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 3 .   S U B S I D I A R I E S
The Group’s subsidiaries at 31 December 2019 which, in the opinion of Management, principally affect the profit or the net assets of the Group are 
listed below. Unless otherwise stated, the Company owns 100% of share capital consisting solely of Ordinary shares, and the proportion of ownership 
interests held equals the voting rights held by the Group. The country of incorporation is also their principal place of business.

Where the shareholding and voting rights are equal to or less than 50%, Management have concluded that it is appropriate to include these entities  
as subsidiaries in the consolidation, in accordance with the basis of consolidation accounting policy described in note 3.3. The interests in subsidiaries  
not 100% owned are attributed to the Company and no minority interest is recognised.

Name of subsidiary

Country of incorporation and place of business

JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited

JTC Group Holdings Limited

JTC Group Limited

JTC (Jersey) Limited

JTC Fund Services (UK) Limited

JTC Group Holdings (UK) Limited

JTC Trust Company (UK) Limited

JTC UK (Amsterdam) Limited

JTC (UK) Limited

JTC Miami Corporation 

JTC Trustees (USA) Ltd

JTC Fund Solutions (Guernsey) Limited

JTC Global AIFM Solutions Limited

JTC Fund Solutions RSA (Pty) Ltd

Jersey

Jersey

Jersey

Jersey

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United States

United States

Guernsey

Guernsey

South Africa

JTC Fiduciary Services (Singapore) Pte Limited

Singapore

JTC (BVI) Limited

Exequtive Management S.à r.l.

Exequtive Partners S.A.

Exequtive Services S.à r.l.

JTC Global AIFM Solutions SA

JTC Luxembourg Holdings S.à r.l.

JTC (Luxembourg) S.A.

JTC Signes S.à r.l.

JTC Signes Services SA

JTC (Suisse) SA

JTC Trust Company (Switzerland) SA

JTC Trustees (Suisse) Sàrl

JTC Trustees (IOM) Limited

Autumn Productions B.V.

Global Tax Support B.V.(i)

JTC Holdings (Netherlands) B.V.

JTC Institutional Services Netherlands B.V.

JTC (Netherlands) B.V.

British Virgin Islands

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Isle of Man

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

JTC Trust Company (New Zealand) Limited

New Zealand

JTC (Cayman) Limited

JTC Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd

JTC Fiduciary Services (Mauritius) Limited

JTC Corporate Services (DIFC) Limited

Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands

Mauritius

Dubai

Activity

Trading

Holding

Head office services

Trading

Trading

Holding

Trading

Holding

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Holding

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Holding

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

% holding

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

50 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

49 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

–

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

(i) 

As the parent company JTC Group Holding (UK) Limited has a call option to purchase Global Tax Support B.V. for €1 from its parent, Management consider they have control of this entity and it has, 
therefore, been consolidated.

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S E C T I O N   8   –   O T H E R   D I S C L O S U R E S
3 4 .   E A R N I N G S   P E R   S H A R E

Basic Earnings Per Share
The calculation of basic earnings per share is based on the profit for the year divided by the weighted average number of Ordinary shares for the 
same year.

Diluted Earnings Per Share
The calculation of diluted Earnings Per Share is based on basic Earnings Per Share after adjusting for the potentially dilutive effect of Ordinary shares 
that have been granted. For the period ended 31 December 2018, as the Group made a loss, the potential impact of any dilutive Ordinary shares is 
not calculated as the impact would be anti-dilutive.

Underlying basic Earnings Per Share
The calculation of underlying basic Earnings Per Share is based on the profit for the period adjusted for non-underlying items and the impact of IFRS 
16, divided by the weighted average number of Ordinary shares.

Adjusted underlying basic Earnings Per Share
The calculation of adjusted underlying basic Earnings Per Share is calculated on the same basis as underlying basic Earnings Per Share but with profit 
for the period being adjusted to remove the unwinding of net present value discounts, the amortisation of both customer relationship intangible 
assets and loan arrangement fees and the temporary differences arising on the amortisation of customer relationships. 

The Group calculates basic, diluted, underlying basic and adjusted underlying basic Earnings Per Share (“EPS”). The results can be summarised as follows:

Basic EPS

Diluted EPS

Underlying basic EPS 

Adjusted underlying basic EPS

34.1. BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE

Profit/(loss) for the year

Issued ordinary shares at 1 January

Effect of shares issued on IPO

Effect of shares issued to acquire business combinations

Effect of movement in treasury shares held

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (basic):

Basic EPS

34.2. DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE

Profit/(loss) for the year

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (basic)

Effect of share-based payments issued

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (diluted):

Diluted EPS

Note

34.1 

34.2 

34.3 

34.4 

2019 
Pence 

 15.43 

 15.35 

 17.91 

 22.33 

2018 
Pence 

 (3.87)

 (3.87)

 15.32 

 19.23 

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

17,181 

(3,857)

No. 

 110,153,982 

No. 

–

–  99,008,837 

 1,346,281 

 622,920 

 (147,395) 

–

 111,352,868   99,631,757 

 15.43 

 (3.87)

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

17,181 

(3,857)

Note 

No. 

No. 

34.1 

 111,352,868   99,631,757 

 539,647 

– 

 111,892,515   99,631,757 

 15.35 

 (3.87)

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 4 .   E A R N I N G S   P E R   S H A R E   ( C O N T I N U E D )
34.3. UNDERLYING BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE

Profit/(loss) for the year

Non-underlying items:

– included within operating expenses

– included within other (losses)/gains

– included within finance costs

Impact of IFRS 16

Underlying profit for the year

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (basic)

Underlying basic EPS 

34.4. ADJUSTED UNDERLYING BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE

Underlying profit for the year

Amortisation of customer relationship intangible assets

Amortisation of loan arrangement fees

Unwinding of net present value discounts (excluding the impact of IFRS 16)

Temporary difference arising on amortisation of customer relationships

Adjusted underlying profit for the year

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (basic)

Adjusted underlying basic EPS

Note

7

7

7

3.2

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

17,181 

(3,857)

1,670 

18,571 

271 

165 

653 

107 

441 

–

19,940

15,262 

Note 

No. 

No. 

34.1

 111,352,868   99,631,757 

 17.91 

 15.32 

Note

34.3 

21 

10 

11

2019 
£’000 

19,940 

5,012 

376 

323 

(787) 

2018 
£’000 

15,262 

2,743 

555 

986 

(389)

24,864 

19,157 

Note 

No. 

No. 

34.1 

 111,352,868   99,631,757 

 22.33 

 19.23 

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3 5 .   C A S H   F L O W   I N F O R M A T I O N
35.1. OPERATING CASH FLOWS

Operating profit

Adjustments for:

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

Amortisation of intangible assets

Share-based payment expense

Share of profit of equity-accounted investee

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

2019 
£’000 

22,961 

4,588 

6,164

694 

(146)

2018 
£’000 

721 

943 

3,694 

443 

(92)

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital 

34,261 

5,709 

35.2. NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS WITHIN NET CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Net cash from operating activities

Non-underlying items:

Capital distribution from EBT12

IPO costs

Acquisition and integration costs

Office closures

Other

Total non-underlying items within net cash from operating activities

Underlying net cash from operating activities

2019 
£’000 

21,589 

2,976 

36 

2,138 

–

–

5,150 

26,739 

2018 
£’000 

5,931 

7,543 

954 

4,024 

56 

93 

12,670 

18,601 

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 5 .   C A S H   F L O W   I N F O R M A T I O N   ( C O N T I N U E D )
35.3. FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities:

Lease 
liabilities
due within 
one year 
£’000 

Lease 
liabilities 
due after 
one year 
£’000

Finance 
leases 
due within 
one year 
£’000 

Finance 
leases 
due after 
one year 
£’000

Note

Borrowings 
due within 
one year 
£’000

Borrowings 
due after 
one year 
£’000

Total 
£’000 

At 1 January 2018

Cash flows:

Acquired on acquisition

Drawdowns

Repayments

Loan notes settled on IPO

Accrual of loan note interest

Other non-cash movements(i)

At 31 December 2018

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 –

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Adoption of new standard

3.2

 2,631 

 26,543 

Cash flows:

Drawdowns

Repayments

Other non-cash movements(i)

At 31 December 2019

 – 

(146)

390

 – 

(2,9 )

 4,995 

 2,875 

 28,616 

 – 

5 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

5 

 – 

 – 

(5)

 – 

 – 

 – 

56,364 

63,341 

119,705 

48 

 – 

(18)

 – 

 – 

 – 

30 

 – 

 – 

(30)

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

53 

72,960 

72,960 

(56,000)

(689)

(56,707)

 – 

 – 

314 

678 

 – 

 – 

(170)

 – 

508 

(62,202)

(62,202)

48 

(1,456)

72,002 

48 

(1,142)

72,715 

– 

29,174

15,509 

15,509 

(519)

(311)

(3,792)

5,074

86,681 

118,680

(i)   Other non-cash movements include the amortisation of loan arrangement fees, foreign exchange movement, additions and disposals of lease liabilities relating to right-of-use assets and the unwinding 

of net present value discounts.

35.4. NET DEBT

Bank loans

Finance leases

Other loans 

Trapped cash(i)

Committed capital distributions(ii)

Less: Cash and cash equivalents

Total net debt

(i) 

Trapped cash represents the minimum cash balance to be held to meet regulatory capital requirements.

(ii)  Committed capital distribution from EBT12 to employees.

Note

18 

18 

18 

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

(86,681)

(71,494)

–

(508)

(3,007)

(2,624)

26,317 

(35)

(1,186)

(2,294)

(6,103)

32,457 

(66,503)

(48,655)

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3 6 .   S H A R E - B A S E D   P A Y M E N T S

The Company operates equity-settled share-based payment arrangements under which services are received from eligible employees as 
consideration for equity instruments. The total amount to be expensed for services received is determined by reference to the fair value at grant 
date of the share-based payment awards made, including the impact of any non-vesting and market conditions.

The fair value determined at the grant date is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, based on the Company’s estimate of equity 
instruments that will eventually vest. At each balance sheet date, the Company revises its estimate of the number of equity instruments expected 
to vest as a result of the effect of non-market-based vesting conditions. The impact of the revision of the original estimates, if any, is recognised 
in the consolidated income statement such that the cumulative expense reflects the revised estimate, with a corresponding adjustment to 
equity reserves.

Pre-IPO

36.1.  DESCRIPTION OF SHARE-BASED PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
(a) 
Prior to Admission to the London Stock Exchange, the Group operated a number of equity-settled share-based remuneration schemes and also 
made awards of its own equity instruments to employees in the following circumstances: for promotion, for employees joining the business, for the 
retention of key employees following acquisition and to incentivise key employees. Awards that had not vested prior to the IPO were converted into the 
equivalent number of JTC PLC shares upon listing.

Details of the number of shares awarded but not vested are as follows:

Outstanding at the start of the year

Awarded

Exercised

Forfeited 

Converted at the IPO

Outstanding at the end of the year

No. 

652,398

–

–

–

– 

2019 
£’000 

300

–

–

–

– 

No. 

8,168

9,013

(8,168)

–

652,398 

2018 
£’000 

800

300

(800)

–

– 

652,398

300

652,398

300

Post-IPO

(b) 
Following Admission to the London Stock Exchange, the Group implemented and made awards to eligible employees under two equity-settled share-
based payment plans; it also continues to make awards when employees join the business, for the retention of key employees following acquisition and 
to incentivise key employees. Details of the share plans are as follows:

Performance share plan (“PSP”)
Executive Directors and Senior Managers may receive awards of shares, which may be granted annually under the PSP. The maximum policy 
opportunity award size under the PSP for an Executive Director is 150% of annual base salary; however, the plan rules allow the Remuneration 
Committee the discretion to award up to 250% of annual base salary in exceptional circumstances. The Remuneration Committee determines the 
appropriate performance measures, weightings and targets prior to granting any awards. Performance conditions include Total Shareholder Return 
(“TSR”) relative to a relevant comparator group and the Company’s absolute underlying Earning Per Share performance. 

On 18 September 2018, the Group granted 156,970 of the Company’s shares to Executive Directors and Senior Management (“PSP1”), these awards 
have a set limit for Executive Directors of 75% of the annual base salary and have a fair value of £0.53m. Vesting of the PSP1 awards is subject to 
continued employment and achievement of performance conditions measured over a three year period from 14 March 2018, being the date of the IPO, 
to 14 March 2021. If conditions are met, the awards will vest on 14 March 2021.

On 3 April 2019, the Group granted 253,518 of the Company’s shares to Executive Directors and Senior Management (“PSP2”), these awards have a 
set limit for Executive Directors of 75% of the annual base salary and have a fair value of £0.61m. Vesting of the PSP2 awards is subject to continued 
employment and achievement of performance conditions measured over a three year period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021. If conditions 
are met, the awards will vest on 31 December 2021.

Details of the number of shares awarded but not vested are as follows:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Awarded 

Outstanding at the end of the year

No.

 156,970 

 253,518 

 410,488 

£’000 

534 

614 

1,148 

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 6 .   S H A R E - B A S E D   P A Y M E N T S   ( C O N T I N U E D )
36.1.  DESCRIPTION OF SHARE-BASED PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Deferred bonus share plan (“DBSP”)
Certain employees at director level may be eligible for an annual bonus designed to incentivise high performance based on financial and non-financial 
performance measures. In line with market practice, a portion of the bonus due, as determined by the Remuneration Committee, may be deferred into 
shares before it is paid.

On 12 April 2019, the Group granted 49,756 of the Company’s shares to Directors as part of the annual bonus award for performance during the 
financial year ended 31 December 2018 (“DBSP1”). The DBSP1 awards vest on 31 December 2020 subject to continued employment up to this date. 
The fixed amount awarded being £0.15m will be expensed over the three year vesting period.

In April 2020, the Group will grant shares to Directors as part of the annual bonus award for performance during the financial year ended 
31 December 2019 (“DBSP2”). The number of shares awarded will be determined at the grant date. The DBSP2 awards vest on 31 December 2021 
subject to continued employment up to this date. The fixed amount awarded being £0.31m will be expensed over the three year vesting period. 

Details of the number of shares awarded but not vested are as follows:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Awarded 

Forfeited 

Outstanding at the end of the year

No.

–

 49,756 

 (3,947)

 45,809 

£’000

–

149 

(12)

137 

Other awards
The Group has continued to make awards to employees joining the business. The grant date of each award is the start date of employment with the 
fair value being a fixed amount stated in an employee’s offer letter. The number of shares awarded is determined by the market value at the grant date. 
The awards will vest on the second anniversary of the grant date subject to continued employment. 

Details of the number of shares awarded but not vested are as follows:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Awarded 

Outstanding at the end of the year

36.2. EXPENSES RECOGNISED DURING THE YEAR
The equity-settled share-based payment expenses recognised during the year, per plan and in total, are as follows:

PSP awards

DBSP awards

Other awards

Total share-based payments expense

No.

£’000 

 3,668 

 22,245 

 25,913 

2019 
£’000 

382 

146 

166 

694 

15 

80 

95 

2018 
£’000 

142 

50 

251 

443 

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F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

3 7 .   C O M M I T M E N T S
The Group leases various offices and some equipment under non-cancellable operating leases expiring within 3 months to 18 years. Leases are 
negotiated for a variety of terms over which rentals are fixed, with break clauses and options to extend for further periods at the prevailing market rate. 

Until 31 December 2018, rental expenses relating to operating leases were shown accounted for on an accruals basis and shown in the consolidated 
income statement. From 1 January 2019, on adoption of IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ (see note 3.2), except for short-term and low-value leases, the Group has 
recognised lease liabilities, measured at the present value of remaining lease payments (see note 19) and a right-of-use asset at an amount equal to the 
lease liability (see note 20). 

Commitments for minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases

Within one year

In the second to fifth years inclusive

After five years

Total rental expense relating to operating leases

3 8 .   F O R E I G N   C U R R E N C Y

2019 
£’000 

–

–

–

–

2019 
£’000 

2018 
£’000 

3,499 

10,109 

24,090 

37,698 

2018 
£’000 

–

3,587 

The individual financial statements of each Group company are presented in the currency of the primary economic environment in which it 
operates (its functional currency). For the purpose of the consolidated financial statements, the results and financial position of each Group 
company are expressed in pounds sterling, which is the functional currency of the Company and the presentation currency for the consolidated 
financial statements.

In preparing the financial statements of the individual companies, transactions in currencies other than the entity’s functional currency (foreign 
currencies) are recognised at the rates of exchange prevailing on the dates of the transactions.

At each balance sheet date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing at 
that date. Non-monetary items carried at fair value that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing at the date 
when the fair value was determined. Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are not retranslated. 
Exchange differences are recognised in the consolidated income statement in the year in which they arise.

For the purpose of presenting consolidated financial statements, the assets and liabilities of the Group’s operations with a functional currency other 
than pounds sterling are translated at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date.

Income and expense items are translated at the average exchange rates for the year, unless exchange rates fluctuate significantly during that year, in 
which case the exchange rates at the date of transactions are used. 

Income and expense items relating to entities acquired during the financial year are translated at the average exchange rate for the period 
under the Group’s control. Exchange differences arising, if any, are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity in the 
translation reserve.

Any goodwill arising on the acquisition of a foreign operation subsequent to 1 July 2014 and any fair value adjustments to the carrying amounts of 
assets and liabilities arising on the acquisition are treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign operation and translated at the spot rate of exchange 
at the reporting date.

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N O T E S   T O   T H E   C O N S O L I D A T E D   F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S
C o n t i n u e d

3 9 .   R E L A T E D   P A R T Y   T R A N S A C T I O N S
Balances and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not 
disclosed in this note.

39.1. KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
The Group has defined key management personnel as Directors and members of Senior Management who have the authority and responsibility to 
plan, direct and control the activities of the Group. The remuneration of key management personnel in aggregate for each of the specified categories is 
as follows: 

Salaries and other short-term employee benefits

Capital distribution from EBT12

Post-employment and other long-term benefits

Share-based payments

Total payments

2019 
£’000 

2,371

–

124

383

2018 
£’000 

1,795 

841 

66 

194 

2,878 

2,896 

39.2. OTHER RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Loan receivable balances due from related undertakings are disclosed in note 15. 

The Group’s associate, KIG (see note 32), has provided £0.71m of services to Group entities during the year (2018: £0.8m).

During 2018, the Group was charged by CBPE Capital LLP, the Group’s private equity partner up to the point of the IPO, £10k for the provision of Non-
Executive Directors and £5k for associated travel and expenses. 

39.3. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY
JTC PLC is the ultimate controlling party of the Group.

4 0 .   E V E N T S   O C C U R R I N G   A F T E R   T H E   R E P O R T I N G   P E R I O D
There have been a number of subsequent events from 31 December 2019 to the date of issue of these financial statements. They are as follows:

(a) Acquisition of Sanne private client business 
On 13 March 2020, JTC (Jersey) Limited entered into an agreement to acquire the Private Client Services division of Sanne Fiduciary Services 
Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Sanne Group PLC. The acquisition is structured for the clients representing £5.3m of annualised revenue 
to be transferred into a new entity which will be acquired by JTC once regulatory approval and other completion deliverables are met. The 
maximum consideration payable is £12m and is calculated depending on the revenue linked to transferring clients. As part of the transaction 
the employees of the division will also be transferring to JTC.

(b) Acquisition of NES Financial (“NESF”) 
On 2 April 2020, JTC entered into an agreement with NESF, a US based technology enabled market leading provider of specialist fund administration 
services to purchase 100% of their share capital for an initial consideration of £32.3m ($40.0m) to be satisfied by the issue of 7,453,178 Ordinary shares 
and $0.25m of cash. The acquisition represents a key part of the Group’s ongoing growth strategy and in particular its focus on developing its ICS 
business in the United States and a commitment to acquire and develop technology capabilities that drive future growth and operating efficiencies. 

The transaction has an earn out which gives the NESF shareholders the opportunity to receive an additional 14,253,070 Ordinary shares upon 
achievement of an underlying EBITDA target over a two year period post closing. The transaction is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals 
which are expected before the end of Q2, 2020. 

In addition, JTC has agreed to invest US$1m to acquire 20% of the share capital of Harmonate. Harmonate is a Software as a Service (SaaS) business 
based in Silicon Valley which delivers supervised machine learning for the consumption, contextualisation and delivery of data.

For both acquisitions detailed in (a) and (b) above, at the date the consolidated financial statements were authorised for issue, it was impracticable to 
disclose the information required by IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations’ as some of the required information was not available.

(c) Coronavirus (“COVID-19”)
The continuing escalation of the Covid-19 global pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the global economy. Whilst acknowledging a possible 
slowdown in client activities in the short-term, the directors remain confident that the Group maintains the ability to respond rapidly and adapt in 
order to support and service clients effectively. To date the Group has seen limited impact on the overall performance, but as the situation continues 
to evolve, it is not possible to quantify the financial impact on the Group at this stage. Covid-19 is considered to be a non-adjusting post balance sheet 
event and no adjustment is made in the consolidated financial statements as a result.

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I N V E S T O R   R E L A T I O N S   I N F O R M A T I O N

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

C O M P A N Y
INVESTOR RELATIONS
David Vieira 
Chief Communications Officer 
JTC House 
28 Esplanade  
St Helier  
Jersey 
JE4 2QP 
Email david.vieira@jtcgroup.com 
Call +44 1534 816 246

MEDIA RELATIONS
David Vieira 
Chief Communications Officer 
JTC House  
28 Esplanade  
St Helier  
Jersey  
JE4 2QP 
Email david.vieira@jtcgroup.com 
Call +44 1534 916 246

COMPANY SECRETARY
JTC (Jersey) Limited 
JTC House  
28 Esplanade  
St Helier  
Jersey  
JE4 2QP 
Email jtc@jtcgroup.com 
Call +44 1534 700 000

REGISTRAR
Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Limited 
Queensway House  
Hilgrove Street 
St Helier  
Jersey 
JE1 1ES 
Call +44 370 707 4040

A D V I S E R S
FINANCIAL ADVISERS
Zeus Capital Limited 
10 Old Burlington Street 
Mayfair  
London  
W1S 3AG  
United Kingdom 
Email info@zeuscapital.co.uk 
Call +44 203 829 5000

Numis Securities Limited 
The London Stock Exchange Building  
10 Paternoster Square  
London  
EC4M 7LT 
Email mail@numis.com 
Call +44 20 7260 1000

AUDITOR
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP 
37 Esplanade  
St Helier 
Jersey  
JE1 4XA 
Call +44 1534 838200

FINANCIAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
Camarco 
107 Cheapside  
London  
EC2V 6DN 
United Kingdom 
Email info@camarco.co.uk 
Call +44 20 3757 4980

BANKERS
The Royal Bank of Scotland International Limited 
71 Bath Street  
St Helier 
Jersey 
JE4 8PJ 
Call +44 1534 285200

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G L O S S A R Y

D E F I N E D   T E R M S
The following list of defined terms is not 
intended to be an exhaustive list of definitions, 
but provides a list of the defined terms used in 
this Annual Report

ADVANCE TO BUY
Advance to Buy, or the ‘A2B’ programme, 
has been created to help staff purchase JTC 
shares directly, independent of eligibility or 
participation in other parts of the Ownership 
for All programme (e.g. the EBT, DBSP or PSP)

ADJUSTED UNDERLYING BASIC EPS
Underlying basic EPS but with profit adjusted 
to remove the unwinding of net present 
value discounts, the amortisation of both 
customer relationship intangible assets and 
loan arrangement fees and the temporary 
differences arising on the amortisation of 
customer relationships

AEOI

Automatic Exchange of Information

AIFMD
The Alternative Investment Fund Managers 
Directive (2011/61/EU)

AML 
Anti-Money Laundering

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURE 
(APM)
A financial measure of historical or future 
financial performance, financial position or 
cash flows, other than a financial measure 
defined or specified in the applicable financial 
reporting framework

BOARD
The Board of JTC PLC

BREXIT
The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from 
the European Union

CAGR
Compound Annual Growth Rate

CAPITAL EMPLOYED
Total of working capital (“WC”) in the balance 
sheet, property, plant and equipment and 
intangibles (including acquisition-related and 
other assets)

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (CAPEX)
Investment in property, plant, equipment and 
software not related to acquisitions

CASH COLLECTION/CONVERSION
The ratio of net cash from operating activities 
compared with EBITDA

CBPE CAPITAL LLP
Close Brothers Private Equity (JTC’s private 
equity partner from 2012 to 2018)

CCO
Chief Commercial Officer

CEO
Chief Executive Officer 

CFO
Chief Financial Officer 

CFT
Combatting the Financing of Terrorism

CRS
Common Reporting Standard

CRO
Chief Risk Officer 

CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility

CSSF
The Luxembourg Commission for the 
Supervision of the Financial Sector 
or Commission de Surveillance du 
Secteur Financier

DBSP
Deferred Bonus Share Plan

EBIT
Profit/(loss) before interest and tax

EBITDA
Profit/(loss) from operating activities before 
depreciation, amortisation, interest and tax

EBT
Employee Benefit Trust

EBT12
Jersey Trust Company Employee Benefit 
Trust 2012

ECL
Expected credit loss

E4A
‘Equity for All’ – JTC’s programme to  
promote wide employee share ownership  
in the Company 

CGU
Cash-generating unit

EPS
Earnings Per Share

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
The Articles of Association of the Company 

CIMA
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority

ESG
Environmental, Social and Governance

AUFISCO
Aufisco B.V. and Oak Tree Management B.V.

AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE
The Audit and Risk Committee of the  
Board of the Company

BAML 
Bank of America Merrill Lynch Wealth 
Management’s International Trust and  
Wealth Structuring business

BEPS
The Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project  
of the OECD

CO
Compliance Officer

COMPANY
JTC PLC 

COSO-ERM FRAMEWORK
The Committee of Sponsoring  
Organisations’ Enterprise Risk  
Management-Integrated Framework

EUR OR ¤
The single currency introduced at the start  
of the third stage of the European Economic 
and Monetary Union pursuant to the Treaty  
on the functioning of the European Community, 
as amended from time to time

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EURIBOR
Euro Interbank Offered Rate

EXEQUTIVE
Exequtive Partners S.A.

FATCA
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

FCA
Financial Conduct Authority 

FDI
Foreign Direct Investment

FIRST TRADING DATE
14 March 2018, the date on which trading 
in the Offer Shares of the Company on the 
premium listing segment of the Official List  
of the FCA and trading on the main market  
of the London Stock Exchange commenced

FRC
Financial Reporting Council

FTEs
Full-Time Equivalents

FVOCI
Fair value through other comprehensive income

FVTPL
Fair value through profit or loss

FX
Foreign exchange

GBP, £ OR STERLING
The lawful currency of the United Kingdom

GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation 
(2016/679) on data protection and privacy  
for all for all individuals within the European 
Union and the European Economic Area

F I N A N C I A L   S T A T E M E N T S

GFSC
The Guernsey Financial Services Commission

LSE
London Stock Exchange 

GSC
Global Service Centre

HNW/UHNW
High net worth individual(s)/ultra high  
net worth individual(s) 

IASB
International Accounting Standards Board

ICS
Institutional Client Services 

IFRS
International Financial Reporting Standards  
as adopted by the European Union

IFRSIC
IFRS Interpretations Committee

LTIP
Long-Term Incentive Plan

LTM
Last twelve months

M&A 
Merger and acquisition

MANAGEMENT
The Directors of JTC Group Holdings Limited 

MEEM
Multi-period excess earnings method financial 
valuation model

MINERVA 
Minerva Holdings Limited and MHL Holdings 
S.A. 

ILM
The organisation formerly known as the 
Institute of Leadership and Management

MLRO/MLCO 
Money Laundering Reporting Officer/  
Money Laundering Compliance Officer

IPO
Initial Public Offering

NACT
New Amsterdam Cititrust B.V.

ISAE 3403 
Assurance standard developed by the 
International Auditing and Assurance  
Standards Board and supported by the 
International Federation of Accountants. 

Type I: Documenting a ‘snapshot’ of the 
organisation’s controls

Type II: Documenting over a period of time 
(typically six months) showing controls have 
been managed over time

JFSC
The Jersey Financial Services Commission

NET DEBT
Total debt and total committed capital 
distributions less cash and cash equivalents

NET LEVERAGE
Total net debt divided by underlying EBITDA 
(for the LTM at average FX rates) adjusted 
for pro-forma contribution from acquisitions 
and synergies

NPV
Net present value

NOMINATION COMMITTEE
The Nomination Committee of the Board  
of the Company

NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS
These are certain one-off charges or non-
recurring credits that have a material impact 
on the Group’s financial results. They represent 
items of income or expenditure that are not 
of an operational nature, do not represent 
the core operating results and, based on their 
significance in size or nature, are presented 
separately to provide further understanding 
about the performance of the Group

GENERAL MEETING
The general meeting of the Company

JSOP
JTC share ownership plan

GROUP
The Company and its subsidiaries from  
time to time

GHB 
Group Holdings Board 

LIBOR
The London Inter-bank Offered Rate is an 
average value of the interest rate which  
is calculated from estimates submitted  
by the leading global banks on a daily basis

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G L O S S A R Y
C o n t i n u e d

TSR
Total Shareholder Return

UNDERLYING EBITDA
EBITDA excluding one-off charges or  
non-recurring credits within operating  
expenses that are non-underlying and the 
impact of IFRS 16

UNDERLYING EBITDA MARGIN

Underlying EBITDA divided by revenue,  
and expressed as a percentage

UNDERLYING BASIC EARNINGS 
PER SHARE
Profit for the year is adjusted for non-
underlying items and the impact of IFRS 16 
then divided by the weighted average number 
of Ordinary shares.

UNDERLYING GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit (being revenue less direct staff and 
other direct costs) excluding one-off charges or 
non-recurring credits that are non-underlying 
and the impact of IFRS 16

UNDERLYING GROSS PROFIT MARGIN
Underlying gross profit divided by revenue,  
and expressed as a percentage

UNDERLYING PROFIT/(LOSS) FOR 
THE YEAR
Loss for the year excluding one-off charges 
or non-recurring credits within operating 
expenses, other gains and finance costs that  
are non-underlying and the impact of IFRS 16

UBO
Ultimate Beneficial Owner

USD OR $
The lawful currency of the United States

UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE  
OR THE CODE
The UK Corporate Governance Code 2018

VAN DOORN 
Van Doorn CFS B.V. 

WACC
Weighted average cost of capital

OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation 
and Development

O4A
Ownership for All, the evolution of JTC’s  
shared ownership programme for all  
employees post IPO

PII
Professional Indemnity Insurance

PLC EBT
JTC PLC Employee Benefit Trust

PCS
Private Client Services

PDMR
Person Discharging Managerial Responsibility

PRO-FORMA
Taking into account a full year’s trading

PSP
Performance Share Plan

PWC
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP

RECOMMENDATION FOR SIGNING (RFS)
A JTC internal control tool ensuring that 
decisions made by the business are thoroughly 
documented, reviewed and approved at an 
appropriate level on a ‘six-eyes’ basis

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE
The Remuneration Committee of the Board  
of the Company

SACKVILLE
Sackville Bank and Trust Company Limited

S&GFA
Swiss & Global Fund Administration (Cayman) 
Ltd

SHARES
The Ordinary shares in the capital of 
the Company

SHAREHOLDER
Any holder of Ordinary shares at any time

SME
Small and medium sized enterprise

STEP
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

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Consultancy, design and production
www.luminous.co.uk

JTC PLC 

JTC House 
28 Esplanade 
St Helier 
Jersey 
JE2 3QA

Channel Islands

jtcgroup.com