Quarterlytics / Financial Services / Asset Management / JTC

JTC

jtc · LSE Financial Services
Claim this profile
Ticker jtc
Exchange LSE
Sector Financial Services
Industry Asset Management
Employees 501-1000
← All annual reports
FY2020 Annual Report · JTC
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
STANDING TOGETHER

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

2

0

2

0

A

N

N

U

A

L

R

E

P

O

R

T

|

J

T

C

P

L

C

S

T

A

N

D

I

N

G

T

O

G

E

T

H

E

R

 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS

JTC IS A PUBLICLY LISTED, GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS WITH 
DEEP EXPERTISE IN FUND, CORPORATE AND PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES. EVERY 
JTC PERSON IS AN OWNER OF THE BUSINESS AND THIS FUNDAMENTAL 
PART OF OUR CULTURE ALIGNS US WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL OUR 
STAKEHOLDERS. OUR PURPOSE IS TO MAXIMISE POTENTIAL AND OUR 
SUCCESS IS BUILT ON SERVICE EXCELLENCE, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND 
TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES THAT DRIVE EFFICIENCY AND ADD VALUE.

Visit us at JTCGROUP.COM

Financial Statements
106 Independent Auditor’s Report
113  Consolidated Income Statement
114   Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income
115  Consolidated Balance Sheet
116    Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
117   Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
118    Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
169  Investor Relations Information
170  Glossary

Chief Executive Officer’s Review 

Strategic Report
Our business at a glance
Overview
1  Highlights
4  Our response to Covid-19
6 
10  Our Market Drivers
12  Our Business Model
14  Chief Financial Officer’s Review
20 
24  Private Client Services Division
28 
Inorganic Growth Strategy
32  Key Performance Indicators
34  Environmental, Social and Governance
46  Risk Management
54  Viability Statement

 Institutional Client Services Division

Governance
56  Chairman’s Statement
58  Board of Directors
60  Executive Management
63  Stakeholder Engagement
66  Board Evaluation
68  Nomination Committee
72  Audit and Risk Committee
76  Remuneration Committee
99  Directors’ Report
104  Directors’ Responsibility Statement

HIGHLIGHTS

Revenue (£m)
+15.9%

Underlying 
EBITDA (£m)* 
+9.4%

Underlying 
EBITDA Margin 
(%) -2.0pp

Underlying Basic 
EPS (p)** +3.4%

115.1

38.7

35.6

99.3

35.4

33.6

21.74

22.49

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

New Business 
Won (£m)
+20.1%

Lifetime Value 
Won (£)***
+18.5%

Final Dividend Per 
Share (p)
+1.45p

Net Debt (£m)
+14.3%

170.7

6.75

17.9

144

5.3

14.9

76.0

66.5

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

* 

 Items classified as non-underlying are detailed in Note 7 of the financial statements. Non-underlying items are 
defined as specific items of income or expenditure that are not of an operational nature.

**    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.

*** Lifetime Value Won (LVW) is 10 times annualised value of work won minus value of attrition in past year.

Financial Highlights
 – Revenue up 15.9% to £115.1m (2019: £99.3m), 
reflecting a combination of good net organic 
growth of 7.9% (+16.7% gross) and inorganic 
growth of 8.0%.

 – Underlying EBITDA up 9.4% to £38.7m 

(2019: £35.4m) with underlying EBITDA margin 
of 33.6% (2019: 35.6%).

 – Performance in line with medium-term guidance 
of 8% – 10% net organic growth and 33% – 38% 
underlying EBITDA margin.

 – Record annualised new business wins totalling 
£17.9m (2019: £14.9m), comprising £13.4m in 
ICS and £4.5m in PCS.

 – A robust balance sheet with an undrawn £44.4m 
out of the available £150m facility and no debt 
falling due for repayment before 2023. 

Strategic & Operational Highlights
 – Highly resilient response to Covid-19 

with no redundancies, no staff placed on 
furlough, no government support taken 
and dividend increased. 

 – Good performance from both the Institutional 
Client Services (ICS) and Private Client Services 
(PCS) Divisions, with continued strong results 
from the PCS Division. 

 – Acquired fund services business NES Financial 
in the US, the Sanne private client business in 
Jersey and announced the acquisition of the RBC 
CEES employee benefits business in the Channel 
Islands and UK. 

 – Post period end, acquired INDOS Financial, a 

specialist depositary, AML and ESG governance 
services business with operations in the UK 
and Ireland. 

 – M&A pipeline remains healthy and 

disciplined approach will continue in 2021 
with particular focus on the US, UK, Ireland 
and mainland Europe.

1

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54JTC OVERVIEW

JTC IS A PUBLICLY LISTED, GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS WITH 
DEEP EXPERTISE IN FUND, CORPORATE AND PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES. EVERY 
JTC PERSON IS AN OWNER OF THE BUSINESS AND THIS FUNDAMENTAL 
PART OF OUR CULTURE ALIGNS US WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL OUR 
STAKEHOLDERS. OUR PURPOSE IS TO MAXIMISE POTENTIAL AND OUR 
SUCCESS IS BUILT ON SERVICE EXCELLENCE, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND 
TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES THAT DRIVE EFFICIENCY AND ADD VALUE.

INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT 
SERVICES (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.

FUND 
SERVICES
Administers a wide variety of listed and 
unlisted funds across a diverse range of asset 
classes. Clients include a broad spectrum of 
fund managers from market entrants to large 
institutions. We provide support throughout the 
lifespan of a fund, including ongoing reporting 
and regulatory compliance.

CORPORATE  
SERVICES
Provides company secretarial and 
administration services to a broad range of 
clients, including SMEs, public companies, 
multinationals, sovereign wealth funds, and 
private offices who require a corporate service. 
Different structures provided include real estate 
or investment holding vehicles, joint ventures 
and acquisition structures. We also provide 
services for pension and employee share plans.

PRIVATE 
CLIENT SERVICES
Forms and administers vehicles such as trusts, 
companies and partnerships on behalf of 
HNW and UHNW individuals and families 
and also dedicated private and family offices. 
We also provide Private Wealth Services 
to large institutions as an independent 
third-party provider. We specialise in a holistic 
approach to protecting private assets across 
countries and generations.

40%

of revenue

30%

of revenue

30%

of revenue

2

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Our global reach

Our recent acquisitions

1,100+

JTC has a highly qualified team of more than 1,100 
professionals providing a global service to our 
clients from a network of 25 local offices.

Clients

6,000+

Countries served

100+

Read more about our 
NESF acquisition on 
page 20

Read more about our 
RBC CEES acquisition on 
page 20

(Jersey PCS business)

Read more about our 
Sanne Private Clients 
acquisition on page 27

Read more about our post 
period end acquisition 
on page 21

South Dakota

San Jose

Boston

New York

Cayman Islands

Miami

BVI

IOM

Ireland

Guernsey

UK

Netherlands

Luxembourg

Jersey

Switzerland

Dubai

Hong Kong

Malaysia

Labuan

Singapore

Mauritius

South Africa

BVI

New Zealand

3

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54C

N I

A

G

R

O

G

R

O

W

T

H

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

3 3   Y E A R S   O F
R E V E N U E   &
P R O F I T   G R O W T H

R O B U S T
B A L A N C E
S H E E T

S T R O N G
C A S H
C O N V E R S I O N

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

W E L L
D I V E R S I F I E D
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

S H A R E D
O W N E R S H I P

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

I N O R G A N I C   G R O W T H

COVID-19

OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19
SUSTAINING PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

As a global business, we were alert to the potential 
impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from the very 
earliest  stages.  We  reacted  swiftly  to  look  after 
our people and our commercial interests, and soon 
confirmed just how resilient our business is, as we 
continued to grow both organically and through M&A. 
We are pleased to say we have made no redundancies 
and put nobody on furlough, and we have not taken 
any  government  funding.  At  the  same  time,  we 
recognise this is a privileged position, thanks largely 
to our resilient business model and well-invested 
global platform. Of course, the crisis continues, and 
we are keenly aware of the ongoing human cost and 
the devastation many organisations have experienced. 
So we remain vigilant, while optimistic that the virus 
will soon be brought under control.

Everything we’ve done in response to the pandemic 
has been based on three clear principles: 

 – Protect the wellbeing of our people, clients 

and partners; 

 – Maintain excellent client service; and
 – Protect our long-term commercial success.

Naturally, the first of these principles is the most 
important: nothing matters more than the health of 
our people, and of those who work with us. To keep 
everyone safe, we quickly adopted a working-from-
home model in all our locations – and the success 
of this was largely down to our shared-ownership 
culture. An entrepreneurial attitude runs throughout 
our company, and everyone was keen to establish 
a  suitable  environment  from  which  to  maintain 
‘business as usual’. The spirit of collaboration and 
co-operation that has always driven our success 
became especially important – as much for boosting 
morale and supporting mental health as for keeping 
operations moving.

Upholding service levels
The way our people embraced safe working practices 
was a key factor in ensuring our clients still received 
excellent service. There was a lot for us to do as 
a business, but we had everyone’s help. Within a 

matter of days, we managed to get over 90% of our 
people working from home seamlessly, with access 
to all the systems they needed. Thankfully, our IT 
infrastructure was already designed to support remote 
working; the main task was to activate that for all 
individuals within JTC.

We achieved this without any interruption to our 
services – and, fortunately for us, the non-cyclical 
nature of our business meant there was no drop in 
demand for those services from existing clients. 
What we do for our clients is based on annuity income, 
so we retain long-term relationships over the lifetime 
of their structures. Once established, they do not 
switch off, even in a crisis. They always need to be 
serviced and maintained. 

Ensuring lasting success
In  following  our  third  principle  –  protecting  our 
commercial future – our priority was to reassure 
shareholders that our response to the pandemic 
would avoid anything likely to jeopardise our long-
term success. We made it clear we would not pause 
acquisitions, or halt investment in technology or 
development projects, simply due to uncertainty. 
With a track record spanning more than 30 years, we 
were able to draw on our experience of navigating 
prior external shocks and downturns while continuing 
to grow the business. This confidence was reflected in 
our decision to increase our dividend during the year. 

We also developed processes to ensure the day-to-day 
running of the business could continue unaffected. 
For  example,  we  instigated  daily  reporting,  by 
jurisdiction and division, enabling our management 
to understand very quickly the performance of their 
teams working remotely.

Measures  such  as  this  are  part  of  a  general 
determination to keep JTC on its planned trajectory 
in spite of Covid-19. Many others have not been so 
fortunate. We have made substantial donations to 
relief charities, and hope that those who have been 
adversely affected can soon recover and begin to 
thrive again.

OPERATIONS & 
EMPLOYEES

 –

 –

 –

 –

 Shared ownership culture matters – 
excellent team spirit & effort globally
 More & better management 
interaction & reporting
 Well-invested platform performed & 
Business Continuity team delivered
 Restrictions slowed operational change 
& integration programmes

CLIENTS

 –

 –

 –
 –

 –

 Existing clients more active & cash 
collection strong
 Won £1m+ mandates under ‘lockdown’, 
but engagement hampered and some 
work on hold (especially US)
 More demand & larger mandates 
Business reconfigurations & outsourcing 
for ‘leaner’ models
 Flight to quality effect benefits larger, 
established providers like JTC

ESG

 –

 –

 –

 Even more important than 
pre-pandemic, especially social impact
 Positive for JTC. Builds on 20+ years of 
shared ownership & community support
 A growth area for us to support clients & 
win new business, including NESF tech-
enabled solutions to support impact 
investing & reporting and ESG solutions 
from INDOS Financial

M&A ACTIVITY

 –

 –

 Maintained a strong pipeline of 
opportunities across both Divisions & all 
target geographies
 JTC remains a popular acquirer – shared 
ownership & straightforward approach

 – Demonstrated ability to execute & 

integrate under lockdown conditions
 – Will continue to target acquisitions 

that make JTC a better business for the 
long-term, will always maintain disciplined 
approach & know when to say no

5

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REVIEW

NIGEL LE QUESNE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

People, Culture and Resilience
We like to keep things simple at JTC with our aim to make 
the business better every year. Once again we believe we 
achieved that in 2020. 

By the time we reported last year, we were able to talk 
about how the Group might respond to the pandemic, 
and I mentioned factors such as our well-invested 
infrastructure, experienced management, historic track 
record and our scale and diversification as keys to our 
resilience. I also talked separately and specifically about 
the importance of the culture of the Group and how we 
had invested in it over decades. Well, there’s nothing 
like the year we’ve just had to test the validity of that 
belief, in every respect. And in hindsight, our people and 
culture were the most important factors in making sure 
we could trade successfully through 2020. I would like 
to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate our 
global team for the performance of the business during 
an extraordinary year for the whole world. Even in the 
ongoing face of the pandemic, I genuinely believe we are 
a better business going into 2021 thanks to the energy, 
commitment and entrepreneurial spirit of our people.

Financial Performance
Performance was in-line with market expectations that 
were set pre-Covid-19 and we delivered headline revenue 
growth to £115.1m (2019: £99.3m), achieving £38.7m of 
underlying EBITDA (2019: £35.4m) at a Group margin of 
33.6% (2019: 35.6%). These strong results were achieved 
through a combination of net organic growth of 7.9% 
(2019: 8.4%) and inorganic growth of 8.0% (2019: 20.1%). 

This means that we again delivered in line with our 
medium-term guidance of 8%-10% net organic revenue 
growth and 33%-38% underlying EBITDA margin, which 
we continue to believe represent the key ‘guide rails’ for 
sustainable high performance in our sector. 

A Balanced Approach
We have for many years adopted multi-year business plans 
that we name to mark chapters in our journey. From 2018 
to 2020 we called our plan the Odyssey Era and during 
this three year period the performance of the Private 
Client Services (PCS) Division has been exceptional. On the 
other side of the business, the Institutional Client Services 
(ICS) Division has grown strongly, but has struggled, in 
relative terms, to achieve the same levels of operational 
efficiency. Having said that, we know from experience 
that our Divisions go through natural business cycles 
as they develop and evolve. Sometimes they will be at 
the top of their game and at other times need to make 
important operational changes. Conceptually we believe 
in the flywheel effect, where businesses succeed not from 
a single initiative, but from the accumulation of small wins 
over years of hard work. In 2020, we put a lot of good work 
into getting the ICS business to the position where the 
flywheel moment will be achieved in the medium-term. 
What we’re seeing with PCS is the flywheel effect made 

6

Revenue

£115.1m

Underlying EBITDA

£38.7m

real – it’s outperforming its peer group in the market in 
almost every respect. To me, it brings home the benefit 
of having two Divisions within the Group and we look 
forward to this playing out over our next business plan 
era, which we are calling Galaxy and will run for five years 
until the end of 2025. 

Institutional Client Services Division
Revenue increased 17.8% to £64.6m (2019: 54.8m) 
and there was a 0.8% decrease in underlying EBITDA to 
£18.0m (2019: £18.1m). The underlying EBITDA margin 
fell 5.2pp to 27.9% (2019: 33.1%) but excluding NESF, 
which was particularly impacted by a combination of 
Covid-19 and the performance of the US economy, 
the  margin  was  30.6%.  Net  organic  growth  was 
6.9% (2019: 9.4%) with the annualised value of new 
business wins being £13.4m (2019: £8.9m). As already 
noted, 2020 was a more challenging year for ICS, but 
we have undoubtedly made progress. The planned 
internal operational restructuring of the fund services 
practice was completed, albeit at a slower pace than 
we would have liked due to travel restrictions, which 
prevented us from delivering the change programme 
in our preferred face-to-face format. However, the 

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Division has landed its two biggest ever clients, judged 
by annualised revenue, in the last 18 months, has a strong 
new business pipeline going into 2021 and enjoys positive 
long-term structural tailwinds. 

One  trend  we  observed,  possibly  hastened  by  the 
effects of the pandemic, and particularly important to 
the ICS market, was an acceleration in decision making 
from larger clients who showed a greater inclination to 
outsource as part of their longer-term strategy. This led 
to us competing for and winning a number of higher value 
and more complex mandates, which are positive for our 
market profile and the lifetime value of the JTC book, but 
necessarily take longer to on-board and get up to speed 
due to their size and complexity. 

In terms of acquisitions, NESF provided an important entry 
point to the high-growth US fund services market and 
brought with it a capable and experienced management 
team. The business also gives us a significant in-house 
technology capability for the first time and one that can 
be leveraged across the entire Group in due course. 

We are excited about prospects in the corporate employee 
benefit services field following the acquisition of RBC CEES, 
announced at the end of the period, which when combined 
with our own shared ownership credentials, immediately 
positions us as a leader in this space. The business adds 
complementary  service  lines  that  we  believe  have 
substantial growth potential as the wider ESG agenda 
drives more companies to consider broader and more 
sophisticated employer benefit programmes. There are 
also opportunities for cross-selling of private client services 
to underlying members of such programmes. 

The post period end INDOS acquisition will expand our 
fund services offering and brings sophisticated depositary, 
AML and ESG services to the Division, as well as a highly 
skilled team in the UK and Ireland. This will allow us 
to provide holistic solutions at every stage of the fund 
cycle, as well as our well-established administration and 
accountancy services. INDOS, in combination with NESF, 
will also be at the forefront of our expansion into specific 
ESG related services.

WE ARE A BETTER BUSINESS 
GOING INTO 2021 THANKS TO 
THE ENERGY, COMMITMENT 
AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT 
OF OUR PEOPLE

Looking ahead our ICS business has some of the most 
exciting organic and inorganic growth prospects in the 
Group as we move into 2021 and we look forward to 
capturing those opportunities and driving performance.

Private Client Services Division
Revenue  showed  a  13.7%  increase  to  £50.5m 
(2019: £44.5m) and a 20.2% increase in underlying EBTIDA 
to £20.7m (2019: £17.2m). The underlying EBITDA margin 
improved 2.2pp to 41.0% (2019: 38.8%). Net organic 
growth was 9.0% (2019: 7.2%) with the annualised value 
of new business wins being £4.5m (2019: £6.0m). 

The performance of the PCS Division built on the great 
work and results in 2019. At the start of our Odyssey Era 
business plan three years ago, PCS was possibly seen as an 
unfashionable and relatively low-growth business. But it 

A HISTORY OF RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

Over  the  last  three  decades  JTC  has 
demonstrated its inherent resilience on a 
number of occasions. While the Group has 
always been configured for growth, there have 
been times when events in the wider world 
presented unexpected shocks and challenges. 

Covid-19 is the most recent example, but prior 
to this JTC, like all other global businesses, was 
faced with the impact of the terror attacks in 
the US on 11 September 2001 and the global 
financial crisis, triggered by the sub-prime 
mortgage lending crisis in 2007. 

As the charts below show, JTC was not only 
able  to  weather  the  immediate  macro-
economic shock of these events, but was able 
to successfully grow through them and in 
subsequent years. Growth that was entirely 
organic as the Group did not make its first 
acquisition until 2010.

PERFORMANCE POST 9/11 (£M)

This resilient performance illustrates several 
fundamental features of our business. Firstly, 
our  shared  ownership  culture  means  that 
we all pull together in a crisis. Secondly, our 
well-invested platform is robust and able to 
withstand sharp, near-term shocks. Finally, 
the professional services nature of our work, 
coupled with long-term client relationships, 
means that when external market conditions 
are volatile, this can actually lead to more 
work for JTC as we partner with clients in both 
Divisions to help them navigate threats and 
opportunities as they emerge. 

While Covid-19 remains a current worldwide 
challenge, our performance in 2020, coupled 
with the lessons of the past, indicate that JTC 
is particularly well equipped to succeed and 
grow through unexpected events, both now 
and in the future.

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

2.1

0.7

2000

3.7

3.0

1.1

1.5

2001

2002

Revenue

Underlying EBITDA

EBITDA%

PERFORMANCE POST FINANCIAL CRISIS (£M)

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

7.1

2.4

2007

10.1

11.5

4.0

4.8

2008

2009

Revenue

Underlying EBITDA

EBITDA%

43%
42%
41%
40%
39%
38%
37%
36%
35%
34%
33%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

7

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54CHIEF ExECUTIVE OFFICER’S REVIEW CONTINUED

WE BELIEVE THE SECTOR WILL 
CONTINUE TO CONSOLIDATE FOR 
AT LEAST THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS AND 
LOOK FORWARD TO REMAINING 
AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT

The PCS Division enters 2021 with good momentum that 
we are confident will carry into the Galaxy Era. 

Inorganic Growth
In 2020 we once again looked at over 50 opportunities 
as  the  market  continues  to  consolidate  at  pace. 
Our substantial experience and disciplined approach 
meant that we are very pleased with the deals completed 
in the year. 

The JTC approach to inorganic growth is explained 
in greater detail on pages 28 to 31, but at its heart we 
combine a set of core criteria with near-term areas of focus. 
Our overarching principle is to acquire businesses that 
make JTC better for the long-term and our core criteria are: 
to improve jurisdictional strength, add scale, strengthen 
our service offering and create cross-selling and synergy 
opportunities. In 2020 our specific areas of focus were 
primarily ICS orientated with an emphasis on alternative 
asset classes, the US, UK, Ireland and Luxembourg. We also 
sought out opportunities related to the addition of so-
called first-cousin services and technology capabilities. 
Notwithstanding this framework, we always remain alert 
to executing opportunistic deals as they may arise. 

In combination, these criteria and areas of focus create 
a ‘two plus two must equal five’ mentality when we look 
at deals and the acquisitions made embody this approach. 

We believe the sector will continue to consolidate for at 
least the next 5-10 years and look forward to remaining an 
active participant and enter 2021 with an active pipeline 
of opportunities. 

Risk
We were pleased to welcome Richard Ingle as our new 
Chief Risk Officer (CRO). Richard has a distinguished 
financial service career spanning more than 30 years and 
has worked for a number of well-respected institutions 
including the Financial Services Authority, JP Morgan 
and Standard Chartered. His arrival not only strengthens 
the Risk & Compliance function, but also the overall 
leadership team as he takes a seat on the Group Holdings 
Board. I would also like to record my thanks to Bill Byrne, 
our Chief Group Counsel, who undertook the role for 
the majority of 2020 and now returns to his core role 
of leading our legal function across the Group. Bill will 
continue to work closely with Richard and his team, as 
well as both Divisions and the Operations teams.

Outlook
As we start our five-year Galaxy Era journey, it is worth 
noting that when we entered the Odyssey Era in 2018 we 
had a Group turnover of £59.8m and underlying EBITDA 
of £14.4m, so we have significantly moved the dial over 
the past three years. Assessing what we have achieved in 
2020 specifically, our senior team is our most cohesive 
ever, and is another year wiser. We have upgraded the 
general talent within the Group, as we continue to find 
more of the industry’s top professionals attracted to what 
we have to offer, including our shared ownership culture 
and entrepreneurial approach. We assess the strength of 
our operations in each individual jurisdiction on a regular 

Net organic revenue growth

7.9%

Underlying EBITDA margin

33.6%

MEDIUM-TERM GUIDANCE

Net organic revenue growth

8-10%

Underlying EBITDA margin

33-38%

8

has performed strongly, benefiting from a consistency 
of  focused  management  and  efficiencies  due  to  a 
restructuring of operational support during the Odyssey 
Era, which has shown through to the 2020 results. 
Our Private Office proposition has continued to drive 
growth, with the number of clients paying £100k pa or 
more increasing by 25%. The Division also benefited from 
the acquisition and full integration of the Sanne Private 
Clients business during the year. This strengthened our 
Jersey platform, delivered a skilled team and high quality 
client book and was immediately portable to our operating 
platform. It also further increased our share of and 
commitment to the PCS market and was a straightforward 
acquisition for us, in spite of the constraints of integrating 
during lockdown.

THE TREND TOWARDS LARGER 
INSTITUTIONS SEEKING 
TO IMPLEMENT A LIGHTER 
OPERATING MODEL IS SEEN 
ACROSS BOTH DIVISIONS

One of the more notable trends in the PCS Division is 
its ability to attract relationships with global financial 
institutions who trust us to provide services for their 
individual private clients. Mirroring a trend seen in the 
ICS Division, these large firms are opting for a lighter 
operating model, for example through white labelling, 
and are seeking to ensure that they remain ahead of 
market trends and fully compliant by partnering with 
JTC, an acknowledged expert in the field. 

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020basis and, on the whole, they are improving year on year. 
And importantly, we are beginning to be seen as leaders 
and a driver of trends in the markets we operate in.

In 2021, we will continue to drive organic growth through 
service quality, innovation, maturity of larger mandates, 
process efficiencies and technological capabilities. 
The outlook for further inorganic growth in the Galaxy 
Era remains positive, with a well-developed pipeline of 
opportunities that can strengthen and deepen our global 
footprint and service offering; however it is important 
we maintain our reputation as a disciplined buyer. We’ve 
always said we’re building this business for the long term, 
making sure the infrastructure we put in place future-
proofs our business, incrementally keeping up with 
growth, whether organic or inorganic. 

From a personal point of view, I see plenty for us yet 
to achieve, and I’m really enjoying continuing to build 
the Group, and plan to carry on doing so through our 
Galaxy Era. If there’s a lesson from Covid-19, or from 
our financial performance over 33 years, it’s that 
consistency and continuity of management is the right 
thing to aspire to. And so when succession comes, it 
will ideally come internally rather than externally. 
This collective approach that is so special to JTC can be 
handed down over generations to ensure the business 
continues to succeed and thrive for years to come.

NIGEL LE QUESNE 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

We believe that JTC represents an exceptional long-
term growth investment prospect. Our 33 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. 

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Last 10 years revenue
CAGR=25.7%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Revenue

Underlying EBITDA

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

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

8

6

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

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

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

9

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54MARKET DRIVERS

OUR MARKET DRIVERS 
LONG-TERM TRENDS SUPPORTING OUR GROWTH 

INCREASED
REGULATION

GROWING PROPENSITY TO 
OUTSOURCE

OPPORTUNITIES  
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

HIGH
Pace of change

HIGH
Near-term impact

MEDIUM
Long-term impact

MEDIUM
Pace of change

MEDIUM
Near-term impact

HIGH
Long-term impact

MEDIUM
Pace of change

LOW
Near-term impact

HIGH
Long-term impact

As complexity increases, whether that be due 
to  regulation,  cross-border  requirements  or 
technology, the long-term benefits of outsourcing 
versus  building  in-house  capabilities  become 
increasingly  compelling.  For  smaller  clients, 
including individuals and families, outsourcing 
provides instant access to levels of expertise that 
might otherwise be prohibitively expensive or time 
consuming to acquire. For larger clients, including 
corporates and funds, outsourcing often forms part 
of a wider strategic shift to leaner operating models. 
While the outsourcing trend runs throughout our 
client groups, we find the propensity to outsource 
increases as the relevant regulatory environment 
becomes  more  complicated  and  the  core 
competency of the client can be readily separated 
from the associated administration – so funds are a 
particular growth area for us. There are also major 
opportunities in the US, where both institutional 
and private clients have been less inclined to 
outsource, but are now realising the benefits.

What this means for JTC
As outsourcing grows, our main objective is to 
demonstrate to clients that we have the scale 
and capabilities to offer a comprehensive, expert 
service. We’ve built our business on this and will 
continue to do so, with highly qualified, experienced 
staff and appropriate investment in technology. 
We will always have everything in place to ensure 
clients understand that outsourcing to JTC means 
certainty around costs while increasing accuracy, as 
well as freeing resources to focus on core activities.

Technology  is  increasingly  important  to  our 
business in two ways. First, it enables us to provide 
more, and better, services, such as client portals 
and  real-time  reporting.  Second,  it  improves 
efficiency: tasks that were previously manual, like 
data inputting, can be automated – which speeds 
up the process, reduces labour costs and, again, 
helps improve our services. Perhaps paradoxically, 
technology also leads to a greater focus on human 
expertise in our business. Taking care of repetitive 
functions, it lets us devote skilled people to more 
advanced  roles;  we  can  make  more  of  their 
knowledge and understanding of the nuances 
of legislation and regulations to provide a highly 
valuable service to clients. 

What this means for JTC
As a professional services company we are now 
both a people-led business and a technology-
enabled business. We continue to attract and 
retain exceptionally talented individuals, while a 
criteria of our M&A approach is now focused on 
keeping us at the leading edge of technological 
developments in our industry. We use technology 
to improve and expand our services, while still 
offering our clients the in-depth expertise only 
human insight and relationships can provide. 
In short, we combine the best people with the 
best technology to get the best results.

For  all  our  client  groups  –  fund  managers, 
corporates, financial and professional services 
firms, and HNW/ UHNW individuals and families 
– the growing complexity and scope of regulatory 
regimes is making expert advice more and more 
valuable, even vital. The risk of errors or omissions 
due to misunderstanding a regulation, or being 
unaware  of  it,  becomes  higher  every  year. 
To reduce this burden, outsourcing is becoming 
an increasingly attractive option. In particular, 
clients need a specialist partner who is constantly 
on  top  of  the  latest  regulatory  changes,  and 
who can not only navigate them but also find 
opportunities within them.

What this means for JTC
To ensure clients continue to turn to us for help 
dealing with the regulatory burden, we are always 
expanding and revising the services we provide. 
This is especially important in maintaining our 
leading  knowledge  of  the  developing  global 
regulatory framework, which brings us multiple 
revenue opportunities while raising the barriers to 
entry for competitors. As a large global operator, 
we are much better equipped than others to 
help clients comply with the higher standards 
demanded by growing regulatory scrutiny. 

10

With many administrative services companies 

The ESG agenda has been developing steadily for 

Globalisation, along with easier communication, 

traditionally choosing to focus on a particular 

decades, but has recently accelerated to record 

co-operation  and  the  flow  of  capital  across 

niche or jurisdiction, ours is a fragmented industry. 

levels of awareness, engagement and capital 

international borders, leads to more entities being 

But  this  is  changing.  Increasing  regulatory 

allocation.  Inflows  to  sustainable  funds  are 

established. Corporates operating and investing 

complexity,  a  desire  for  cross-jurisdictional 

increasing across all regions of the world and it 

across jurisdictions often require sophisticated 

solutions  and  the  increasing  importance  of 

is forecast that ESG assets could expand to 57% 

structures that must comply with all local and 

technology are driving client demand for greater 

of European mutual funds by 2025.* At the same 

international standards. Fund managers seek 

scale and breadth from providers. The ability to 

time, a fragmented and rapidly evolving set of 

access  to  international  pools  of  capital  and 

offer clients a multi-sector and multi-jurisdiction 

ESG standards presents enormous challenges for 

investors, both professional and private, want to 

capability, and to gain the financial substance to 

all market participants and is driving demand for 

be able to invest in the strategies that best fit 

invest in technology, further drives consolidation. 

credible and expert third party providers that can 

their goals. In addition, wealthy individuals and 

This is an accelerating trend in our industry and 

support a wide range of clients in developing their 

family offices operate more internationally than 

with estimated 2,000+ providers in the UK and 

ESG strategies and policies and creating robust 

ever before. This all leads to increased demand 

Europe alone, there is still enormous scope for 

reporting and disclosure frameworks. 

for providers of administrative services that can 

more. We are poised to take advantage.

work across borders and offer knowledge and 

expertise when dealing with the complex and 

ever-developing regulatory regimes in each region. 

Also, growing GDP and personal wealth across the 

world provides a general tailwind to demand for 

our services.

What this means for JTC

What this means for JTC

What this means for JTC

We  maintain  a  very  strong  pipeline  of  M&A 

As a business with shared ownership at the heart 

In response to this global opportunity, we have 

opportunities,  which  will  help  us  enhance 

of its culture for over 20 years our approach to 

been developing our business organically, creating 

our service offering and global footprint even 

ESG is based on compelling principles and a strong 

innovative new services, such as JTC Private Office 

further. Having announced the acquisition of 

corporate purpose. As an outsource provider, we 

and our proprietary Edge client portal for HNW/

23 businesses since 2010, we have a tried and 

are ideally placed to become a highly credible 

UHNW individuals and families. We have also 

tested methodology for integrating people-based 

component of our clients’ value chains. In addition, 

been acquiring strategically to ensure that we 

companies efficiently. We are a well-liked acquirer, 

our strength in providing expertise around complex 

can deliver the right services, in the right places, 

because of our culture and our reputation as a very 

regulatory and reporting frameworks means that 

for our diverse range of clients, both existing and 

competent home for a business and its clients. 

we are ideally placed to offer technology-enabled 

new. With a record of integrating acquisitions 

Also, our shared-ownership approach – which in 

ESG advisory and administration services to a 

successfully,  we  are  quick  to  offer  clients 

particular can offer rewards and responsibility 

range of clients, spanning fund managers seeking 

seamless services as they expand across multiple 

for entrepreneurs who become part of a bigger 

to access ESG capital through to private clients 

jurisdictions. We do this not only in established 

platform – makes us a popular choice at all scales 

and families wishing to invest responsibly and 

markets but also in developing regions, such as 

of transaction. (See pages 28 to 31 for further 

with purpose.

detail on our M&A strategy and recent activity.)

Asia and Africa.

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Operating in a fragmented global industry, we 
serve a variety of markets and estimate that the 
global ICS market is worth at least £6.9bn pa in 
fees and the PCS market at least £1.8bn pa in 
fees. All these markets are subject to a number of 
shared long-term trends, which offer significant 
growth opportunities for our business.

ICS

6.9bn

1.8bn

PCS

Addressable 
global market

£8.7bn

CONTINUED MARKET 
CONSOLIDATION

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND 
GOVERNANCE

GLOBALISATION AND RISING 
GLOBAL WEALTH IS RISING

MEDIUM
Pace of change

LOW
Near-term impact

HIGH
Long-term impact

MEDIUM
Pace of change

MEDIUM
Near-term impact

MEDIUM
Long-term impact

HIGH
Pace of change

MEDIUM
Near-term impact

HIGH
Long-term impact

For  all  our  client  groups  –  fund  managers, 

As complexity increases, whether that be due 

Technology  is  increasingly  important  to  our 

corporates, financial and professional services 

to  regulation,  cross-border  requirements  or 

business in two ways. First, it enables us to provide 

firms, and HNW/ UHNW individuals and families 

technology, the long-term benefits of outsourcing 

more, and better, services, such as client portals 

– the growing complexity and scope of regulatory 

versus  building  in-house  capabilities  become 

and  real-time  reporting.  Second,  it  improves 

regimes is making expert advice more and more 

increasingly  compelling.  For  smaller  clients, 

efficiency: tasks that were previously manual, like 

valuable, even vital. The risk of errors or omissions 

including individuals and families, outsourcing 

data inputting, can be automated – which speeds 

due to misunderstanding a regulation, or being 

provides instant access to levels of expertise that 

up the process, reduces labour costs and, again, 

unaware  of  it,  becomes  higher  every  year. 

might otherwise be prohibitively expensive or time 

helps improve our services. Perhaps paradoxically, 

To reduce this burden, outsourcing is becoming 

consuming to acquire. For larger clients, including 

technology also leads to a greater focus on human 

an increasingly attractive option. In particular, 

corporates and funds, outsourcing often forms part 

expertise in our business. Taking care of repetitive 

clients need a specialist partner who is constantly 

of a wider strategic shift to leaner operating models. 

functions, it lets us devote skilled people to more 

on  top  of  the  latest  regulatory  changes,  and 

While the outsourcing trend runs throughout our 

advanced  roles;  we  can  make  more  of  their 

who can not only navigate them but also find 

client groups, we find the propensity to outsource 

knowledge and understanding of the nuances 

opportunities within them.

increases as the relevant regulatory environment 

of legislation and regulations to provide a highly 

becomes  more  complicated  and  the  core 

valuable service to clients. 

With many administrative services companies 
traditionally choosing to focus on a particular 
niche or jurisdiction, ours is a fragmented industry. 
But  this  is  changing.  Increasing  regulatory 
complexity,  a  desire  for  cross-jurisdictional 
solutions  and  the  increasing  importance  of 
technology are driving client demand for greater 
scale and breadth from providers. The ability to 
offer clients a multi-sector and multi-jurisdiction 
capability, and to gain the financial substance to 
invest in technology, further drives consolidation. 
This is an accelerating trend in our industry and 
with estimated 2,000+ providers in the UK and 
Europe alone, there is still enormous scope for 
more. We are poised to take advantage.

The ESG agenda has been developing steadily for 
decades, but has recently accelerated to record 
levels of awareness, engagement and capital 
allocation.  Inflows  to  sustainable  funds  are 
increasing across all regions of the world and it 
is forecast that ESG assets could expand to 57% 
of European mutual funds by 2025.* At the same 
time, a fragmented and rapidly evolving set of 
ESG standards presents enormous challenges for 
all market participants and is driving demand for 
credible and expert third party providers that can 
support a wide range of clients in developing their 
ESG strategies and policies and creating robust 
reporting and disclosure frameworks. 

Globalisation, along with easier communication, 
co-operation  and  the  flow  of  capital  across 
international borders, leads to more entities being 
established. Corporates operating and investing 
across jurisdictions often require sophisticated 
structures that must comply with all local and 
international standards. Fund managers seek 
access  to  international  pools  of  capital  and 
investors, both professional and private, want to 
be able to invest in the strategies that best fit 
their goals. In addition, wealthy individuals and 
family offices operate more internationally than 
ever before. This all leads to increased demand 
for providers of administrative services that can 
work across borders and offer knowledge and 
expertise when dealing with the complex and 
ever-developing regulatory regimes in each region. 
Also, growing GDP and personal wealth across the 
world provides a general tailwind to demand for 
our services.

What this means for JTC
We  maintain  a  very  strong  pipeline  of  M&A 
opportunities,  which  will  help  us  enhance 
our service offering and global footprint even 
further. Having announced the acquisition of 
23 businesses since 2010, we have a tried and 
tested methodology for integrating people-based 
companies efficiently. We are a well-liked acquirer, 
because of our culture and our reputation as a very 
competent home for a business and its clients. 
Also, our shared-ownership approach – which in 
particular can offer rewards and responsibility 
for entrepreneurs who become part of a bigger 
platform – makes us a popular choice at all scales 
of transaction. (See pages 28 to 31 for further 
detail on our M&A strategy and recent activity.)

What this means for JTC
As a business with shared ownership at the heart 
of its culture for over 20 years our approach to 
ESG is based on compelling principles and a strong 
corporate purpose. As an outsource provider, we 
are ideally placed to become a highly credible 
component of our clients’ value chains. In addition, 
our strength in providing expertise around complex 
regulatory and reporting frameworks means that 
we are ideally placed to offer technology-enabled 
ESG advisory and administration services to a 
range of clients, spanning fund managers seeking 
to access ESG capital through to private clients 
and families wishing to invest responsibly and 
with purpose.

What this means for JTC
In response to this global opportunity, we have 
been developing our business organically, creating 
innovative new services, such as JTC Private Office 
and our proprietary Edge client portal for HNW/
UHNW individuals and families. We have also 
been acquiring strategically to ensure that we 
can deliver the right services, in the right places, 
for our diverse range of clients, both existing and 
new. With a record of integrating acquisitions 
successfully,  we  are  quick  to  offer  clients 
seamless services as they expand across multiple 
jurisdictions. We do this not only in established 
markets but also in developing regions, such as 
Asia and Africa.

*Source: PwC Luxembourg

11

competency of the client can be readily separated 

from the associated administration – so funds are a 

particular growth area for us. There are also major 

opportunities in the US, where both institutional 

and private clients have been less inclined to 

outsource, but are now realising the benefits.

What this means for JTC

What this means for JTC

What this means for JTC

To ensure clients continue to turn to us for help 

As outsourcing grows, our main objective is to 

As a professional services company we are now 

dealing with the regulatory burden, we are always 

demonstrate to clients that we have the scale 

both a people-led business and a technology-

expanding and revising the services we provide. 

and capabilities to offer a comprehensive, expert 

enabled business. We continue to attract and 

This is especially important in maintaining our 

service. We’ve built our business on this and will 

retain exceptionally talented individuals, while a 

leading  knowledge  of  the  developing  global 

continue to do so, with highly qualified, experienced 

criteria of our M&A approach is now focused on 

regulatory framework, which brings us multiple 

staff and appropriate investment in technology. 

keeping us at the leading edge of technological 

revenue opportunities while raising the barriers to 

We will always have everything in place to ensure 

developments in our industry. We use technology 

entry for competitors. As a large global operator, 

clients understand that outsourcing to JTC means 

to improve and expand our services, while still 

we are much better equipped than others to 

certainty around costs while increasing accuracy, as 

offering our clients the in-depth expertise only 

help clients comply with the higher standards 

well as freeing resources to focus on core activities.

human insight and relationships can provide. 

demanded by growing regulatory scrutiny. 

In short, we combine the best people with the 

best technology to get the best results.

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54BUSINESS MODEL

JTC IS A LEADING GLOBAL PROVIDER OF FUND, CORPORATE AND PRIVATE CLIENT 
SERVICES TO INSTITUTIONAL AND PRIVATE CLIENTS. WE OPERATE A HIGHLY RESILIENT, 
GROWTH ORIENTATED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS MODEL

Driven  by  our  purpose  –  to  help  maximise 
the potential of every client, colleague and 
partner with whom we work – our business 
model enables us to create value sustainably 
by delivering on our four strategic priorities:

1.  EVERY EMPLOYEE AN  

OWNER OF THE BUSINESS

2.  GROW ORGANICALLY BY 

DELIVERING CLIENT SERVICE 
ExCELLENCE WITHIN 
LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS 

INPUTS

STRENGTHS

OUR PEOPLE
We provide an environment where our people can 
maximise their individual potential and be part 
of creating something meaningful and long lasting

SHARED OWNERSHIP CULTURE
We operate around the simple but effective 
principle that if our people have a stake in the 
business, they will do a better job for our clients 

CLIENTS
We partner with our clients to help them achieve 
their goals and meet their expectations of the 
highest levels of service delivered with integrity, 
energy and dedication

INTERMEDIARIES
We work with intermediaries on common 
clients, becoming a trusted extension of their 
offering and they of ours

M&A OPPORTUNITIES
We provide a home and a platform for growth 
that is compelling across the full range of 
M&A opportunities

GLOBAL PLATFORM

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

FINANCIAL

 – Deep expertise delivered 

 – 33 year track 

 – Experienced and 
entrepreneurial 
leadership team

by highly qualified 
professionals

 – Well balanced between 

our ICS and PCS Divisions

 – 24 offices in 

19 jurisdictions

 – Director-led client service 
teams and high employee 
retention rates
 – Long-term, value-

 – Tech-enabled to deliver 

enhancing relationships

value and drive efficiency

record of growth
 – 8%-10% net organic 
revenue growth pa

 – 33%-38% EBITDA margin
 – 85%-90% cash conversion 
 – Strong balance sheet
 – 23 acquisitions 

announced since 2010

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES EST. 1998

 MAxIMISE 
INDIVIDUAL 
POTENTIAL

12

MERITOCRACY

STAKEHOLDER 
MENTALITY

 COMPANY BEFORE 
INDIVIDUAL

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 20203.  MAKE STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS 

AND INTEGRATE THEM 
SEAMLESSLY SO THAT IN OUR 
WORLD 2+2 = 5

4.  MAINTAIN A WELL-INVESTED, 
SCALABLE AND TECHNOLOGY-
ENABLED GLOBAL PLATFORM 
THAT SUPPORTS CONSISTENT 
GROWTH

CREATING VALUE

OUTPUTS

CREATING VALUE FOR OUR PEOPLE
Outstanding career opportunities, lifelong learning through 
the JTC Academy and support through the JTC Gateway and 
JTC Wellbeing programmes 

OUR PEOPLE
 – JTC Shared Ownership now 
a Harvard Business School 
MBA case study

£200+m of value created for JTC employee owners since 
1998 and over 20% of ISC held by employee owners

DELIVERING VALUE FOR OUR CLIENTS
We deliver sophisticated solutions to our clients and 
become a trusted advisor, helping them to achieve their 
long-term goals

We combine our expertise and experience with an 
entrepreneurial approach to help our clients find the 
best solutions

UNLOCKING VALUE FOR INTERMEDIARIES
As an independent we are free to work with leading providers 
who share a common goal, the best interests of our clients

We offer our intermediary partners peace of mind that 
we will always match their own high standards

CLIENTS
6,000+

clients from over 100 countries

+20%

increase in the annualised value of  
new business won to £17.9m

INTERMEDIARIES

GENERATING VALUE FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS
The combination of consistent organic growth and highly 
visible recurring revenue creates a compounding effect that 
drives the future value of the business 

SHAREHOLDERS
23

acquisitions announced since 2010

We are skilled and disciplined at finding acquisitions that 
complement and expand our core business. We extract value 
through proven integration methods and seamless transfer 
to the JTC platform

COMMUNITIES

We actively engage with key stakeholders, including 
regulators, governments and local communities to share 
our knowledge and expertise for the benefit of all

ENTREPRENEURIAL 
OUTLOOK

WANT TO WIN 
MENTALITY

‘CAN DO’  
ATTITUDE

1,100+

employees and every one an owner

94%+

employee retention

$180bn

Assets under Administration (AuA)

10+

years, average client relationship

140+

 active intermediary partners globally

55%

of new business referred to JTC by 
intermediary partners

25% to 30%

dividend as % of underlying PAT

22.49p

Underlying Basic EPS

£150k+

donated to good causes in 2020

50+

charities supported in more  
than 20 countries

 ‘ABOVE AND 
BEYOND’ 
SERVICE

13

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S REVIEW

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Revenue
In 2020, revenue was £115.1m, an increase of £15.8m 
(15.9%) compared with 2019.

Despite  what  were  undoubtedly  less  conducive 
conditions for new business we delivered net organic 
growth of 7.9% in the year (2019: 8.4%). The average 
organic growth for the last three years was 8.3%. 
The growth in 2020 comprised gross new business 
of 16.7% (2019: 15.4%), inorganic growth of 8.0% 
(2019: 20.1%) and attrition of 8.8% (2019: 7.0%). 
The higher attrition offset the increased gross new 
business and resulted in a reduction in the retention 
of revenues that were not end of life in 2020 to 96.6% 
(2019: 97.4%). In the last three years the average 
retention of not end of life revenues was 97.4%. 

ICS  net  organic  growth  was  6.9%  (2019:  9.4%). 
The  average  for  the  last  three  years  was  9.2%. 
The vast majority of jurisdictions grew in 2020 with 
particularly strong performances in Cayman and the 
UK. Luxembourg and the US institutional businesses 
were hit harder by the macroeconomic environment 
and as a result we saw a reduced flow of new business. 
Attrition  for  the  division  for  the  year  was  8.3% 
(2019: 6.8%). The slightly higher attrition mainly 
occurred in the Netherlands and was in connection 
with the NACT business. This was highlighted in the 
2019 results and is consistent with the customer 
relationship impairment recorded in that period.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

REVENUE (£M)

EBITDA (£M)

EBITDA MARGIN

OPERATING PROFIT/EBIT

PROFIT BEFORE TAx (£M)

EARNINGS PER SHARE (P)**

CASH CONVERSION

NET DEBT (£M)

DIVIDEND PER SHARE (P)

AS REPORTED

UNDERLYING*

2020

115.1

34.9

2019

99.3

33.7

30.3%

34.0%

21.0

11.2

9.02

91%

-76.0

6.75

23.0

17.6

15.43

81%

-66.5

5.3

CHANGE

+15.9%

+3.5%

-3.7pp

-8.4%

-36.3%

2020

115.1

38.7

2019

99.3

35.4

33.6%

35.6%

24.9

21.4

-41.5%

22.49

+10pp

-9.5

+1.45p

91%

-75.8

6.75

24.6

19.7

21.74

89%

-59.3

5.3

CHANGE

+15.9%

+9.4%

-2.0pp

+1.0%

+8.3%

+3.4%

+2pp

-16.5

+1.45p

* 
** 

Reconciliation of performance measures to reported results (see page 19) for further information on underlying results
 Average number of shares for 2020: 116,736,585, 2019: 111,352,868

14

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020PCS  net  organic  growth  was  9.0%  (2019:  7.2%). 
The  average  for  the  last  three  years  was  7.4%. 
We continue to see strong demand for our Private 
Client offering and were pleased at the strong growth 
in Cayman, Guernsey, Jersey, Mauritius and the US. 
Attrition in PCS was 9.4% (2019: 7.4%) and this was 

higher than the prior period due to the reduction in the 
BVI business. This was a result of a conscious decision 
to exit a number of structures.

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

REVENUE BRIDGE (PLC)

Lost

£99.1m

(£0.7m)

(£2.5m)

(£5.1m)

Won

£8.3m

£7.5m

£8.5m

£115.1m

2019 Revenue

JTC decision

Moved service 
provider

End of life/no 
longer required

Net more from
existing clients

New clients

Acquisitions

2020 Revenue

REVENUE BRIDGE (ICS)

Lost

Won

£54.9m

(£0.4m)

(£1.0m)

(£2.8m)

£3.3m

£4.5m

£6.1m

£64.6m

2019 Revenue

JTC decision 

Moved service 
provider

End of life/ no 
longer required

Net more from 
existing clients 

New clients

Acquisitions

2020 Revenue

REVENUE BRIDGE (PCS)

Lost

Won

£44.2m

(£0.3m)

(£1.5m)

(£2.3m)

£5.0m

£3.0m

£2.4m

£50.5m

2019 Revenue

JTC decision 

Moved service 
provider

End of life/no 
longer required

Net more from 
existing clients 

New clients

Acquisitions

2020 Revenue

15

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S REVIEW CONTINUED

ACQUISITIONS

Acquisitions contributed £8.5m of new revenue in the period broken down as follows: 

NESF (Q2 2020)

SANNE (Q3 2020)

ANSON REGISTRARS (Q1 2020) 

ACQUISITIONS < 12 MONTHS

TOTAL

PLC

£5.1m 

£2.4m 

£0.2m 

£0.8m 

£8.5m 

ICS

£5.1m 

– 

£0.2m 

£0.8m 

£6.1m 

PCS

– 

£2.4m 

–

–

£2.4m 

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.

OUR RESULTS DEMONSTRATE OUR 
ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO GROW 
DESPITE A CHALLENGING AND DIFFICULT 
MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.

Employees of JTC Cayman Islands

New Business/Pipeline
During 2020 JTC secured new work with an annual 
value of £17.9m (2019: £14.9m). During the year 
£9.0m of this was recognised. The divisional split of 
new work won was ICS £13.4m (2019: £8.9m) and 
PCS £4.5m (2019: £6.0m). Typically this revenue 
will have an average life-cycle of approximately 10 
years. Whilst new business wins increased there was 
undoubtedly a slowdown in the launch of new funds 
with investors being deterred by the uncertainty 
caused  by  Covid-19  on  the  macroeconomic 
environment. PCS is a business that typically requires 
a high degree of interpersonal contact and travel and 
meeting restrictions undoubtedly had an adverse 
impact on the new business won in 2020. 

The enquiry pipeline increased by £15.1m (49.7%) 
from £30.4m at 31 December 2019 to £45.5m at 
31  December  2020.  The  major  influence  on  the 
increased  pipeline  was  the  acquisition  of  NESF 
which at 31 December 2020 had added £11m to the 
group pipeline. The pipeline has a number of exciting 
prospects and we have in the last twelve months seen 
a trend towards larger opportunities in both Divisions. 
There was a clear slowdown in the launch of new funds 
within ICS and this was reflected above in the lower 
growth, particularly in Luxembourg and the US. 

Underlying EBITDA and Margin Performance
Underlying EBITDA in 2020 was £38.7m, an increase 
of £3.3m (9.4%) from 2019. The underlying EBITDA 
margin for the Group was 33.6% (2019: 35.6%).

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 EBITDA margin has remained within the 
Group’s medium term guidance range of 33-38%. 

16

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020ICS New Business Won 2020

£13.4m

PCS New Business Won 2020

£4.5m

WE CONTINUE TO INVEST  
IN THE BUSINESS AND HAVE  
BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE 
STRONG GROWTH IN NEW 
BUSINESS WINS IN H2 2020  
AND IN THE SIZE OF 
MANDATES BEING WON BY 
BOTH DIVISIONS.

ICS’s underlying EBITDA margin decreased from 33.1% 
in 2019 to 27.9% in 2020. Excluding NESF the EBITDA 
margin for the division was 30.6%. In the first half of 
the year, the ICS margin was 27.1% and in response to 
this we undertook an exercise to review our operating 
processes within the division. Global travel restrictions 
have frustrated the rate of progress that was achieved. 
We identified the areas that required restructuring 
but were reluctant to effect the changes remotely. 
Our colleagues are key to our business and we did 
not want to compromise client service or employee 
welfare in a time of significant global uncertainty. 

As  highlighted  above,  the  ICS  margin  was  also 
adversely impacted by the acquisition of NESF in 
April 2020. We were conscious that this acquisition 
would initially be margin dilutive. We believe that 
there is a strong growth outlook for the US fund 
administration market. Unfortunately the anticipated 
growth was not evidenced in 2020 due to the Covid-19 
impact as well as the weakness in the NESF billing 
model. The reduction in interest rates in the US had 
an immediate and material impact on US revenues 
and EBITDA. We have subsequently restructured 
the business in line with current revenues albeit the 
current EBITDA margin is still dilutive to the division. 
We remain confident about the growth opportunity 
and the medium-term prospects for ICS in the US. 

PCS’s  underlying  EBITDA  margin  improved  from 
38.8% to 41.0% in the year. This was driven by the 
highly efficient operational model and the talent 
within the division. We continue to take advantage 
of the operational leverage we have built into the 
business and to identify additional service offerings. 
The acquisition of the Sanne Private Client business in 
July 2020 was a case in point, and we have integrated 
it seamlessly into our business with no adverse impact 
on the divisional margin.

We saw an increase in credit impairment losses in the 
year but believe this to be unique to the financial year 
and economic conditions. We also saw an increase 
in a number of indirect costs which the business has 
had to absorb. 

We continue to invest in the business and have been 
encouraged by the strong growth in new business wins 
in H2 2020 and in the size of mandates being won by 
both Divisions.

Depreciation and Amortisation
The depreciation charge increased to £5.9m in 2020 from 
£4.6m in 2019. £1.0m of this increase was as a result of an 
increased charge for right-of-use assets. This reflects the 
increased footprint of the business in the US and Ireland. 

The Group has £228.7m (2019: £172.9m) of balance 
sheet assets consisting of goodwill (2020: £173.8m, 
2019: £124.9m), customer relationships (2020: £50.2m, 
2019: £46.7m) and software (2020: £4.0m, 2019: £1.2m). 
The  increases  in  the  year  were  as  a  result  of  the 
acquisitions that we made. We regularly test these 
assets for impairment and monitor the recoverability 
of the carrying amounts. There were no impairments 
required in the year. 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.

The acquisition of NESF brought us in-house technology 
capabilities. We are in the process of standardising 
processes where possible and intend in time to use 
technology to automate many of these. There will be 
a commensurate investment in the business that we 
believe will ultimately deliver additional revenues and 
increase operational efficiency. To date we have not 
capitalised any costs in this regard.

Statutory Operating Profit
The Group recognises that statutory operating profit 
is a more commonly accepted reporting metric and 
hence shows these results for the benefit of external 
stakeholders. 

Statutory  operating  profit  is  impacted  by  non-
underlying  costs  which  are  higher  than  2019, 
primarily as a result of the requirement to revalue 
the equity settled financial liability in relation to the 
contingent consideration for the NESF acquisition. 
When we agreed to purchase NESF we ensured that 
there was a two year capped earn-out and that all 
future contingent consideration would be settled in 
JTC equity. The variable number of shares offered 
for the earn-out was driven by a £4.23 share price. 
This ensured that all parties interests were absolutely 
aligned to focus on creating shareholder value. 

As the earn-out arrangement includes a variable 
number of shares the contingent consideration is 
classified as a financial liability, in accordance with 
accounting  standards,  and  is  required  to  be  re-
measured to fair value at each reporting period end 
with the change recognised in the income statement. 
We are also required to estimate the value of the earn-
out at each reporting period end. 

We estimated the earn-out value at acquisition and 
the commensurate number of shares and we have not 
had cause to change these estimates. However, the 
improvement in the JTC share price since the date of 

17

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S REVIEW CONTINUED

Reported profit before tax

£11.2m

Underlying profit before tax

£21.4m

18

balance sheet. The Group continuously reviews its 
transfer pricing policy and updates this to reflect 
the evolving nature of the business and the way it 
operates. The policy continues to be fully compliant 
with OECD guidelines. 

Underlying Earnings per Share
Underlying basic EPS increased by 3.4% and was 
22.49p (2019: 21.74). 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. 

Cash flow and Debt
Cash generated from underlying operating activities 
was £35.3m (2019: £31.3m) and the underlying cash 
conversion was 91% (2019: 89%). This is consistent 
with our market guidance and reflects the highly cash 
generative nature of the business. 

Net debt at the period end was £76.0m compared 
with £66.5m at 31 December 2019. The underlying net 
debt of £75.8m (2019: £59.3m) excludes regulatory 
capital (which is not included for banking covenant 
testing). Underlying leverage is therefore 2.0 times 
underlying EBITDA (2019: 1.7 times). At 31 December 
2020 the bank covenant test for leverage was 3.25 
times pro-forma EBITDA. The covenant test moves to 
3.0 times pro-forma EBITDA on 31 March 2021 and 
remains at this level until the expiry of the facility. 

Our banking facility was increased by £50.0m to 
£150m on 9 January 2020 giving a total undrawn 
facility balance at 31 December 2020 of £44.4m. 
The facilities expire on 8 March 2023.

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM,
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

the acquisition has ultimately resulted in an increase 
of the fair value of the contingent consideration and 
a subsequent charge of £6.5m has been recognised in 
the income statement. It should be noted that there 
is neither a trading nor cash impact of this charge and 
hence it is treated as non-underlying. We will continue 
to  account  for  the  fair  value  component  of  the 
contingent consideration in this way until the earn-
out is determined and the equity obligation is settled.

Acquisition and integration costs were higher than in 
2019, because of the increased volume and complexity 
of the transactions undertaken. Details of these non-
underlying costs are set out below. 

Non-underlying Items
Non-underlying items incurred in the period totalled 
£10.1m (2019: £2.1m). These comprised the following:

 – £6.5m loss on revaluation of contingent 

consideration (2019: nil)

 – £3.3m of acquisition and integration costs  

(2019: £2.0m) 

 – £0.3m other costs/charges (2019: £0.4m credit)
 – £nil impairment of customer relationship 

intangible asset (2019: £0.5m)

Of the £10.1m (2019: £2.1m) of non-underlying costs, 
£3.8m (2019: £1.7m) are incurred at EBITDA level 
and £6.3m (2019: £0.4m) are included within other 
gains and losses. 

Acquisition and integration costs reflect costs incurred 
on the completed acquisitions as well as transactions 
which are ongoing or did not complete.

Profit Before Tax
The reported profit before tax for the period ended 
31 December 2020 was £11.2m (2019: £17.6m). 

Adjusting for non-underlying items the underlying 
profit before tax for 2020 was £21.4m (2019: £19.7m). 
The improvement reflects the growth in revenues 
although the margin decreased in the period. However, 
the relative profitability was positively impacted by a 
£0.8m foreign exchange gain (2019: £1.2m loss). This is 
due to the translation of substantial US dollar and Euro 
monetary balance sheet items held at the year end. 
The gain reduced during the course of the year – it 
was £2.2m at mid-year and reflects the impact of 
the continued strengthening of GBP sterling in H2.

Finance  costs  in  the  year  comprise  £1.6m  of 
amortisation/non-cash flow items (2019: £1.6m) and 
£2.8m of costs which impact cash flow (2019: £2.4m). 

Tax
The tax charge in the year was £0.7m (2019: £0.5m). 
The cash tax charge is £1.8m (2019: £1.2m) but this 
is reduced by significant deferred tax credits of £1.1m 
(2019: £0.8m) as a result of the movements in relation 
to the value of customer relationships held on the 

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020APPENDIX: RECONCILIATION OF REPORTED RESULTS TO APMs

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 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. Where applicable, any 
prior period APMs have been restated to include the 
impact of IFRS 16 in order to provide an appropriate 
comparison to the current year performance.

1. EBITDA

REPORTED EBITDA

NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS

CAPITAL DISTRIBUTION FROM EBT

ACQUISITION AND INTEGRATION COSTS

OTHER COSTS

UNDERLYING EBITDA

2. CASH CONVERSION

NET CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

NON-UNDERLYING CASH ITEMS

TAxES PAID

ACQUISITION NORMALISATION(*)

UNDERLYING CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

UNDERLYING EBITDA

UNDERLYING CASH CONVERSION

2020
£M

34.9

-

3.2

0.6 

38.7

2020
£M

27.6

6.3

1.4

35.3

–

35.3

38.7

91%

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

3. NET DEBT/LEVERAGE

CASH BALANCES

BANK DEBT

OTHER DEBT

CASH HELD ON BEHALF OF JTC EBT

ADVANCE NESF DEAL FUNDING

NET DEBT – UNDERLYING

UNDERLYING EBITDA

LEVERAGE

2020
£M

31.1

-104.4

-2.5

–

–

-75.8

38.7

1.96

2019
£M

33.7

-0.4

2.0

0.1 

35.4

2019
£M

21.6

5.1

2.0

28.7

2.6

31.3

35.4

89%

2019
£M

26.3

-86.7

-0.5

-2.6

4.2

-59.3

35.4

1.68

19

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES

INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES

JON JENNINGS,
GROUP HEAD OF INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES

ICS has had a year of strong growth momentum, with 
strategically important acquisitions, and some of our 
largest ever new-business wins. It has also been a year 
of change, where we have reviewed the positioning 
and  go-to-market  strategies  for  both  fund  and 
corporate services as well as implementing a revised 
operating model for our global funds practice.

Revenue grew 17.8% to £64.6m, with organic growth of 
6.9% and record new business wins with an annualised 
value of £13.4m. There was a small decrease in underlying 
EBITDA of 0.8% to £18.0m and the underlying EBITDA 
margin fell 5.2pp to 27.9%, although when excluding 
NESF, which faced particular headwinds due to Covid-19, 
the underlying margin was 30.6%. We continue to 
focus on bringing the margin back within our guidance 
range of 33%-38% and are confident that the hard 
work undertaken, much of it behind the scenes, will 
ensure that performance improves over the near-term 
and is sustainable. 

We have expanded materially through acquiring the 
fund services business, NESF, in the US and the RBC 
CEES business, which provides us with a leading position 
in the corporate and employee services market and 
brings with it a blue-chip global client base. In addition 
we were delighted to announce, post period end, the 

20

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Highlights
 – Substantial new mandate wins 
include Brooks Macdonald 
International 

 – Internal operational restructuring 

of the fund services practice
 – NESF acquisition brings an 

entry to the important US fund 
services market

 – Strong growth prospects from the 
RBC CEES and INDOS acquisitions

Revenue (£m)
+17.8%

EBITDA (£m)
-0.8%

64.6

18.1

18.0

54.8

2019

2020

2019

2020

LVW* (£m)
+50.9%

EBITDA margin 
(%) -5.2pp

129.8

33.1

27.9

86

2019

2020

2019

2020

*Lifetime Value Won (LVW) is 10 times annualised 
value of work won minus value of attrition in past year.

acquisition of INDOS, which will add a sophisticated 
suite of Depositary, AML and ESG services to our offering 
and increases our footprint in both the UK and Ireland. 

The Division encompasses both fund and corporate 
services and I believe that there is an opportunity 
to position these in an increasingly distinct way. 
The corporate services business is well-established 
and runs on a traditional, professional-services 
business model. The same team looks after all of a 
specific client’s needs, and this works well. On the 
fund administration side of our business, I believe we 
can perform more effectively for our clients and also 
more efficiently. 

CLIENTS CHOOSE US FOR OUR ABILITY 
TO DELIVER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS 
AND THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SERVICE. 
WE HAVE EXPERTISE ACROSS THE FULL 
SPECTRUM OF FUND AND CORPORATE 
SERVICES AND APPROACH CLIENT 
RELATIONSHIPS AS A LONG-TERM 
COLLABORATION. IN ADDITION, 
TECHNOLOGY IS IMPROVING 
THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR CORE 
ADMINISTRATION SERVICES, ALLOWING 
US EVEN MORE CAPACITY TO SERVE 
OUR CLIENTS’ STRATEGIC NEEDS

Fund Services Operational Improvements 
A thorough review of our funds practice confirmed that 
while we have a reputation for service excellence and 
continue to win substantial new business, this top line 
growth is not carrying through to the expected margin 
performance. This is due to the emergence over time of 
a service delivery model where different components 
of a client mandate are delivered by separate specialist 
teams. While this might, on the face of it, have logical 
appeal, what we know from the corporate and private 
client parts of the business is that a client focused 
model is ultimately more efficient and will deliver 
service levels that are at least as good, if not superior. 

To make this change in the fund services practice we 
restructured the teams in six locations (Luxembourg, 
London, Jersey, Guernsey, Cayman and South Africa) 
to create more than ten pan-jurisdictional teams, 
each led by a specific client director and with each 
team providing end-to-end service for a defined book 
of clients. This revised operating model means that 
each team is now 100% focused on delivering first-
class service to their clients from start to finish and 
the teams are able to grow and adapt alongside their 
clients over time. 

With a change of this type, involving many people 
in several locations, we would normally allow for a 
substantial amount of face-to-face engagement to 
support the change management programme. However, 
when it became clear in the second quarter that this 
would not be possible due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, 
we devised and implemented a virtual programme. 
I am extremely grateful to everyone involved for their 
energy and commitment in making the transition to 
the new model under such challenging conditions. 

Of course the key throughout all of this was to maintain 
the highest levels of client service and appropriate 
resource was allocated to ensure this. As a result, we 
only expect to see the benefits of our changes start 
to come through to the bottom line in the second half 
of 2021 and beyond. 

In addition to improving margins and further enhancing 
the client experience, these changes will also improve 
the working experience for our people. For example in 
our South African office, where many of the service 
specific teams have traditionally been located, our 
people can now feel part of the wider team and play 
a greater role in understanding and responding to each 
client’s specific needs. 

Transfer Agency Services
Continuing the theme of having the right people doing 
the right things in the right places, we understand 
that certain functions are best carried out closer to 

21

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES CONTINUED

our clients. One such operation is the day-to-day 
trading of funds. Therefore we have created a best-
in-class function in the UK to handle certain things 
we previously managed in multiple locations – our 
Transfer Agency (TA) service. 

Our newly configured TA centre of excellence has 
been able to seamlessly scale from supporting 500 
underlying investors to more than 13,000 in less than 
12 months. You can read more about the detail behind 
this initiative in the case study opposite. 

Strategic Entry into the US Market
The acquisition of NESF marks an important strategic 
step for the Division, providing our first material 
entry into the important US fund services market. 
The growth potential of the US fund services sector is 
well-known, predicated on overall scale, the increasing 
allocation of capital to alternative asset classes and a 
growing propensity for fund managers to outsource 
administration and related services, a practice that 
has so far lagged the European market. 

NESF also brings us a very capable and experienced 
team and leading technology capabilities that we are 
starting to apply in other jurisdictions. In the near-term, 
financial performance will continue to be impacted by 
Covid-19 effects, which have slowed the rate of new 
fund launches and associated AuM growth. However, 
we have taken the opportunity to adjust the NESF 
pricing model to service-based fees, which will deliver 
real benefits over the long-term. 

The team has integrated well into our growing global 
funds platform and is looking ahead with enthusiasm to 
securing new, larger markets in the US and leveraging 
the full support of JTC’s global footprint. 

Corporate Services
This part of the business has delivered strong and 
consistent performance for many years, but perhaps 
without the commensurate visibility – a hidden gem, 
if you will. We are now working to very deliberately 
raise the profile of this service line over the coming 
years. One way to build greater scale and depth is by 
acquisition and towards the end of the year, we were 
delighted to announce the acquisition of RBC CEES, a 

market-leading provider of employee benefit solutions 
to major corporate clients. This is a substantial business 
that brings with it an expansion of service lines we 
have offered for many years and which also represent a 
positive and natural fit with our own shared-ownership 
culture. In addition, it adds a very well-respected team 
and a complementary marketing network. 

From an integration perspective, we have a strong 
record of transferring bank carve-outs to the JTC 
platform, and expect to have the business operating 
at our target margins in the medium-term.

Outlook
Some of our best recent performance has come from 
winning complex mandates from large asset managers. 
Despite Covid-19 restrictions, we have been able to 
intelligently navigate extensive tender processes and 
help clients to identify exactly what it is they wish 
to outsource. In doing so, we have demonstrated our 
ability to act more as a partner and an advisor than 
just a simple outsourced administrator and this trend 
is one we expect to see continue. 

The restructuring of our funds practice shows that we 
are prepared to make difficult changes, even in difficult 
times, but the creation of a client focused operating 
model, along with specific service line enhancements, 
such as our TA centre of excellence, places us in a 
stronger position than ever to win more high quality 
work and to service that work at our target margins. 

Longer-term, technology improvements will put us 
in a position to absorb additional revenue without 
having to materially increase staffing levels even as we 
continue to win substantial amounts of new business. 

The acquisition of INDOS provided the perfect start to 
2021 and, for ICS overall, I expect to see continued strong, 
organic growth and further acquisition opportunities 
in a number of jurisdictions and broad potential to add 
additional breadth and depth to our service offering. 

JON JENNINGS,
GROUP HEAD OF 
INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES

Revenue

£64.6m

Underlying EBITDA

£18.0m

22

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CASE STUDY – CREATING A TRANSFER AGENCY  
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

We identified a gap in the market for a high touch, 
bespoke Transfer Agency (TA) service that could 
deliver a differentiated level of client service, allowing 
us  to  take  market  share  from  large,  established 
providers. In doing so, JTC worked alongside a key 
vendor to develop a sophisticated system designed 
specifically for Transfer Agency and open ended funds; 
this investment created a technologically resilient 
system that is adaptable to regulatory change. 

Our strategy has been to leverage this technology 
and create a TA centre of excellence in London where 
specialist knowledge and experience is available. 
By recruiting experts with practical knowledge and 
experience we have been able to create a best-in-
class service proposition governed by a robust control 
environment and which adheres to jurisdictional 
specific regulations. 

The key to our success has always been that we 
put relationships first and focus on creating a true 
partnership with our clients. This is achieved by 
being visible, regular communication and taking 
a  proactive  approach.  This  includes  identifying 
upcoming regulatory change and also enhancing 
our systems to increase automation and leverage 
efficiencies in order to reduce manual intervention. 
Not only does this allow us to become more efficient, 
it increases accuracy which in turn builds confidence 

and ensures that existing clients entrust us with more 
opportunities as they arise and also provide very 
positive references for prospective clients. 

JTC’s TA service has grown significantly throughout 
the pandemic, enabled and supported by a number 
of substantial new client wins, including the Brooks 
Macdonald International mandate. The entire lifecycle 
– from the initial pitch through to team recruitment 
and the very successful migration of work to JTC on 
an outsourced basis – was all achieved under working 
from home conditions. 

JTC’s growth in this space can also be attributed to 
our ability to provide a ‘full service suite’ – offering 
everything from management of post through to 
fund accounting and providing company secretarial 
services. This means that clients can have one point of 
contact for all their TA-related administrative needs. 

Our growth journey in this space has been fast, 
innovative and organic and has enabled us to create 
an offering that sets us apart. The approach taken is 
deliberate and considered, with a focus on providing 
the best service offering coupled with competitive fees. 
We look forward to further growth and development 
whilst also maintaining impeccable client experience 
and ensuring a consistent and stable service. 

23

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

IAIN JOHNS,
GROUP HEAD OF PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

The  PCS  Division  had  an  outstanding  year  and 
continues to perform well. In service, efficiency and 
client feedback, we are meeting all our targets and 
levels of expectation. Dealing with private clients and 
families, ours is naturally a people-based business. 
This year, when the modifications and rigours of 
dealing with the pandemic have tested us, I think we 
have shown we really are an extension of our private 
clients’ lives.

The PCS Division achieved growth in revenue of 
13.7% to £50.5m, growth in underlying EBITDA of 
20.2% to £20.7m and an underlying EBITDA margin 
improvement of 2.2pp to 41.0%. Net organic revenue 
growth was particularly strong at 9.0% driven by the 
expected increase in activity from existing clients 
and  our  ability  to  grow  relationships  over  time. 
The annualised value of new business won was £4.5m, 
a reduction of the £6.0m won in 2019, reflecting the 
impact of Covid-19 travel restrictions on face-to-face 
business development work. 

This year, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, our clients 
have wanted support, reassurance and options to 
make sure their affairs are in order and that the impact 

24

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Highlights
 – Acquisition and full integration of the 

Sanne Private Clients business
 – Development and growth of JTC 

Private Office as client numbers rise

 – Growing technological capability 

bringing enhancements to Edge portal

 – Efficiency improvements as global, 

regional model beds in

Revenue (£m)
+13.7%

EBITDA (£m)
+20.2%

50.5

20.7

44.5

17.2

2019

2020

2019

2020

EBITDA margin 
(%)
+2.2pp

41.0

38.8

LVW* (£m)
-29.5%

58.0

40.9

of the pandemic will be minimal. In doing this, we 
have both verified and deepened the strength of 
our personal, long-standing relationships with our 
clients, even when forced to work remotely. Covid-19 
has  actually  demonstrated  the  resilience  of  our 
business. Our people rose to the challenge, and our 
clients received the same sensitive and empathetic 
experience as before.

I CAN SEE SEVERAL ROUTES TO 
CONTINUED GROWTH IN THE WAY THE 
MARKET IS DEVELOPING. A BROADER 
SERVICE SUITE, SUPPORTED BY LEADING 
TECHNOLOGY, WILL HELP ENSURE OUR 
CLIENTS’ EXPERIENCES ARE BEST-IN-
CLASS. IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE ARE 
SEEING FAR MORE INTEREST FROM LARGE 
GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS, WHICH SEE US 
AS A PARTNER OF CHOICE IN A PRIVATE-
CLIENT ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE ALSO 
DEVELOPED OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION 
FOR GEOGRAPHICAL GROWTH, BOTH 
ORGANIC AND INORGANIC. OUR AIM IS 
TO REMAIN THE PRE-EMINENT PRIVATE 
CLIENT BUSINESS IN OUR MARKET

Given the circumstance, we might have expected 
a  slowdown  in  levels  of  new-business  activity, 
particularly as so much of the development of new 
business is conducted in person. But like-for-like 
comparisons show there was no drop off. Clients have 
been rebalancing their portfolios in different ways in 
response to the pandemic, restructuring their affairs, 
and in the circumstances, found it wise to revisit their 
succession planning.

2019

2020

2019

2020

*Lifetime Value Won (LVW) is 10 times annualised value 
of work won minus value of attrition in past year.

Having used our proprietary Jurisdictional Strength 
Index  as  an  internal  tool  for  monitoring  and 
improving performance, this year we have grouped 

jurisdictions logically to create regional heads across 
the world. This recognises the growth in the Division. 
Now regional heads in the Americas, Caribbean, 
Europe and the Channel Islands, Middle East, Africa 
and Asia, are able to focus their time specifically on 
developing new business from those regions, as well 
as expanding our service capabilities there. 

I  see  strong  growth  potential  across  all  of  our 
regions. The ‘heat maps’ on the next page show 
where wealth is growing and where JTC already 
has a strong market presence. This provides us with 
some strategic direction for geographical growth. 
In particular, I believe there is high growth potential, 
both organic and inorganic, for JTC in the US and 
good growth potential in other markets such as the 
Middle East and Asia. 

The  JTC  Private  Office  proposition  goes  from 
strength to strength, helping us attract and develop 
clients who entrust JTC with substantial mandates. 
The number of clients paying more than £100k in 
fees annually rose by 25% during the year. With the 
addition of NESF to the Group, we plan to use the 
technology capabilities available to us to improve the 
Private Office proposition further, principally through 
enhancements to our Edge client portal. Clients’ 
adoption of technology has accelerated in recent 
years. While we’re ahead of the market generally, we 
are now focusing on continuing our advances in this 
area and finding and investing in the best solutions 
for clients. We will always look to innovate to make 
sure our clients’ experiences are the best possible.

For the same reason, we are broadening and deepening 
our service suite so we are able to offer more to 
new and existing clients. We aim to bring what are 
currently ‘first-cousin’ services in house. These include 
treasury, banking, Fx, custody and tax compliance.

25

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES CONTINUED

JTC’S GLOBAL CLIENT BASE

 Very high 

 High 

 Medium-high 

 Medium 

 Medium-low 

 Low

US

Cayman Islands

Mexico

BVI

UK

Monaco
Spain

Brazil

Egypt

Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates

Kenya

India

China

Hong Kong

Chile

Argentina

South Africa

OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH

 Very high 

 High 

 Medium-high 

 Medium 

 Medium-low 

 Low

US

Cayman Islands

Mexico

BVI

UK

Monaco
Spain

Brazil

Egypt

Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates

Kenya

India

China

Hong Kong

Chile

Argentina

South Africa

26

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020UK

Monaco

Spain

Brazil

UK

Monaco

Spain

Brazil

US

Cayman Islands

Mexico

BVI

Egypt

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Kenya

United Arab Emirates

India

China

Hong Kong

Chile

Argentina

South Africa

US

Cayman Islands

Mexico

BVI

Egypt

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

India

Kenya

United Arab Emirates

China

Hong Kong

Chile

Argentina

South Africa

Resilience

Despite the challenges Covid-19 has presented, the 
number of UHNWIs is on the rise. The Knight Frank 
Wealth Report quotes that the UHNWI population 
grew by 2.4% in 2020, and while this is roughly a 
third of the growth rate of 2019, it demonstrates 
the  resilience  of  the  wealth  market,  even  in 
unprecedented times. 

(Knight Frank’s UHNWI definition is wealth greater 
than $30m USD)

This resilience has also been demonstrated in our 
business. With net organic growth of 9.0% in 2020 
it is clear that JTC’s Private Client Services division is 
growing its market share.

UHNWI population  
growth 2020

+2.4%

Net organic growth

9.0%

In July 2020, we completed the acquisition of the Sanne 
Private Clients business. We have thus welcomed to 
our platform a strong group of practitioners who are 
thriving and for whom integration is now complete. 
Despite managing this during the pandemic, nothing 
slowed the momentum of our business. We have 
also welcomed their clients, who will benefit from 
the additional services and private-client focus JTC 
offers, and particularly from the treasury services 
proposition we acquired when we purchased the 
Minerva business in 2018. 

Ultimately, we want to be better than the market 
and different to the rest of the market. As well as 
serving clients and their families directly, we aim to 
be partners of choice for large global institutions in 
a private-client environment, and these organisations 
increasingly perceive us as such. In this way, we are 
widening our client base to the many individuals and 
families who are private clients of these large, highly 
respected institutions.

IAIN JOHNS,
GROUP HEAD OF PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

Africa is the region expected to see the second highest 
growth rates with a prediction of 33%. While this also 
presents a good opportunity for JTC, it’s important to 
note that Africa’s growth is coming from a small base 
of just 3.2k UHNWIs in the region in 2020. 

Number of UHNWIs in 
America (2020)

190,000

Europe may have smaller growth predicted (23% in 
the next five years), but it remains an important region 
with the second largest number of UHNWIs (151k). 
The Middle East is predicted to grow by 25%, with 
Turkey leading the increase in this region. 

Billionaires in China as 
percentage of global total

36%

Predicted growth in the 
Middle East

The regional model we have established in JTC’s 
Private Client Services division is positioned well to 
take advantage of these growth opportunities.

25%+

Opportunity for Growth

As well as looking to increase market share, the private 
client market is growing around the world. In its 2021 
Wealth Report, Knight Frank has predicted a 27% rise in 
the UHNWI global population over the next five years. 

Knight Frank is clear that ‘the US is, and will remain, the 
world’s dominant wealth hub’ over the next five years. 
We agree with this and are therefore building a strategy 
to increase our presence in the US, including providing a 
domestic US offering. While growth is predicted below 
the global average (at 24%), North America has the 
highest number of UHNWIs in the world (190k in 2020). 
The heat maps show that we are currently light in this 
market, which represents a huge opportunity for JTC.

Asia  is  leading  the  predicted  growth  charts. 
According to the Wealth Report, Knight Frank is 
predicting a 39% increase in UHNWIs over the next 
five years, versus the 27% global average. In 2020, 
there was a 12% increase, despite the global pandemic. 
Asia has the third largest population of UHNWIs 
(116k in 2020) and already has more billionaires than 
anywhere else in the world (36% of the global total). 
Again this growth prediction fits with what we expect, 
and we recognise that Asia could also present some 
big opportunities for JTC. 

27

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54INORGANIC GROWTH STRATEGY

INORGANIC GROWTH STRATEGY

A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF 
COMPOUNDING FOR SUSTAINABLE 
LONG-TERM GROWTH 

The foundation of our business will always be organic 
growth from new and existing clients and JTC grew 
through purely organic means for its first 20 years. 
However, we were quick to recognise changes in the 
market and demand from clients for a global offering 
delivered from a stable and sophisticated platform. 
Since 2010 we have announced 23 acquisitions and 
in doing so have refined and perfected our approach 
– from target identification to seamless integration. 

Fundamentally, we look to do deals that make JTC a 
better business for the long-term and our disciplined 
inorganic growth strategy is driven by the interplay 
of three components. 

Jurisdictional  Strength  Index  (JSI)  –  this  is  a 
proprietary system that grades both the current JTC 
internal strength and overall market attractiveness 
of a given jurisdiction. While the precise criteria are 
commercially confidential, we apply them when 
evaluating acquisition opportunities and especially 
where we believe that a deal may deliver a material 
increase to our JSI score in a priority jurisdiction. 
The  NESF  acquisition  is  a  good  example  of  this, 
providing an entry into the high-growth US fund 
services market. 

Core Acquisition Criteria – these are primarily 
concerned with how value will be added or created 
through each transaction. As well as straightforward 
increases in scale, we seek to strengthen our offering 
in terms of services, people, technology and processes; 
to create cross-selling opportunities between our 
Divisions and service lines and where applicable, to 
deliver cost synergies. The acquisitions of the Sanne 
Private Clients business in Jersey and the RBC CEES 
business met all of these criteria, albeit at different 
scales, and the RBC CEES acquisition is particularly 
exciting in terms of expanding our service offering 
and creating wide-ranging cross-selling opportunities.

Medium-term Focus – at a given moment in time, 
we will be particularly focussed on developing certain 
parts of the business, either in response to client 
demand or as part of delivering our longer-term 
strategy in an incremental manner. Our medium-term 
focus criteria help us to prioritise the high volume 
of M&A opportunities that we see and ensure we 
maintain our disciplined approach. 

28

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020ACQUISITION STRATEGY

JURISDICTIONAL STRENGTH INDEx (JSI)

JTC propriety system. Ratings based on:

 – Current JTC strength in a given jurisdiction
 –  Overall market attractiveness of 

that jurisdiction 

 –  JSI scores further weight core criteria 

and current focus scores 

 –  JSI for acquisitions is dovetailed with 

organic growth initiatives and ongoing 
investment in our global platform

CORE ACQUISITION CRITERIA

 – Add scale or open a new territory 
 –  Strengthen our offering (services, 
people, technology, processes)
 – Create cross-selling opportunities
 – Deliver cost synergy opportunities 

MEDIUM-TERM FOCUS

 – ICS with emphasis on alternative assets 
 – Mainland US (ICS and PCS)
 – Luxembourg, UK and Ireland
 – First cousin services 

JTC ACQUISITION PIPELINE FEATURES
–  Visibility of most deals in the sector
–  c.25 active/potential at any time 
–  Disciplined approach – we know 

when to say no

Sanne’s private client business in Jersey. An experienced 
team and high quality book of clients that was able to 
seamlessly integrate into our market-leading PCS platform. 

Announced:

16 March 2020

A technology-enabled fund services business with a highly 
experienced management team. Provides an entry point 
to the important, high growth US fund services market. 

Announced:

2 April 2020

A market-leading provider of employee benefit solutions to 
a blue-chip corporate client base. The RBC CEES business 
aligns completely with our shared ownership credentials. 

Announced:

10 December 2020

A provider of sophisticated Depositary, AML and ESG 
services with offices in the UK and Ireland. 

Announced:

15 February 2021

29

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54INORGANIC GROWTH STRATEGY CONTINUED

INTEGRATION EXPERTISE

WENDY HOLLEY
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Our disciplined inorganic growth strategy ensures 
that we select the right acquisition targets, but the 
hard work does not end there. The ability to efficiently 
and effectively integrate an acquired business onto 
the JTC platform and – even more crucially – into 
the  JTC  culture  is  now  a  core  capability  of  the 
Group. We believe that our approach and experience 
differentiates us in a rapidly consolidating sector that 
still comprises over 2,200 trust, corporate service and 
fund administration providers in the UK and Europe 
and at least 1,000 more in the US. 

Our approach has been developed over more than a 
decade and leverages three of JTC’s greatest strengths; 
shared ownership, operational excellence and an 
entrepreneurial approach. 

OUR APPROACH TO INTEGRATION SITS 
AT THE HEART OF CAPTURING VALUE 
FROM ACQUISITIONS AND WE PLACE A 
PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON WELCOMING 
PEOPLE TO OUR UNIQUE CULTURE

Shared Ownership – ultimately we are one JTC 
and every JTC person is an owner of the business. 
This ‘stakeholder mentality’ guides our approach to 
integration and means that we start with people (our 
new colleagues and clients) as the most important 
element of each integration programme. Our shared 
ownership culture also encourages a holistic approach 
to overcoming any obstacles and a focus on the long-
term benefits that each acquisition will bring to the 
Group.  Shared  ownership  and  our  compounding 
acquisition strategy go hand in hand as it is through 
the retention of talented people that we ensure service 
excellence and through the retention of our clients 
over relationships lasting an average of 10 years or 
more that we build value in the business. 

Operational Excellence – while both the ICS and 
PCS Divisions have specific operational teams that 
support the delivery of client service excellence, 
the centralised Group functions (Human Resources, 
Information Technology, Risk & Compliance, Legal, 
Business Development & Marketing, Commercial, 
Finance, Company Secretarial and Premises) ensure 
a consistent and efficient approach across our global 
platform. All acquisitions are made with integration 
capacity a key consideration so that the central teams 
are able to provide the necessary bandwidth to manage 
and absorb the workload associated with acquisitions 

30

Employees welcomed in 2020

260+

Clients welcomed in 2020

900+

without impacting the focus or productivity of the fee 
earning Divisions. The longevity of leadership in these 
teams also provides deep organisational knowledge, 
with our heads of operational functions having an 
average tenure of 9 years.

Entrepreneurial Approach – a favourite phrase 
at JTC is that ‘two plus two must equal five’ when 
it comes to acquisitions. Taking an entrepreneurial 
approach to our work is one of JTC’s eight guiding 
principles  and  its  application  to  integration 
programmes is vital to ensure that the potential 
value of each and every deal is fully realised over 
time. To further support this approach, in 2020 we 
strengthened our Commercial Office team, with a 
specific focus on rapidly identifying value creation 
and synergy opportunities for each acquisition and 
tracking these through to delivery.

Bringing it all Together – the illustration opposite 
shows an example integration timeline. Each acquisition 
is unique and this framework is tailored to take account 
of the characteristics of each business we acquire. 

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020ExAMPLE INTEGRATION TIMELINE

Management 
team event

‘All hands’ 
session

Legal completion

Individual teams sessions

Initial 
engagement

RNS/Market 
announcement

Steerco approval to 
programme runway

Integration 
completion 

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

FULL INTEGRATION PROGRAMME ACROSS ALL OPERATIONAL WORKSTREAMS

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

PRIORITISATION & ExECUTION PERIOD

PHASE 1  ACTIVITIES 
 – Set & agree directional strategy
 – Define top level JTC leadership 
 – Agree integration guiding principles
 – Confirm financial goals/expectations for 

PHASE 2  ACTIVITIES

 – Complete all integration 
workstream workshops

 –  Prepare workstream charters, priorities and  

key decisions

period of plan

 – Develop and implement change of control  

 – Define integration programme structure
 – Establish and launch 

workstreams & workshops

 – Mobilise any quick wins and launch comms 
 – Prepare high-level integration roadmap
 – Plan and manage any culture transition

priorities 

 – Identify early integration & business risks 
 – Set-up synergy tracking
 – Analyse and define operating model
 – Assess gaps, impacts and interdependencies
 – Plan and manage client & 
employee experience 

PHASE 3  ACTIVITIES

 – Update integration roadmap
 – Kick off full execution phase
 – Define and implement readiness  

assessment programme

 – Deploy client & employee programmes
 – Build integrated environment
 – Prepare integration events plan and logistics 
 – Execute integration event(s) 
 – Conduct synergy tracking
 – Embed culture and employee ownership
 – Transition to business as usual

31

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54Definition
Revenue of the business excluding 
items considered non-recurring 
or not of an operational nature 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.

Definition
Underlying EBITDA margin of 
the business excluding items 
considered not of an operational 
nature 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.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
THE JTC BOARD USES THE FOLLOWING KPIs  
TO MEASURE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE GROUP

FINANCIAL

REVENUE

UNDERLYING EBITDA MARGIN

UNDERLYING CASH CONVERSION LEVERAGE

NEW BUSINESS WINS

CLIENT ATTRITION

STAFF TURNOVER

SHARED OWNERSHIP

Description
Revenue generated based 
upon work done.

Description
The EBITDA margin of the 
underlying business.

Description
Our success in turning profits 
into cash.

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

Description
The relative amount of  
third party debt we have  
in the business.

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

Description

Description

Description

Description

The annualised value of new 

The amount of business that  

The number of staff who leave 

How many of our 

business won (AVNBW) each year.

we lose each year.

each year that we did not want 

permanent employees  

Annualised value of new work 

Work lost that was regretted.

Number of staff who leave in the 

The proportion of permanent 

Definition

Definition

won from clients where we have 

a signed contract.

to leave.

Definition

are owners of the business. 

Definition

year that we did not want to leave 

employees who are direct owners 

divided by average number of staff 

of the business through our shared 

in the year.

ownership programmes.

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).

Why it’s important
We need to manage the business 
without holding excessive levels 
of debt.

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Our industry has good growth 

We have a high volume of 

We deliver a high touch service to 

Shared ownership is our key 

fundamentals. In order to meet 

annuity business. Maintaining 

clients. Maintaining continuity of 

differentiator. It is important that 

our organic growth targets we 

clients is a key indicator of 

staff ensures that we are best able 

staff have a direct stake in our 

need to win new work every year.

customer satisfaction.

to meet client needs.

business to promote a stakeholder 

mentality and ensure that 

their interests are aligned with 

external shareholders

2020 Performance
Revenue growth of 15.9% which 
comprised 7.9% net organic growth 
and inorganic growth of 8.0%.

2020 Performance
Decrease of 2.0pp to 33.6%.

2020 Performance
91% underlying cash conversion 
(2019: 89%).

2020 Performance
2.0 times underlying EBITDA 
(2019: 1.7 times).

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

Despite Covid-19, a strong year 

Total client attrition was 8.8% 

Turnover of 5.7% at Group level 

100% of permanent employees 

for new business wins with 

(2019: 7.0%) with regretted 

(2019: 9.7%).

an increase by value of 20.1% 

attrition of 3.4% (2019: 2.6%).

are owners of the business with 

staff holding c. 20% of issued 

Commentary
The PCS Division achieved 13.7% 
growth and net organic growth of 
9.0%. The ICS Division achieved 
17.8% growth and net organic 
growth of 6.9%.

Commentary
The ICS Division achieved 27.9% 
(-5.2pp), impacted by the NESF 
acquisition and the PCS Division 
achieved 41.0% +2.2pp.

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

Commentary
We remained within our 
guidance range. 

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

Target
We aim to deliver an underlying 
EBITDA margin in the range of 
33%-38%. 

Target
We aim to achieve 85%-90% cash 
conversion each year.

Target
We aim to stay within 1.5-2.0 times 
leverage. We will exceptionally 
increase this to 2.5 times when 
supported by clear visibility of 
incoming cash flow and rapid 
reduction to below our target. 

8.7%

8.4%

7.9%

34.7%*

35.6%

33.6%

00%

90.0%

89.0%

91.0%

(multiples)

2.0

00

00%

1.7

1.7

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2020

2020

2020

£9.7m

 Read more on page 14

 Read more on page 16

 Read more on page 18

 Read more on page 18

32

*IFRS16 impact estimated

to £17.9m.

Commentary

£4.5m.

Target

Commentary

Commentary

ICS AVNBW was +51% at £13.4m 

96.6% (2019: 97.4%) of revenues 

A strong performance as we 

1.1 million shares were issued 

and the PCS AVNBW was -25% at 

that were not end of life were 

supported our people through the 

to the JTC EBT in 2020, which was 

retained in the period.

pandemic even while growing. We 

the final year of our ‘Odyssey Era’ 

continue to benchmark favourably 

three-year business plan.

to peers and the wider sector.

We aim to achieve at least a 10% 

increase in the annualised value of 

new business wins year on year.

Target

Target

Target

We aim to keep regretted client 

We aim to keep annual staff 

100% of permanent employees 

attrition at less than 2.5% p.a.

turnover, as defined, at less 

to be owners of the business.

than 10%.

share capital. 

Commentary

£17.9m

£14.9m

2.6%

7.3%

1.8%

2020

5.7%

00%

2020

3.4%

00%

9.7%

100%

100%

100%

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020REVENUE

Description

Revenue generated based 

The EBITDA margin of the 

Our success in turning profits 

The relative amount of  

Description

Description

Description

upon work done.

underlying business.

into cash.

third party debt we have  

in the business.

UNDERLYING EBITDA MARGIN

UNDERLYING CASH CONVERSION LEVERAGE

NEW BUSINESS WINS

CLIENT ATTRITION

STAFF TURNOVER

SHARED OWNERSHIP

OPERATIONAL

Definition

Definition

Definition

Definition

Revenue of the business excluding 

Underlying EBITDA margin of 

Net cash generated from 

Third party debt less cash, divided 

items considered non-recurring 

the business excluding items 

underlying activities divided 

by underlying EBITDA.

or not of an operational nature or 

considered not of an operational 

by underlying EBITDA.

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

Definition
Work lost that was regretted.

not reflective of the underlying 

nature or not reflective of the 

performance of the business.

underlying performance of the 

business divided by revenue.

Description
The annualised value of new 
business won (AVNBW) each year.

Description
The amount of business that  
we lose each year.

Description
The number of staff who leave 
each year that we did not want 
to leave.

Description
How many of our 
permanent employees  
are owners of the business. 

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.

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

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Why it’s important

Revenue is a reflection of the 

Underlying EBITDA margin is 

Cash generated allows us to 

We need to manage the business 

work we do for clients. We seek to 

our key measure of how well our 

pay dividends to shareholders, 

without holding excessive levels 

deliver a high quality service, do 

business is performing, including 

service our debts and invest in 

of debt.

more work for existing clients and 

relative to the wider industry.

the business (both organically and 

attract new clients.

through acquisitions).

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.

Why it’s important
We have a high volume of 
annuity business. Maintaining 
clients is a key indicator of 
customer satisfaction.

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.

We aim to achieve net organic 

We aim to deliver an underlying 

We aim to achieve 85%-90% cash 

We aim to stay within 1.5-2.0 times 

Target

Target

Target

growth of 8%-10% at Group level 

EBITDA margin in the range of 

conversion each year.

every year.

33%-38%. 

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

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

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

2020 Performance
Despite Covid-19, a strong year 
for new business wins with 
an increase by value of 20.1% 
to £17.9m.

2020 Performance
Total client attrition was 8.8% 
(2019: 7.0%) with regretted 
attrition of 3.4% (2019: 2.6%).

2020 Performance
Turnover of 5.7% at Group level 
(2019: 9.7%).

Commentary
ICS AVNBW was +51% at £13.4m 
and the PCS AVNBW was -25% at 
£4.5m.

Commentary
96.6% (2019: 97.4%) of revenues 
that were not end of life were 
retained in the period.

Commentary
A strong performance as we 
supported our people through the 
pandemic even while growing. We 
continue to benchmark favourably 
to peers and the wider sector.

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

2020 Performance
100% of permanent employees 
are owners of the business with 
staff holding c. 20% of issued 
share capital. 

Commentary
1.1 million shares were issued 
to the JTC EBT in 2020, which was 
the final year of our ‘Odyssey Era’ 
three-year business plan.

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

34.7%*

35.6%

33.6%

00%

90.0%

89.0%

91.0%

00%

1.7

1.7

2020

2020

2020

£9.7m

£17.9m

£14.9m

3.4%

00%

9.7%

100%

100%

100%

2.6%

7.3%

1.8%

2020

5.7%

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

2018

2019

2020

 Read more on page 16

 Read more on page 15

 Read more on page 36

 Read more on page 40

00%

2020

33

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

2020 Performance

Revenue growth of 15.9% which 

Decrease of 2.0pp to 33.6%.

91% underlying cash conversion 

2.0 times underlying EBITDA 

(2019: 89%).

(2019: 1.7 times).

comprised 7.9% net organic growth 

and inorganic growth of 8.0%.

Commentary

Commentary

Commentary

Commentary

The PCS Division achieved 13.7% 

The ICS Division achieved 27.9% 

Underlying performance in 

We remained within our 

growth and net organic growth of 

(-5.2pp), impacted by the NESF 

line with guidance but actual 

guidance range. 

9.0%. The ICS Division achieved 

acquisition and the PCS Division 

cash impacted in first year by 

17.8% growth and net organic 

achieved 41.0% +2.2pp.

acquisitions. Impact will be 

eliminated in future years.

growth of 6.9%.

Target

leverage. We will exceptionally 

increase this to 2.5 times when 

supported by clear visibility of 

incoming cash flow and rapid 

reduction to below our target. 

(multiples)

2.0

00

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)

SHARED OWNERSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF OUR 
CULTURE AND OUR PURPOSE IS TO HELP MAXIMISE 
THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY CLIENT, COLLEAGUE  
AND PARTNER WITH WHOM WE WORK

As a leading global provider of financial services, we 
understand the opportunity we have to play a role in 
realigning capital flows to address ESG issues.

We know that we will thrive as a business by working 
in a sustainable way, within constantly evolving legal 
and regulatory frameworks, respecting the natural 
environment and creating a positive impact for the 
communities where we live and work.

To help ensure this, we maintain our commitment to 
the ESG framework shown below. The framework is 
based on our purpose and cultural values, which you 
can read more about on page 40. At its heart is our 
culture of shared ownership, established in 1998, that 
places the interests of the collective above that of any 
individual. The principal items listed in the framework 
are those we believe to be meaningful and material to 
our business, and as you will see in the coming pages, 

many of these issues came to the fore during the 
Covid-19 pandemic. We work continuously to develop 
and improve our approach in all of these areas. The ESG 
framework is governed and overseen by the Board, with 
operational responsibility sitting with the executive 
team and in particular the Chief Operating Officer.

This year we are pleased to report for the first time 
using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board 
(SASB) framework, which we believe is currently the 
most suitable for our business, a view that has also 
been expressed by many of our institutional investors. 

In the coming year, we have undertaken to become 
a Carbon Neutral company on a global basis and will 
also be identifying which of the 17 United Nations 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are most 
relevant for our business and our stakeholders. 

NS

GEMENT

A
G

G 

U
M
M
O
C

NITY RELATIO
EMPLOYEE EN
JTC WELLBEIN
HTS 
N RIG
ATEWAY 
JTC G

ALU
CIAL V

A
M
U
H

S
E

O
S

D

A

T

A

P

U

R

M

P

A

O

N

S

E

A

A

G

E

N

M

D

E

C

N

U

T

L

A

T

U

N

R

D

E

S

E

B

C

O

U

A

R

R

I

T

D

Y

C

O

E

T

M

H

P

O

I

C

S

G

O

V

E

S

I

T

I

R

I

S

O

K

N

S

E

X

E

S

U

C

R

C

C

N

U

T

I

A

V

E

S

S

I

O

N

E

C

N

C

E

ENVIRONMENTAL

CLIMATE RISK  NATURAL CAPITAL

CARBON EMISSIONS  ENERGY EFFICIENCY  WASTE MANAGEMENT 

O

S

M

T

A

P

E

K

E

N

H

S

A

T

I

O

L

D

O

E

N

R

E

A

N

U

G

D

A

I

T

A

N

D

G

E

M

E

N

R

T

I

S

K

NITY 
RTU
Y 
DEM

A
C

UAL OPPO
D EQ
JTC A
NERSHIP 

N

DIVERSITY A
RED O

W

A
SH

34

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In choosing to report under the SASB framework we 
have elected to use the Professional & Commercial 
Services  Standard,  within  the  Services  Sector. 
We believe that SASB is emerging as one of the 
most effective ESG reporting standards, with its 
focus on sustainability topics that are material 
to the business. At the time of writing, 21 of our 
institutional shareholders, including 50% of our 
ten largest holders, are SASB Alliance members. 
In addition, we are actively examining a number 
of other frameworks and standards as they relate 
to our business and stakeholders, including the 
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 
readiness for reporting under the Task Force on 
Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

35

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) CONTINUED

JTC SASB REPORT – PROFESSIONAL & COMMERCIAL SERVICES

We have chosen to provide disclosures in line with the Professional 
& Commercial Services Standard issued by the Sustainability 
Accounting Standards Board (SASB). 

SASB was founded in 2011 as a not-for-profit, independent 
standards setting organisation to establish and maintain industry-
specific standards to assist in disclosing financially material, 
decision-useful sustainability information to investors. 

The  information  disclosed  is  to  assist  investors  and  other 
stakeholders in understanding the governance and management 
of the Group’s environmental and social impacts arising from its 
activities as well as the ability of the Group to create value over 
the long-term. 

Sustainability Disclosure Topics & Accounting Metrics

DATA SECURITY

Accounting 
Metric & Code
Description of 
approach to 
identifying and 
addressing data 
security risks 

Code: SV-PS-230a.1

Description of policies 
and practices relating 
to collection, usage, 
and retention of 
customer information

Code: SV-PS-230a.2

Number of 
data breaches

Code: SV-PS-230a.3

Category

Unit of Measure

Disclosure

DISCUSSION & 
ANALYSIS

 N/A

DISCUSSION & 
ANALYSIS

N/A

At JTC, we understand the importance of protecting all of our information assets as well as 
retaining the trust of our existing and future clients. To support the JTC vision, and help the 
business meet its objectives, we are committed to building the protection of assets from the 
foundations up. For our Information Security program to be robust, effective and efficient, we align 
ourselves to the NIST Framework and ISO27001 Standards. The core framework itself is supported 
by Information Security policies and governance structures. 

Specifically with regard to identifying and addressing data/information security risk, Information 
Security Assessments are performed by our dedicated Information Security team. Our current 
assessment process includes assessment background, assessment details, compensating controls, 
conclusion and recommendations. Risk assessment reports are generated and shared with 
required stakeholders. The controls we consider necessary and appropriate to protect assets 
from unauthorised access to assure the confidentiality of information and maintain integrity 
are implemented.

Post period end, we purchased an Information Security Governance Risk and Compliance solution. 
This solution will allow us to mature and enhance our Information Security Risk Assessments 
functionality and processes, improve frequency and efficiency and increase our risk transparency 
and reporting capabilities. 

JTC is fully committed to both the spirit and the letter of all of the data protection/data privacy 
frameworks that apply to it globally. As a market-leading provider of private and institutional client 
services, client confidentiality sits at the heart of our business. We build on this foundation with 
respect for all of our data subjects’ statutory data protection rights. 

We continually seek to enhance our data protection practices, and to that end in 2020 invested in 
our first Global Director of Data Protection Governance. 

We are excited by the opportunities that lie ahead to ‘get closer’ to data and in late 2020 we 
commenced an end-to-end review of our suite of data protection policies, procedures, template 
documents and practices, with retention practices and procedures being an early focus. 

QUANTITATIVE

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

No personal data breaches requiring formal notification to an Information Commissioner or a data 
subject were recorded for the period.

WORKFORCE DIVERSITY & ENGAGEMENT

Accounting 
Metric & Code
Percentage of gender 
and racial/ethnic 
group representation. 

Code: SV-PS-330a.1

Voluntary and 
involuntary turnover 
rate for employees

Code: SV-PS-330a.2

Category

Unit of Measure

Disclosure

QUANTITATIVE

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

Executive Management (Group Holdings Board and Group Directors) – 25% female/75% male.

All other employees – 59% female/41% male.

At present, we do not record data on racial/ethnic group, but plan to collect such data to enable 
reporting for our US workforce from 2021 onwards.

QUANTITATIVE

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

5.7% voluntary.

9.0% involuntary.

Employee engagement

QUANTITATIVE

Code: SV-PS-330a.3

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

At present we do not record data, but plan to collect such data to enable reporting from 
2021 onwards.

36

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY

Category

Unit of Measure

Disclosure

DISCUSSION & 
ANALYSIS

N/A

The Group has a set of guiding principles and core value behaviours that are designed to establish 
the organisational cultural tone and set the standards we expect our employees to follow. These 
clear standards aim to support the Group’s policy of ensuring that business is conducted in a 
manner that is consistent with our reputation, conducive to maintaining high standards of integrity 
in all our business dealings, whilst having the highest regard for the interests of our clients.

The guiding principles include the Group’s commitment to:

 –  Full compliance with all legal, regulatory and other requirements wherever we operate, adopting 

best practice wherever possible;

 –  Maintaining monitoring and risk management systems and procedures for the effective control 

of our affairs; and

 –  Open and transparent dealings with our stakeholders including our clients and regulators.

The principles are underpinned by Group Policies which set expected standards in a number of 
areas linked to professional integrity including Conduct Risk, Anti-Money Laundering, Countering 
of Terrorist Financing, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Sanctions Compliance, Insider Trading, 
Conflicts of Interest and Whistleblowing. Adherence to these standards are periodically tested 
through the Group’s ‘three lines’ model of assurance (read more on page 46) and further supported 
by an employee compliance declaration exercise undertaken each year.

On an annual basis, each employee’s adherence to the Group’s core value behaviours of 
accessibility, integrity, commercial awareness, personality, engagement and innovation are 
assessed and are key contributory factors to the annual appraisal process.

Over and above the internal organisational processes, the Group is currently regulated in 15 
different jurisdictions. It is an accepted global practice for regulators to require those employees 
who look to take senior board roles and responsibilities either within the Group or on behalf of 
clients, to submit personal questionnaires or other confirmatory paperwork before assuming 
such positions. Regulators will then examine such applications and grant licences only upon 
satisfaction of local and international checks and regulatory considerations of fitness, suitability, 
experience and proven integrity. As such, and in support of the integrity achieved through internal 
organisational processes, there is considerable and consistent external regulatory scrutiny of 
integrity conducted by experienced authorities, often utilising information gateways (e.g. to law 
enforcement) that would not typically be available to the Group.

QUANTITATIVE

REPORTING  
CURRENCY

During the reporting period there were no monetary losses to the Group stemming from legal 
proceedings associated with lack of professional integrity or stemming from other environmental, 
social or governance issues.

Accounting 
Metric & Code
Description of 
approach to ensuring 
professional integrity

Code: SV-PS-510a.1

Total amount of 
monetary losses 
as a result of 
legal proceedings 
associated with 
professional integrity

Code:SV-PS-510a.2

ACTIVITY METRICS

Accounting 
Metric & Code
Number of employees 
by: (1) full-time 
and part-time, 
(2) temporary, and 
(3) contract

Code: SV-PS-000.A

Employee 
hours worked, 
percentage billable 

Code: SV-PS-000.B

Category

Unit of Measure

Disclosure

QUANTITATIVE

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

Full-time – 845

Part-time – 31

Temporary – 28

Contract – 13

QUANTITATIVE

NUMBER, 
PERCENTAGE (%)

For our fee earning employees, hours worked as % of contracted hours was 106%.

Billable time as a % of contracted hours was 82%.

37

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) CONTINUED

SHARED OWNERSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF OUR CULTURE AND 
OUR PURPOSE IS TO HELP MAXIMISE THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY 
CLIENT, COLLEAGUE AND PARTNER WITH WHOM WE WORK

ENVIRONMENTAL

Components of our framework

Our response and capabilities

Operations
 – 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.

We have committed to become a Carbon Neutral organisation by the end of 2021. INDOS, acquired post period end, is a service 
provider signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) and a Carbon Footprint Standard accredited Carbon Neutral 
Organisation. We intend to leverage the experience of INDOS across the wider Group in the near-term. 

We are further committed to minimising other types of 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. New working practices and habits in this area 

have been accelerated by the need to adapt to remote working as part of our response to Covid-19;

 – 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. As a result of the pandemic, our use of travel in 2020 was 
dramatically reduced and our adoption of technology solutions vastly accelerated. While we do not believe it will be possible to 
alleviate all travel in the future, like many organisations, we have rapidly learnt how to be effective with vastly reduced travel;
 – 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.

Services
 – Climate change
 – Natural capital
 – ESG integration for clients

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. 

As the climate change regulatory environment matures and becomes clearer, we understand the need to manage transition risk for our 
business and also recognise the service opportunities that will emerge for us to support our clients. We recognise the need for TCFD 
compliance and in the coming year will be working on preparation steps, including upskilling and governance development. 

In addition to the capabilities added to the Group through the acquisition of INDOS, as noted above, the acquisition of NESF in 
2020 brought expertise 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.

SOCIAL

Components of our framework

Our response and capabilities

Shared ownership

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 and Annual Reports for 2018 and 2019. 

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

www.jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/annual-report-archive/ 

In addition, in 2019 the JTC shared ownership ‘story’ was 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 43

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 42;

 – JTC Gateway – our global talent mobility programme 

 Read more on page 42; and

 – JTC Wellbeing – our employee wellness (physical and mental good health) programme 

 Read more on page 42.

With the exception of JTC Gateway, which was necessarily curtailed due to global travel restrictions, all of these strategies and 
programmes were more valuable than ever during 2020 as our workforce transitioned rapidly to remote working in response to 
Covid-19. We are incredibly proud of the team spirit demonstrated by our colleagues around the world and the incredible output of 
our operations teams, in particular IT, HR and Marketing, in supporting our people. 

Employee engagement
Recruitment
Employee communications 
JTC Academy
JTC Gateway
JTC Wellbeing

38

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020SOCIAL CONTINUED

Components of our framework

Our response and capabilities

Employee turnover rate

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 2020 was 5.7% (2019: 9.7%) and this low figure is testament to the secure 
and engaging employment provided by the Group. 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.

Human rights, diversity and 
equal opportunity

Health and safety

Community relations

 Read more on pages 33 & 36

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).

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 Group 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. 

In 2020 we felt it was more important than ever to give back to local communities and within the bounds of restrictions imposed by 
the pandemic, we were able to remain highly active, especially in fundraising for a wide range of local charities. 

In addition, we were quick to recognise the significance of the pandemic and in April made a donation of £100,000 to three 
international charities to support their work in fighting Covid-19, these were the WHO Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Médecins 
Sans Frontières and Comic Relief. 

 Read more on pages 41-45

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 Principles’ that are intended to 
clearly define the Company’s cultural values and in turn drive ethical behaviours throughout the organisation. Read more on page 40.

Board composition and 
effectiveness

Full details are provided on pages 61-67.

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. 

Executive compensation

 Read more on pages 63-65

Following feedback from investors, the Remuneration Committee conducted an extensive review of our reporting and disclosures on 
Executive Compensation and appointed Mercer as an expert third party to assist with that process. This has resulted in substantially 
revised and updated report of the Remuneration Committee, which can be found on pages 76-98

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 2020 c. 21.5% of the issued share capital of the Group was 
owned by employees, either directly or through the JTC EBTs. 

In 2019 JTC’s shared ownership model 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 page 57

Audit & risk, including 
ethics risks

Full details are provided in the report of the Audit & Risk Committee on pages 72-75 and the Risk Management section of the 
Strategic Report on pages 46 to 53.

39

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54OUR PURPOSE AND CULTURE

OUR PURPOSE AND CULTURE
BROUGHT TO LIFE 

Our purpose is to help maximise the potential of 
every client, colleague and partner we work with.

This extends beyond creating economic value and 
links closely with our culture.

  A N D
V I
R
E
S

E

B O V
Y O N D ’  
‘ A

E

B

’
O
D
N
A
C
‘

E
D
U
T
I
T
T
A

‘

W

A

M

N

E

T

N

T

T

A

O

S
R
U

VIO
A
H
E
  B

G

N

I

C

A

F

-

T

N

E

I

L

C

L

I

W

T

I

Y

N

’

E

C

MAXIMISE
INDIVIDUAL
POTENTIAL

C

U

L

T

U

R

A

L

V
A
L
U
E
S

M

E

R

I

T

O

C

R

A

C

Y

R
E
Y
D
T
L
I
O
L
H
A
T
E
K
N
A
E
T
M
S

ENTREPRENEURIAL

UTLO

OK

O

E

F O R
L
A

E
U

B

C O M P

A N Y
I N D I V I D

The JTC culture wheel is over 20 years’ old and is 
as valid today as it was when we first created it. 
It describes the values and behaviour that have helped 
us grow our company to its current size and strength. 
At its heart is the principle of shared ownership, 
exemplified by the employee benefit trust that was 

created at around the same time. We believe that by 
living by these values and behavioural traits, we can 
protect and nurture that shared ownership, and grow 
our company for the benefit of everybody. And vice 
versa, the concept of shared ownership is what inspires 
the values and behaviour. 

40

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020 
 
 
 
 
WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH 2020

Working together through 2020
Our purpose came to the fore in 2020 and was brought 
alive  by  our  culture.  Together  we  adapted  to  the 
adverse and extraordinary situation brought about by 
the pandemic. Together we supported our clients and 
partners. Together we continued to succeed in growing 
the  business,  and  so  supported  our  shareholders. 
And together we could still support the communities 
where we live and work.

900+

people set up to work from home

£100,000

Donated to WHO Covid-19 Solidarity 
Response Fund; Médecins Sans 
Frontières; and Comic Relief

Working together for our clients, we help them navigate the challenges and complexity 
they face, in the most effective and efficient ways. We help clients maximise their potential by 
working with them for the long-term, providing innovative solutions that allow them to focus on 
their strengths and goals. In July, we were awarded the mandate to provide fund administration 
and registrar services to Brooks Macdonald International. We were able to mobilise a senior 
team, understand the complex needs and put forward a compelling technological and multi-
jurisdictional solution while operating under Covid-19 lockdown conditions. It is pleasing for 
us to prove we can support Brooks Macdonald’s growth ambitions despite the restrictive 
circumstances, and we look forward to a long and productive working relationship. We aim to 
demonstrate this approach with every client. 

Working together for our people, our culture of shared ownership makes every member of 
the team a direct stakeholder in the business, able to share in the success we achieve. In 2020, 
our focus was on keeping everyone connected throughout the pandemic. We were able to 
set 900 people up for working at home, and made nobody redundant as a result of Covid-19 
nor placed anybody on furlough. During December, we ran our #Festivetogether campaign 
across all Group jurisdictions to keep people in touch with each other and raise their spirits. 
Activities included scavenger hunts, quizzes, bingo nights, decorating and baking competitions 
and special Christmas gift deliveries. A comprehensive communications programme through 
Joogle, our Group-wide intranet, ensured there was seasonal fun throughout the whole month.

Working together for our commercial partners, we extend our shared-ownership culture 
to the people we work alongside, helping them maximise their potential by providing 
complementary services to our shared clients. Of particular note in 2020, was our ongoing 
collaboration with BankClarity, with the successful delivery of a single banking payments 
platform as part of our centralised banking and treasury hub. This smart digital solution has 
created additional capacity for providing real value-added services to clients.

Working together for our communities and social partners, we give time, expertise and 
money to help people achieve their aspirations and enjoy a better life. In April 2020, as we were 
all acutely aware, the ongoing effects of Covid-19 reached every corner of society, and we felt we 
should make our own contribution to international charities with specific programmes focusing 
on the response. We decided to donate £100,000 and asked all employees to cast their vote 
on how we should distribute this. The top three choices sharing the donation (in proportion to 
the votes cast) were: the WHO Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund; Médecins Sans Frontières; 
and Comic Relief.

Working together for our shareholders, who we thank for their continued support, we have 
developed a highly successful growth strategy that combines strong organic growth with highly 
disciplined inorganic growth. In the year, we have achieved revenue growth of 15.9% and an 
EBITDA margin of 33.6%. In November 2020, as a result of continued growth and performance, 
JTC was promoted from the FTSE SmallCap Index to the FTSE 250 Index. Every single employee 
is an owner of the business and can share in this success.

41

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54OUR PURPOSE AND CULTURE CONTINUED

Maximising the Potential of our People
We are a people business and have put in place three 
formal programmes – JTC Academy, JTC Gateway 
and JTC Wellbeing – that support every member 
of our global family to maximise their potential. 
From professional qualifications to personal mental 
health, these programmes are designed to deliver 
world-class experiences, opportunities and support 
to all our people. 

Despite  the  ‘working  from  home’  circumstances, 
everyone across the JTC network still had the learning 
and  development  modules  of  the  JTC  Academy 
available to them to help them reach their full potential. 
Throughout  the  year,  208  delegates  attended  the 
leadership and management programmes, 482 delegates 
attended one-hour CPD sessions provided by our partners, 
and 881 people attended sessions to improve specific 
professional skills.

JTC Gateway offers our people the opportunity to develop 
their careers by working in Group locations around the 
world in support of their personal and professional 
growth. Despite the Covid-19 restrictions that came 
into force around March, four employees from various 
locations made permanent moves from Cape Town, 
Dublin and Guernsey to London, Luxembourg and Dubai.

We want our people to enjoy the best possible physical 
and mental health. We used our Wellbeing programme 
and app to provide advice and support on a range of 
topics, with a focus this year during Covid-19 on mental 
wellbeing and keeping us all connected and resilient 
while working from home. We added additional content 
on Joogle, our intranet, as our teams tried to navigate 
through a ‘new normal’ and we also saw increased use 
of LifeWorks, our Employee Assistance Programme. 
In addition, we ran a number of JTC Active events such 
as a virtual spinathon, triathlon and marathon, for anyone 
across all of the Group’s jurisdictions to join – these all 
also raised additional funds for charity.

42

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020The Importance of the Everyday
We love to bring our culture to life everyday, in our 
workplaces and our communities. As a global business 
spanning more than 20 jurisdictions, our people are able 
to support good causes that matter to them and give 
back to the places where they live and work. Our internal 
communications reflect our personality and we work 
hard to share stories of giving and success. 

Promotions across the globe
Our  aim  to  maximise  the  potential  of  all  our 
people is embodied in our approach to promotions 
within the business. In 2020 nearly 100 JTC people 
were promoted across our global office network. 
The  promotions  ranged  across  all  levels,  from 
Administrator to Managing Director, and we celebrated 
the achievements of our colleagues through extensive 
internal and external communications.

Employee communications
We encourage open communication across the business 
and Joogle became a key communications tool during 
lockdown. We offer a weekly reminder of the stories 
published on Joogle (420 this year) in a summary email, 
‘Joogle Week That Was’ issued each Monday. We also 
launched our Communications Champions initiative, 
aiming for representation from every jurisdictional 
office and from different divisions and functions at JTC 
House. We held meetings every month in 2020, offering 
open discussion of news, events and initiatives around 
the business, which can then be further cascaded to 
all employees.

Our birthday breakfasts continued in Jersey, and we’re 
looking to make it a global initiative in 2021. And with 
most of us working away from the office, people spoke 
of how much they missed the social aspect of work – 
and our electronic ‘Kindness Cards’ initiative was one 
way of trying to counter this. Kindness has the power 
to completely transform someone’s day, so a simple 
question such as ‘how are you?’ can have a big effect. 
People sent over 500 around the business in 2020 to 
show their appreciation of colleagues and their work.

Charitable giving
We  volunteer  to  provide  expertise  and  time  to 
charities in the communities where we live and work. 
But for many charities, funding is the most useful 
thing we can organise. Our employee-led approach 
has raised funds for charities in all jurisdictions where 
we operate, including our £100,000 Covid-19 response 
donation. We also launched JTC payroll giving in late 
2020, where employees can choose to make tax-
efficient donations to charities of their choice and 
as part of our #Festivetogether initiative, each office 
chose a local charity to receive a special financial 
donation from our JTC Supports budget.

There were so many charitable and community events 
throughout the year, with just a few highlighted here. 

43

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54OUR PURPOSE AND CULTURE CONTINUED

New office dress code
In  March,  in  combination  with  Sport  Relief,  our 
Directors in Jersey, Guernsey, London and Isle of Man 
turned dress-down day on its head and dressed up 
in fancy dress for the day in and around the office. 
Between them they managed to raise well over £2,000 
from their colleagues in charitable donations. 

Thought for food 
When lockdown first hit towards the start of 2020, 
our South Africa CSR Committee had to think of some 
new and inventive ways to help charitable causes once 
their usual events couldn’t take place. They came up 
with the Pack a Parcel initiative, challenging the office 
each month to pack a parcel with essential items to 
supply food to kids and families in need. There was 
a competitive element to it, too, so well done to the 
Support Services team who consistently packed the 
most across the year, earning themselves R5000 
towards a charity of their choice. 

On course
JTC’s Guernsey team hosted a fun-filled mini-golf 
morning in conjunction with the Smile for Georgie 
Foundation. Local Guernsey children enjoyed a game 
of pirate mini golf and other outdoor games, followed 
by a tasty kiddie’s buffet, as well as lunch for parents 
and guardians. 

44

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020In it to win
This year, the JTC House annual Christmas raffle in 
Jersey had to go fully virtual with online ticket sales. 
Teams donated an array of luxury hampers and items 
and together the event raised a much appreciated 
£7,000 for Jersey Hospice Care. We also supported the 
Jersey Christmas Appeal through our sponsorship of 
lunches for five charities enabling vulnerable islanders 
to enjoy a three course hot meal on Christmas Day.

#SINGINGTOGETHER
Each year, in lieu of sending out festive cards, JTC 
makes  a  charitable  donation  and  sends  a  digital 
greeting to its thousands of clients, intermediaries 
and other partners. This year, following a challenging 
12 months that saw many people around the world 
suffering through anxiety and isolation, we decided 
to make a very special JTC music video. 20 talented 
members of the team from offices around the world 
formed a virtual choir and performed ‘You Gotta 
Be’  by  Des’ree  and  the  response  was  amazing! 
After sharing the video via email and social media, 

Green fingers
Members of the JTC Isle of Man team volunteered 
their spare time to help Lions Club members out with 
a day’s worth of intense gardening at the Oncology 
Courtyard at Nobles Hospital. 

In addition to fund raising for local charities close to 
their hearts, they also volunteered for Manx Wildlife 
Trust in Calf of Man, helping the wardens who live on 
the Island to remove weeds from a bog, which is a key 
habitat for local wildlife. Everyone was very grateful to 
find out only afterwards that the bog contained eels!

we received dozens of messages saying how uplifting 
and positive it was. We also engaged our employees to 
choose the charity that they most wanted to support 
and via an online poll they selected United for Global 
Mental Health.

https://www.jtcgroup.com/singing-together/

45

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54RISK MANAGEMENT

STRONG FOCUS ON RISK 
MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE
RICHARD INGLE, CHIEF RISK OFFICER

I am pleased to present my first risk report since I 
joined JTC as Chief Risk Officer on 28 September 2020. 
At the time of writing, I have only been in the role since 
the final quarter of 2020, so I am very grateful to Bill 
Byrne for the work he had done in the position up to 
that point during 2020. Bill has now returned to focus 
full time on the role of Group Chief General Counsel.

Overview of Risk Management at JTC
As a global provider of fund, corporate and trust 
administration services in a highly regulated sector, 
JTC places risk management and compliance at the 
heart of its day-to-day activities.

The Group cultivates a strong culture of risk awareness, 
where we set the tone at the top of the organisation, 
and assign ownership of risk very clearly. We are 
committed to ensuring we manage risk in a balanced 
and consistent manner, one aligned to the Board’s 
stated risk appetite, and also to ensuring we comply 
with any rules and regulations that apply.

A specialist team of Risk and Compliance professionals 
operates throughout the Group to:

 – help identify and manage risks
 – monitor and report on the effectiveness 

of risk controls

 – help resolve risk and regulatory challenges
 – advise on regulation and controls
 – manage regulatory relationships.

Notable developments 
in our approach during 2020
Internal Audit
We have bolstered our ‘three-lines’ model of risk 
management  by  establishing  an  Internal  Audit 
function. Group Internal Audit will provide further 
assurance on the effectiveness of governance, risk 
management and internal controls, including first and 
second-line controls. Internal audit is independent of 
management and has a reporting line to the Audit 
and Risk Committee. The function aims to provide 
independent and objective assurance and advice on 
the adequacy and effectiveness of governance and risk 
management. It achieves this through the competent 
application of systemic and disciplined processes, 
expertise and insight.

46

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Covid-19
Our immediate approach to the risk of the Covid-19 
pandemic  was  described  in  some  length  in  last 
year’s report. The world economy is facing a ‘once 
in a generation’ shock that is not only affecting 
vulnerable individuals but also fragile businesses and 
national economies. During 2020, we were able to 
adapt our business resiliency measures quickly, to 
embrace large-scale home working practices with 
little disruption to business operations and client 
service (see page 5). Equally, we were able to adapt 
work spaces and practices to address ‘return to work’ 
guidelines as opportunities arose to once again provide 
a safe working environment for our staff.

WE WERE ABLE TO ADAPT OUR 
BUSINESS RESILIENCY MEASURES 
QUICKLY, TO EMBRACE LARGE 
SCALE HOME WORKING PRACTICES 
WITH LITTLE DISRUPTION TO 
BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND 
CLIENT SERVICE

Regulatory Scrutiny
The high standards set by international regulators 
rightly provides comfort and assurance to clients and 
investors and JTC remains accustomed to meeting 
exacting regulatory standards. It is a noted trend that 
the regulatory overhead for international financial 
service providers continues to increase. An increasing 
number of jurisdictions are subject to evaluation 
and scrutiny by international assessment bodies. 
Such evaluations assess (among other matters), the 
effectiveness of national regulators’ enforcement. 
This has, in turn, seen an increased propensity for 
regulatory action and civil penalties for matters that 
might, in the past, have been dealt with differently. 
This evolution means that we must remain vigilant and 
responsive to continued regulatory scrutiny. We have 
responded to this emerging risk of increased regulatory 
intervention with a range of mitigation measures 
including ‘lessons learned’ reviews from regulatory 
public  statements,  continuous  improvements  to 
systems, controls and employee training and, when 
necessary, undertaking remediation programmes.

47

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

JTC PLC BOARD

JTC PLC AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE

GROUP RISK COMMITTEE

KEY RISK TYPES

LEGAL

FINANCIAL

POLITICAL/ 
REGULATORY

HUMAN 
RESOURCES

OPERATIONAL

STRATEGIC

REPUTATIONAL

THREE LINES MODEL

GROUP RISK
OWNERS

GROUP RISK
& COMPLIANCE

GROUP
INTERNAL AUDIT

EACH JURISDICTION

Local Boards and risk owners ensure robust control environment is maintained. 
Local Risk & Compliance personnel hold regulatory roles and support local risk owners. 
Monthly reporting provided to Group Risk & Compliance

48

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020How we manage risk at JTC
The Board has overall responsibility for setting JTC’s 
risk appetite and ensuring we identify, understand 
and manage any risks that could affect the Group 
pursuing  or  achieving  its  corporate  strategies. 
To achieve this objective, the Board asks the Audit 
and Risk Committee to oversee the risk and control 
environment. The Audit and Risk Committee consists 
of three Non-Executive Directors. The Chief Risk 
Officer and Group Internal Auditor have a standing 
invitation to attend all meetings.

The  Group-wide  risk-management  framework 
established by the Board is designed to work with JTC’s 
evolving structure, risk profile, complexity, activities 
and size. It adopts an industry-standard, three-lines 
model. The main features of the model are as follows:

 – The Board and senior management have 

collective overall responsibility for setting 
organisational objectives, defining strategies to 
achieve them and establishing the necessary 
control frameworks to manage the risks.
 – The first line is formed by the business and 
operational managers in each jurisdiction 
who are ‘risk owners’ and have primary 
responsibility, with the appropriate local Boards 
of Directors, for managing organisational risks 
by designing and implementing appropriate 
mitigating controls.

identifies potential emerging risks through periodic 
macro reports and reviews issues that may present 
material risk at Group level. It also considers significant 
or  imminent  changes  to  the  risk  and  regulatory 
environment and available mitigants. The Committee 
is also mandated 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 & Compliance function provides 
assurance  through  regular  repor ting  of  the 
independent compliance monitoring programme in 
each jurisdiction.

Key Controls
We have a number of key controls to ensure we 
monitor and manage all elements of our business 
activities, including fiduciary risks. These include:

 – a high level of jurisdictional Director control 

over processes

 – a specific 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

 – The second line reports to senior management 

 – a strong IT platform and business 

and comprises risk management and compliance 
functions who help build and monitor the 
activities of the first line. Local jurisdictional 
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 principal function of the third line is to 
provide risk assurance. In the past, we have 
relied upon a formal external audit programme 
and regular external visits and regulatory 
inspections across the Group’s regulated 
businesses. We have now bolstered this third line 
by establishing the Group Internal Audit function 
mentioned previously.

The  Group  Risk  Committee  comprises  the  Chief 
Risk  Officer,  Group  Chief  Executive  Officer  and 
Chief General Counsel. This Committee maintains 
responsibility for considering the risk types that may 
affect the Group including, but not limited to, strategic 
risk, operational risk, regulatory risk, legal risk, human 
resources risk, technology risk (including data security 
risk), client risk, fiduciary risk and performance risk.

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 identifying and managing 
risk and regulatory compliance. It monitors trends, 

continuity arrangements

 – a rigorous human-resource screening and 

on-boarding process

 – experienced and professionally qualified employees
 – regular risk and compliance updates.

Many of these controls come within our rigorous, 
bespoke  ‘Recommendation  for  Signing’  (RFS) 
approval process. This internal control tool ensures 
we thoroughly document, review and approve all 
business decisions and transactions 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 to provide control over 
the Group’s diverse client base, business operations 
and regions, and subsequently refined, it continues 
to  be  effective  in  maintaining  high  standards  of 
control in a rapidly growing organisation. All new 
employees must take RFS training and testing, and 
existing employees have refresher training. The Group 
maintains a strict management process for exceptions 
to documented controls.

Risk Types
We have categorised the key risk and sub-risk types 
JTC is exposed to, along with mitigation measures. 
We periodically reassess the risk types to ensure they 
remain relevant to our current operating environment.

49

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

DESCRIPTION

MITIGATION

LEGAL

 – Litigation, contractual

The Group’s activities expose it to the risk of potential disputes, legal proceedings or claims from 
clients and other parties such as service providers.
A risk that the Group does not administer clients and their structures in accordance with its 
standard terms of business and specific client agreements, which could potentially give rise to 
a claim against us.

 –  Rigorous policies, procedures and processes in operation within the 

 – Maintaining an experienced in-house legal team.

Group (particularly risk escalation policy).

 – Free legal helpline from two international law firms.

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

 – Prohibited from providing legal, tax or investment advice to clients.

 – Continuous training programme. 

control parameter.

 – Substantial PII cover. 

 – Using external counsel in disputes where appropriate.

 – Fiduciary

One of our main offerings is to provide trustee services and provide directors on administered 
entities. Undertaking a fiduciary role carries specific legal obligations.

FINANCIAL

 – Performance of business The risk of JTC not meeting financial forecasts or not achieving the provided market guidance.

 – Ongoing monthly reporting and KPIs that help monitor by performance 

 – Monitoring of Fx rates.

 – Earnings (Fx)

 – Impairment

 – Financing

 – Listing rules

 – Regulation

POLITICAL/
REGULATORY

Risk of exposure to fluctuations in currencies outside of reporting currency, leading to realised 
or unrealised losses.

Given our strategy of organic and inorganic growth, there is a risk of impairment of significant 
intangible assets on the balance sheet.

Failure to comply with banking loan covenants may lead to a withdrawal of facility availability.

Risk of not complying with the LSE listing rules, particularly the greater scrutiny, disclosure and 
corporate governance requirements.

 – Retained specialist advisers.

 – Suitably staffed and skilled specialist compliance teams operating 

Risk that our business model is adversely affected by political or regulatory changes to markets 
or services we offer, together with our client base.
Risk of exposure to regulatory sanction and subsequent reputational damage given a failure to 
follow regulatory laws, orders and codes of practice.
Risk of failing to adequately document, manage and monitor the activities of material service 
providers can lead to regulatory intervention. 

assumptions and targets.

 – Rigorous annual business planning and budget process.

 – Cash management process including matching of cash flows 

 – Regular impairment testing in line with accounting rules.

 – Strict monitoring of loan covenants. 

 – Ongoing review of financial targets and reforecasting.

where possible. 

independently in each jurisdiction.

 – Use of NED expertise.

 – Product and jurisdictional diversification reduces impact.

 – Horizon-scanning by boards and committees.

 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes across the Group 

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

 – Established risk and compliance culture across the Group.

 – Independent monitoring programme.

 – Hiring capable employees for key roles.

 – (e.g. Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

 – Established and continuing professional development training and 

awareness initiatives. 

 – AML/CFT

The risk of the Group administering client structures that are participating in money laundering 
or terrorist financing.

HUMAN
RESOURCES

 – Adequate resources

As business grows, the risk of failure to attract the best people with the right capabilities across 
all levels and jurisdictions.

OPERATIONAL

 – Retention

 – Key person

 – Client

 – Process

 – Business continuity

Failure to retain those staff identified as adding value to the business.

Risk of losing, and consequently replacing, key individuals unexpectedly at short notice.

The risk of the Group taking on the wrong type of clients, or the Group or the clients actions 
during the client’s lifecycle, leading to losses, failed strategic objectives, poor customer service 
and employee frustration and potentially enforcement, supervision or prosecution.

The Group is heavily dependent on the capacity and reliability of the IT and communication 
systems that support its operations. Any loss of operational capacity or disruption of IT and 
communications systems could have a material adverse effect on our ability to deliver services 
to clients.

 – Data security risk

The risk of a security breach, including cyber-attacks by destructive forces from both internal 
and external sources, leading to loss of confidentiality and integrity of data.
GDPR regulations represent a further risk.

STRATEGIC

 – Acquisition

Risk that acquisitions do not achieve intended objectives, giving rise to ongoing or previously 
unidentified liabilities. 

Failure to innovate in line with key competitors or advancing technology may lead to significant 
loss of potential or existing business.

Risk that the Group’s strategy brings excessive risks to the business or does not sufficiently align 
to changing market conditions or client requirements, such that sustainable growth, market 
share or profitability is affected.

Risk arising from negative public opinion that could harm JTC’s reputation and standing by failing 
to meet stakeholder expectations, or ineffective management responses to a crisis situation. 
Reputational risk events may be caused by JTC or its employees or agents.

 – Competitor

 – Strategy

REPUTATIONAL

 – Regulatory sanction

 – Public litigation

 – Breaching sanctions

 –  Implicated in 

money laundering  
or the financing 
of terrorism

50

 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes specifically drafted 

 – A strong management culture where talent management and people 

for AML/CFT purposes.

development are a key focus.

 – Hiring capable employees for key roles (e.g. Compliance Officer and 

 – Succession plan from current staff pool being developed for key roles.

Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

 – Frequent staff training and awareness initiatives.

 – Ongoing vetting and monitoring of employees through annual appraisal 

and declaration process, and screening of all new employees.

 – Competitive remuneration package benchmarked with peer group.

 – JTC Academy provides technical, management and professional training, 

 – Shared ownership ideology established across the business. 

and a personal development programme for all staff. 

 – Strict policy and procedures from the outset, subject to regular review, 

 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes specifically drafted 

with appropriate escalation for higher-risk clients.

 – Frequent staff training and awareness initiatives.

 – Established reporting and escalation processes with review by boards 

and committees as appropriate.

for business continuity and IT security purposes.

 – Dual data-centre model providing inter-jurisdictional redundancy 

if power or communication failure, connected by four diverse and 

redundant network links to allow for synchronous replication.

 – Independent client and compliance-monitoring review programme.

 – Established and tested business continuity procedures.

 – Established risk and compliance culture across the Group.

 – Ensuring high-quality administration and compliance staff in each 

jurisdiction, plus internal legal counsel support as appropriate.

 – Well-established RFS process.

 – Defined and audited IT procedures.

 – Regular external security assessments and penetration testing.

 – System access controls embracing ‘least privilege access’ model.

 – Specialist in-house IT security expertise.

 – ‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and controls model. 

 – Continuous training, including compulsory online security 

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

awareness courses.

ISAE 3402 report. 

 – Rigorous acquisition due-diligence process including third-party 

 – Group strategy regularly reviewed and questioned by Group 

assessments by well-regarded accounting and legal firms.

Holdings Board.

 – Governance and questioning by NEDs.

 – Integration strategy agreed before acquisition.

 – Strategically based annual business planning process and performance-

based targets.

 – Committees established to manage integration process.

 – Clear acquisition process and well-established criteria.

 – Identifying forthcoming needs early for investment in digital business 

 – Experienced management team.

systems, and established procedures for prioritising product innovation. 

 – Comprehensive risk management capability including controls within 

 – Daily screening and monitoring of clients and related parties on 

the procedural environment and 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. 

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020LEGAL

 – Litigation, contractual

The Group’s activities expose it to the risk of potential disputes, legal proceedings or claims from 

clients and other parties such as service providers.

A risk that the Group does not administer clients and their structures in accordance with its 

standard terms of business and specific client agreements, which could potentially give rise to 

a claim against us.

 – Fiduciary

One of our main offerings is to provide trustee services and provide directors on administered 

entities. Undertaking a fiduciary role carries specific legal obligations.

 – Earnings (Fx)

Risk of exposure to fluctuations in currencies outside of reporting currency, leading to realised 

 – Impairment

Given our strategy of organic and inorganic growth, there is a risk of impairment of significant 

or unrealised losses.

intangible assets on the balance sheet.

POLITICAL/

REGULATORY

 – Financing

 – Listing rules

Failure to comply with banking loan covenants may lead to a withdrawal of facility availability.

Risk of not complying with the LSE listing rules, particularly the greater scrutiny, disclosure and 

corporate governance requirements.

 – Regulation

Risk that our business model is adversely affected by political or regulatory changes to markets 

or services we offer, together with our client base.

Risk of exposure to regulatory sanction and subsequent reputational damage given a failure to 

follow regulatory laws, orders and codes of practice.

Risk of failing to adequately document, manage and monitor the activities of material service 

providers can lead to regulatory intervention. 

 – AML/CFT

The risk of the Group administering client structures that are participating in money laundering 

or terrorist financing.

all levels and jurisdictions.

Failure to retain those staff identified as adding value to the business.

Risk of losing, and consequently replacing, key individuals unexpectedly at short notice.

HUMAN

RESOURCES

OPERATIONAL

 – Retention

 – Key person

 – Client

 – Process

The risk of the Group taking on the wrong type of clients, or the Group or the clients actions 

during the client’s lifecycle, leading to losses, failed strategic objectives, poor customer service 

and employee frustration and potentially enforcement, supervision or prosecution.

 – Business continuity

The Group is heavily dependent on the capacity and reliability of the IT and communication 

systems that support its operations. Any loss of operational capacity or disruption of IT and 

communications systems could have a material adverse effect on our ability to deliver services 

to clients.

 – Data security risk

The risk of a security breach, including cyber-attacks by destructive forces from both internal 

and external sources, leading to loss of confidentiality and integrity of data.

GDPR regulations represent a further risk.

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

DESCRIPTION

MITIGATION

 –  Rigorous policies, procedures and processes in operation within the 

Group (particularly risk escalation policy).

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

control parameter.

 – Using external counsel in disputes where appropriate.
 – Substantial PII cover. 

 – Maintaining an experienced in-house legal team.
 – Free legal helpline from two international law firms.
 – Prohibited from providing legal, tax or investment advice to clients.
 – Continuous training programme. 

FINANCIAL

 – Performance of business The risk of JTC not meeting financial forecasts or not achieving the provided market guidance.

 – Ongoing monthly reporting and KPIs that help monitor by performance 

assumptions and targets.

 – Rigorous annual business planning and budget process.
 – Cash management process including matching of cash flows 

where possible. 

 – Monitoring of Fx rates.
 – Regular impairment testing in line with accounting rules.
 – Strict monitoring of loan covenants. 
 – Ongoing review of financial targets and reforecasting.

 – Adequate resources

As business grows, the risk of failure to attract the best people with the right capabilities across 

 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes specifically drafted 

 – A strong management culture where talent management and people 

 – Retained specialist advisers.
 – Suitably staffed and skilled specialist compliance teams operating 

independently in each jurisdiction.

 – Use of NED expertise.
 – Product and jurisdictional diversification reduces impact.
 – Horizon-scanning by boards and committees.
 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes across the Group 

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

 – Established risk and compliance culture across the Group.
 – Independent monitoring programme.
 – Hiring capable employees for key roles.
 – (e.g. Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer).
 – Established and continuing professional development training and 

awareness initiatives. 

for AML/CFT purposes.

development are a key focus.

 – Hiring capable employees for key roles (e.g. Compliance Officer and 

Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

 – Frequent staff training and awareness initiatives.
 – Competitive remuneration package benchmarked with peer group.
 – Shared ownership ideology established across the business. 

 – Succession plan from current staff pool being developed for key roles.
 – 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, 

and a personal development programme for all staff. 

 – Strict policy and procedures from the outset, subject to regular review, 

 – Comprehensive policies, procedures and processes specifically drafted 

with appropriate escalation for higher-risk clients.
 – Frequent staff training and awareness initiatives.
 – Established reporting and escalation processes with review by boards 

and committees as appropriate.

 – Independent client and compliance-monitoring review programme.
 – Established risk and compliance culture across the Group.
 – Ensuring high-quality administration and compliance staff in each 
jurisdiction, plus internal legal counsel support as appropriate.

 – Well-established RFS process.
 – ‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and controls model. 

for business continuity and IT security purposes.

 – Dual data-centre model providing inter-jurisdictional redundancy 
if power or communication failure, connected by 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.
 – Specialist 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. 

STRATEGIC

 – Acquisition

Risk that acquisitions do not achieve intended objectives, giving rise to ongoing or previously 

 – Rigorous acquisition due-diligence process including third-party 

 – Group strategy regularly reviewed and questioned by Group 

 – Competitor

Failure to innovate in line with key competitors or advancing technology may lead to significant 

unidentified liabilities. 

loss of potential or existing business.

 – Strategy

Risk that the Group’s strategy brings excessive risks to the business or does not sufficiently align 

to changing market conditions or client requirements, such that sustainable growth, market 

share or profitability is affected.

assessments by well-regarded accounting and legal firms.

Holdings Board.

 – Governance and questioning by NEDs.
 – Integration strategy agreed before acquisition.
 – Committees established to manage integration process.
 – Identifying forthcoming needs early for investment in digital business 

systems, and established procedures for prioritising product innovation. 

 – Strategically based annual business planning process and performance-

based targets.

 – Clear acquisition process and well-established criteria.
 – Experienced management team.

REPUTATIONAL

 – Regulatory sanction

Risk arising from negative public opinion that could harm JTC’s reputation and standing by failing 

 – Comprehensive risk management capability including controls within 

 – Daily screening and monitoring of clients and related parties on 

to meet stakeholder expectations, or ineffective management responses to a crisis situation. 

Reputational risk events may be caused by JTC or its employees or agents.

the procedural environment and 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. 

 – Public litigation

 – Breaching sanctions

 –  Implicated in 

money laundering  

or the financing 

of terrorism

51

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

Principal risks
We assess the principal risks JTC is exposed by reference to (i) their impact if they were to occur 
and (ii) the likelihood of occurrence. These factors are plotted on the Group Risk Register and Risk 
Assessment Matrix. The timescale over which the risks could occur are a further factor of consideration 
and referenced in the table below. 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 control and mitigation.

PRINCIPAL RISK

POTENTIAL CAUSES

MITIGATION

1

2

3

4

5

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

 – Data exfiltration
 – Malware
 – Financial theft
 – Denial-of-service attacks
 – Cyber phishing 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 lifecycle 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 to identify and remediate identified 

issues promptly

Risk that acquisitions fail to achieve 

Failure to attract, maintain and develop 

Risk that legal or regulatory changes will 

intended objectives or give rise to ongoing or 

high-calibre, experienced senior managers 

materially affect the financial services 

previously unidentified liabilities.

and employees in key roles in the business, in 

sector or specific jurisdictions in which 

order to achieve JTC’s strategic aims.

JTC operates.

 – Inadequate due diligence

 – Economic misjudgement

 – Lack of strategic clarity

 – Uncompetitive remuneration

 – Geopolitical uncertainty

 – Unappealing working environment and 

 – Regional or global standards or requirements 

inadequate support

with disproportionate impact

 – Ineffective or delayed integration

 – Lack of adequate succession planning

 – Political reaction to wide-scale data leaks 

 – Failure to invest in appropriate and timely 

and associated negative press coverage

talent development

 – Balancing increased transparency 

 – Failure to identify roles most essential to 

requirements with increased data 

achieving strategic aims

protection legislation

 – Failure to identify the required skills for 

 – Challenge and cost of measuring, monitoring 

key roles

and demonstrating good conduct as well as 

 – Insufficient focus on attitude and motivation 

meeting new requirements

and alignment with JTC’s vision and values

 – Keeping pace with rapid regulatory change 

and reporting requirements

 – Defined and audited IT procedures
 – Embedded, external security
 – IT systems including ‘one-click’ reporting 
for suspicious activity and monitoring 
external emails

 – Rigorous policies and procedures subject to 
regular review (including for client take-on)

 – Enhanced vetting and sign-off for higher-

risk clients

 – Frequent staff training and 

 – Periodic external security assessments (at 

awareness initiatives

 – Strict due-diligence process including 

 – Ensuring competitive remuneration package 

 – Specialist risk and compliance staff with 

third-party assessments by well-regarded 

and proactive benchmarking against peer 

the skills needed to monitor and report on 

accounting and legal firms and thorough 

group and competitors

strategic outlook and the impact of change

review by in-house experienced 

 – High-quality and well-maintained 

 – Strict and sustainable regulatory change-

acquisition team

office space

management model

 – Obtaining run-off insurance for minimum 

 – Supportive, friendly and inclusive 

 – International presence offering alternative 

least annually)

 – Established reporting and escalation process 

five-year period where required

working environment

solutions across multiple jurisdictions 

 – System access controls embracing ‘least 

privilege access’ model

with review by boards or committees 
as appropriate

 – Specialist in-house IT security
 – Continuous training programme including 

 – Independent client and compliance-

monitoring review programme

 – Governance and questioning from 

 – Shared ownership ideology established across 

(including within the EU)

Non-Executive Directors (including reference 

the business

 – Agile technology allowing for swift adoption 

to proprietary Jurisdictional Strength Index)

 – Established management culture supporting 

and assured compliance with rapidly 

 – Established and tested integration strategy 

staff development and recognition

changing reporting requirements

annual compulsory online security 
awareness course

 – Review of data security procedures 
and controls as part of the annual 
ISAE 3402 report

 – Strict business continuity planning

TIMESCALE

 – Continuous risk

 – Established risk and compliance culture across 

and process agreed before acquisition

 – Key roles identified and development of 

 – Proven record of navigating and maximising 

the Group

 – Ensuring high-quality administration 

and compliance staff in each jurisdiction, 
with internal legal counsel support 
where necessary

 – Well-established RFS process
 – ‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and 

controls model 

 – Continuous risk

 – Management experience

succession planning

revenue growth opportunities from 

 – Shared Ownership aligns interests

 – Established in-house employee training for 

regulatory change

all levels of the business including bespoke 

senior management development programme

 – External professional qualifications 

encouraged and supported 

(including financially)

 – Flexible and appropriate working practices

 – Diminishing risk as each acquisition 

 – Continuous risk, but with some increased risk 

 – Continuous risk

is integrated

following key remuneration events

52

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020PRINCIPAL RISK

POTENTIAL CAUSES

MITIGATION

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 to identify and remediate identified 

issues promptly

 – Data exfiltration

 – Malware

 – Financial theft

 – Denial-of-service attacks

 – Cyber phishing attacks

 – Network service failures

 – Employee error

 – Malicious employee intent

 – Security breach of client data

 – Defined and audited IT procedures

 – Rigorous policies and procedures subject to 

 – Embedded, external security

regular review (including for client take-on)

 – IT systems including ‘one-click’ reporting 

 – Enhanced vetting and sign-off for higher-

for suspicious activity and monitoring 

risk clients

external emails

least annually)

 – Frequent staff training and 

 – Established reporting and escalation process 

 – System access controls embracing ‘least 

with review by boards or committees 

privilege access’ model

as appropriate

 – Specialist in-house IT security

 – Independent client and compliance-

 – Continuous training programme including 

monitoring review programme

awareness course

the Group

 – Review of data security procedures 

 – Ensuring high-quality administration 

and controls as part of the annual 

and compliance staff in each jurisdiction, 

ISAE 3402 report

with internal legal counsel support 

 – Strict business continuity planning

where necessary

 – Well-established RFS process

 – ‘Three lines of defence’ assurance and 

controls model 

 – Continuous risk

1

2

3

4

5

Risk of a security breach, including 

Risk of the Group taking on the wrong 

cyber-attacks from destructive forces 

type of clients, or the Group or the client’s 

leading to loss of confidentiality and 

actions during the client’s lifecycle leading 

integrity of data.

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 affect the financial services 
sector or specific jurisdictions in which 
JTC operates.

 – Inadequate due diligence
 – Economic misjudgement
 – Lack of strategic clarity
 – Ineffective or delayed integration

 – Uncompetitive remuneration
 – Unappealing working environment and 

 – Geopolitical uncertainty
 – Regional or global standards or requirements 

inadequate support

with disproportionate impact

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

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

talent development

 – Failure to identify roles most essential to 

achieving strategic aims

 – Failure to identify the required skills for 

key roles

 – Insufficient focus on attitude and motivation 
and alignment with JTC’s vision and values

 – Balancing increased transparency 
requirements with 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

 – Strict due-diligence process including 

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

 – Ensuring competitive remuneration package 
and proactive benchmarking against peer 
group and competitors

 – Specialist risk and compliance staff with 

the skills needed to monitor and report on 
strategic outlook and the impact of change

 – High-quality and well-maintained 

 – Strict and sustainable regulatory change-

office space

management model

 – Periodic external security assessments (at 

awareness initiatives

 – Obtaining run-off insurance for minimum 

 – Supportive, friendly and inclusive 

five-year period where required
 – Governance and questioning from 

Non-Executive Directors (including reference 
to proprietary Jurisdictional Strength Index)
 – Established and tested integration strategy 

working environment

 – Shared ownership ideology established across 

the business

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

 – Agile technology allowing for swift adoption 

 – Established management culture supporting 

staff development and recognition

and assured compliance with rapidly 
changing reporting requirements

annual compulsory online security 

 – Established risk and compliance culture across 

and process agreed before acquisition

 – Key roles identified and development of 

 – Proven record of navigating and maximising 

 – Management experience
 – Shared Ownership aligns interests

revenue growth opportunities from 
regulatory change

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)

 – Flexible and appropriate working practices

TIMESCALE

 – Continuous risk

 – Diminishing risk as each acquisition 

 – Continuous risk, but with some increased risk 

 – Continuous risk

is integrated

following key remuneration events

53

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STRATEGIC REPORT �����������������������������������������������������P.1–P.54VIABILITY STATEMENT

VIABILITY STATEMENT

ASSESSMENT OF PROSPECTS
The Group’s business model and strategy are 
central to an understanding of its prospects, and 
details can be found on pages 12 to 13. The nature 
of the Group’s activities are 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 operational 
efficiency and cost control.

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 are in place 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.

The key factors that support the Group’s future 
prospects as well as its resilience are:

 – Highly visible recurring revenue and strong 

cash conversion;

 – Diversified across clients, services 

and geographies;

 – Well-invested scalable global platform;
 – Experienced and entrepreneurial 

management team; and

 – Proven track record of M&A and integration.

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND KEY 
ASSUMPTIONS
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,  particularly  in 
light of the global Covid-19 pandemic, including 

macroeconomic, political, social, technological, 
legal and regulatory changes.

(ii) a reduction in revenues due to depressed 
market activity;

The Group is at the beginning of a 5 year business 
plan, known as the Galaxy Era, that will run from 
2021 to 2025. The business has been in existence 
for 33 years and has grown every year. It has long 
term customer relationships that typically last 
more than ten years. Within the five year plan 
the business focuses on strategic objectives and 
these are supported by detailed financial models 
for the first three years. As a result Management 
believe that it is appropriate to base the Viability 
Statement on the three year period.

Detailed financial forecasts have been prepared for 
the three year period to 31 December 2023, and 
therefore two years and nine months remain at 
the time of approval of this year’s Annual Report. 
The first year of the financial forecasts is derived 
from the Group’s operating budget and is subject 
to regular review throughout the year. The second 
and third years are completed with 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:

 – Annual organic growth of 8 – 10% 

year on year;

 – Target margin of 33 – 38% for the 

Group as a whole.

 – No change to the current dividend policy
 – Consistent business model; and
 – No material change to capital structure.

ASSESSMENT OF VIABILITY
Whilst the Group’s detailed financial forecasts 
are based on the Directors’ expectations for the 
period of viability, the Group has also assessed 
the financial impact and the impact on our loan 
covenants in relation to the Group’s Principal Risks, 
which are set out on pages 52 and 53. 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.

The viability statement evaluates the following risks:

1.  Lower revenues and higher costs resulting 
from a change in economic outlook that 
leads to: (i) a higher cost to service debt and 

2.  An acquisition in similar size to RBC CEES 
(£20m acquisition price) failing to achieve 
intended objectives or giving rise to ongoing 
or previously unidentified liabilities;

3.  Adverse foreign exchange movements and 

interest rate increases; and

4.  A regulatory, cyber or fiduciary incident resulting 
in significant one-off costs during the period.

The Group’s assessment considered all of the 
above risks occurring at the same time. Based on 
this assessment, the Directors 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 
2023. 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 this severe but plausible scenario. The modelling 
of these risks has taken into account the principal 
risks and their impact on the business model, future 
performance, solvency and liquidity over the period.

There are a number of mitigating actions available 
to  the  Board  in  the  event  of  any  of  the  risks 
materialising, such as reducing dividends, employee 
incentives, marketing, business and technology 
development spend, which have not been included 
in the assessment.

GOING CONCERN BASIS
The Directors also considered it appropriate to 
prepare the consolidated financial statements 
on the going concern basis, as explained in the 
Basis of Preparation paragraph in note 2 to the 
consolidated financial statements on page 119.

VIABILITY STATEMENT
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 2023.

The  Strategic  Report  on  pages  1  to  53  was 
approved by the Board on 12 April 2021.

NIGEL LE QUESNE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM
CHIEF FINANCIAL 
OFFICER

54

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE

56  Chairman’s Introduction
58  Board of Directors
60  Executive Team
63  Stakeholder Engagement 
66  Board Evaluation
68  Nomination Committee
72  Audit and Risk Committee
76  Remuneration Committee
99  Directors’ Report
104 Directors’ Responsibility Statement

55

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE
MIKE LISTON, OBE, 
NON-ExECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

The Importance of Culture
The year highlighted vividly how culture and purpose 
underpin the resilience of JTC’s business philosophy. 
Much as it has during other major crises in the past 30 
years, JTC has reasons to be grateful that its founding 
principles remain intact and relevant.

The challenge of preserving organisational culture in 
a remote setting has been a unique feature of the 
Covid-19 crisis and our people have adapted seamlessly 
to new ways of working to maintain excellent client 
service whilst also managing continuous growth. 
Their dedication is a reassuring reflection of the 
culture of care which the company strives for and the 
power of shared ownership in motivating team effort 
not just for our clients and investors around the globe, 
but also for each other.

Achieving this business-as-usual performance during 
unprecedented disruption is testament to the innate 
qualities  of  our  people  and  the  wisdom  of  their 
daily decision-making. Moreover, it highlights the 
robustness of our information and communications 
technology infrastructure which harnesses the global 
expertise of our people as they deliver local client 
solutions to exacting corporate standards.

Our business model has fared extremely well during 
the pandemic, supported by the inherent stability 
of the industry and clients we serve – be they asset 
managers responding continuously to new disruptive 
risks to their value chains, or private clients engaged 
in wealth protection, preservation and succession 
planning. Such activity brings constant demand for 
outsourced services like ours and leverages the mutual 
advantages of longevity in our relationships which give 
us deep insight into client needs.

Our Role in Society
We take pride in the calibre of the Institutional and 
Private clients who trust us to help them achieve 
positive impact in the world. We share their long-term 
perspective in wealth creation and distribution, with 
time frames often measured in decades and benefits 
measured in social impact.

framework as we support clients to strengthen theirs. 
In particular, we have a good history in providing 
services  to  developers  of  renewable  energy  and 
sustainable infrastructure.

We see that private equity is poised to play a vital role 
in rebuilding the global economy and funding the cycle 
of recovery. Governments that are no longer able to 
afford their traditional provision of vital infrastructure 
in healthcare, water and sanitation, housing, safe 
transportation and sustainable energy are relying 
on alternative capital to ‘build back better’, which is 
rapidly turning into ‘build back greener’.

The explicit social purpose for massive post-pandemic 
investment across the globe demands both probity 
and efficiency in the mobilisation of capital and this 
is where fiduciary service providers like JTC and its 
peers have a real role to play.

Looking beyond the pandemic, the macro-economic 
outlook appears exceptionally positive for our industry 
and our company. It also aligns positively with our 
recognition of the increasing importance of ESG. 
This annual report documents just some of the work 
we are doing to continuously strengthen our own ESG 

Regulatory Expertise
Our expertise in connecting capital for social good is 
as vital for our private clients as it is for the institutions 
we serve. Many are investors in their own right and 
very often with substance and commitment to ESG 
principles equal to their institutional peers. This is 

56

UK Corporate Governance Code 
Compliance Statement
The Board is pleased to confirm that 
JTC applied the principles and complied 
with all of the provisions of the 2018 UK 
Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”) 
throughout the year, except that:

the  Non-Executive  Chairman  was  a 
member of the Audit and Risk Committee 
during  the  year.  The  Non-Executive 
Chairman  stepped  down  from  the 
Committee effective as of 26 November 
2020 to ensure that the Company is fully 
compliant with Provision 24 of the Code;

the  Company  did  not  have  a  post-
employment shareholding requirement 
during  the  year.  The  Remuneration 
Committee adopted a policy in relation to 
executives’ shareholdings post-cessation 
of employment on 11 February 2021 to 
ensure compliance with Provision 36 of 
the Code; and

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020BOARD GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JTC PLC

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE

NOMINATION 
COMMITTEE

AUDIT AND RISK 
COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF JTC GROUP HOLDINGS 
LIMITED

GROUP 
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

the alignment of the Executive Directors’ 
pensions with that of the workforce in 
accordance  with  Provision  38  of  the 
Code. The Remuneration Committee 
will consider the Executive Directors’ 
pension arrangements when reviewing 
the  Company’s  Remuneration  Policy 
in  2021  and  consider  making  any 
adjustments it considers appropriate to 
ensure consistency with the Company’s 
commitment  to  fair  executive  and 
employee compensation. 

Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules
We  comply  with  the  cor porate 
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 169.

particularly true of the next generation, who typically 
have a highly enlightened perspective on how they 
should use their wealth to do good in the world. JTC’s 
presence onshore, offshore and mid-shore positions 
it perfectly to serve its clients and their stakeholders 
as they put capital to work across borders. Like few 
others, we have decades of experience with both the 
harmonisation and fragmentation of global standards 
for the regulation, transparency and reporting of 
financial services. Our mission is to ensure not just 
regulatory compliance in facilitating the flow of 
capital but also to protect its value to lenders and 
borrowers alike, against risks of negligence, corruption 
and unwarranted territorial layering of taxation.

Advantage through Technology
Whilst much of our technology focus during the year 
was on preserving our high standards of cyber-security 
during a widespread transition to remote working, we 
made steady progress in our aim to achieve a position 
of leadership in our sector.

NESF had already demonstrated before we acquired 
it during the year, many opportunities to transform 
fund administration by combining technology, domain 
expertise and smart business processes. Now applying 

its capabilities across the Group, we are confident 
of achieving the efficiencies for our people and the 
service customisation for our clients, on which our 
continuing growth relies.

Developments in Governance
In November, Dr. Erika Schraner assumed the role 
of Chair of the Nomination Committee. I would like 
to thank Michael Gray for chairing the Committee 
since our IPO, and I welcome Erika to the role. One of 
my key priorities is to support long-term succession 
planning. I have written before about the value of 
leadership at JTC in defining who we are and what 
we stand for. Not just in terms of strategic capability, 
entrepreneurialism, determination and performance 
management, but also in terms of cultural alignment 
across the company. The response of our people to 
the challenges of the pandemic and management’s 
response to their needs in turn, demonstrates again the 
full suite of hard and soft leadership qualities for which 
our CEO and founder, Nigel Le Quesne, is admired.

The Executive Succession Plan which I highlighted 
last year stresses the importance of preserving the 
company’s founding principles and unique culture, 
as it continues its evolution to a substantial global 
corporation. So too, the importance of succession from 
within as an ambition, in a business 20% owned by 
its employees.

The Board believes it is in the company’s best interests 
that Nigel Le Quesne should continue to lead it 
through its next ‘Galaxy Era’ business-plan era, which 
will have a span of five years commencing in 2021. 
I aim to discuss further details of the Succession Plan 
with our largest shareholders during the year.

Outlook
The year 2020 concluded the ‘Odyssey Era’ which took 
JTC from small-cap IPO to FTSE 250 in less than three 
years. The Galaxy Era picks up the pace with organic 
growth supplemented by disciplined acquisition in the 
manner we demonstrated this year with NESF, the 
Sanne Private Client business and RBC CEES.

With proven adaptability and scalable infrastructure 
we are well placed to exploit opportunities in the 
most promising jurisdictions and service lines as they 
emerge in what we believe is going to be a dynamic 
time for our industry.

MIKE LISTON, OBE
NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

57

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
VALUES AND LEADERSHIP

MIKE LISTON, OBE

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

Non-Executive Chairman

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer 

APPOINTMENT TO BOARD

8 March 2018

12 January 2018 (Joined the Group in 1991)

12 January 2018 (Joined the Group in 2015)

COMMITTEE 
MEMBERSHIP

ExPERIENCE

Nomination

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.

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.

Non-Executive Director of 
Brooks Macdonald International 
Investment Funds Limited. 

Strong financial analysis skills.

Extensive experience in financial 
management and reporting.

Broad range of management  
experience.

Not applicable.

RELEVANT SKILLS

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

ExTERNAL 
APPOINTMENTS

Non-Executive Director 
and Chairman of the Audit 
Committee of Foresight Solar 
& Technology VCT Plc. Non-
Executive Director and Chair of 
the Remuneration Committee at 
Foresight Group Holdings PLC.

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

58

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020WENDY HOLLEY

Chief Operating Officer

DERMOT MATHIAS

Senior Independent 
Non-Executive Director

MICHAEL GRAY

Independent 
Non-Executive Director

ERIKA SCHRANER

Independent 
Non-Executive Director

19 July 2019 (Joined the Group in 2008)

8 March 2018

8 March 2018

18 November 2019

Not applicable.

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

Nomination

Audit and Risk (Chair)

Remuneration

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

Nomination

Audit and Risk

Remuneration (Chair)

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

Nomination (Chair)

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.

PhD in Management Science 
& Engineering.

Communication and 
management skills.

Extensive information 
technology and 
M&A experience.

Not applicable.

Formerly Non-Executive 
Director and Chairman of the 
Audit Committee of Shaftesbury 
PLC (retired 25 February 2021 
having served over eight years 
on the Board). 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.

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

Member

Member since

Maximum no. 
of meetings

No. of meetings 
attended

% of meetings 
attended

MIKE
LISTON

March

 2018

8

8

NIGEL LE 
QUESNE

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM

DERMOT 
MATHIAS

MICHAEL
GRAY

January 

2018

January

2018

March

2018

March

2018

ERIKA
 SCHRANER

November

 2019

WENDY
HOLLEY

July

2019

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

59

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104EXECUTIVE TEAM

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM

Chief Financial Officer

WENDY HOLLEY

IAIN JOHNS

Chief Operating 
Officer

Group Head of Private 
Client Services

JONATHAN 
JENNINGS

Group Head of 
Institutional Client 
Services

RICHARD INGLE

Chief Risk Officer

MICHAEL 
HALLORAN

Group Head of 
Technology Strategy

GROUP HOLDINGS BOARD

NIGEL LE QUESNE

Chief Executive Officer

OPERATIONS

BILL BYRNE

Chief Group Counsel

DEAN 
BLACKBURN

Chief Commercial 
Officer 

INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES

CAROL GRAHAM

ADAM JEFFRIES

DAVID VIEIRA

Group Director: Group 
Human Resources

Chief Information 
Officer

Chief Communications 
Officer

BECKY 
HENWOOD 
-DARTS

Group Director Finance

MIRANDA 
LANSDOWNE

Joint Company  
Secretary

KOBUS CRONJE

EKE VERBEKE

JOOST MEES

ICS Global Head  
of Operations

Managing Director –  
Netherlands

Managing Director – 
Luxembourg

WOUTER 
PLANTENGA

ICS Head of Group 
Client Services

HELIER LE MAIN

REID THOMAS

FIONA WILD

Group Director, 
Employer Solutions

Managing Director 
– NESF

Head of Operations: 
ICS

PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

Find out more 
about us at 
JTCGROUP.COM

PAUL WEIR

Regional Head – 
Europe

EMILIO MIGUEL

Regional Head – 
Americas

TRACEY 
MCFARLANE

Head of Operations: 
PCS

MICHAEL HALSEY

NEEL SAHAI

MATTHIAS BELZ

Regional Head – 
Caribbean

Regional Head – 
AMEA

Head of JTC Private 
Office

60

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020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 68 to 71.

Board Composition and Roles
As  at  31  December  2020,  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 58 and 59. 
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.

ROLES

RESPONSIBILITIES

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.

 – 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 6 to 9.

 – 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 14 to 18. 

 – 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.

 – 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 feedback 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.

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

CEO

CFO

SID

NEDs

COO

COMPANY 
SECRETARY

 – Ensures appropriate 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.

61

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104ExECUTIVE TEAM CONTINUED

Board Activities During the Year
The Board meets regularly during the year as well as 
on an ad hoc basis, as required by business needs. 
The  Board  met  eight  times  during  the  year  and 
attendance is shown in the table on page 59.

FEBRUARY
 – 2020 Group budget
 – Full-year report from Group HR department
 – Review of Policies and Procedures
 – Board Reports and standing agenda items

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

MARCH
 – GDC Projects

 – 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

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.

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:

APRIL
 – GDC Strategic update (Deep Dive)
 – Approval of Annual Results, and all 

ancillary matters

 – Approval of Final Dividend Recommendation 
 – Approval of AGM Notice
 – Board Reports and standing agenda items

MAY
 – AGM Results
 – BCP presentation (Deep Dive)
 – US update (Deep Dive)
 – ICS update (Deep Dive
 – Projects update
 – Board Reports and standing agenda items

JULY
 – 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
 – Regular Board Reports and 
standing agenda items

SEPTEMBER
 – 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

NOVEMBER
 – Review and approval of the year end external 

audit timetable, scope and plan
 – Review Chief Risk Officer’s report
 – Board Reports and standing agenda items

2021
 – Continued implementation and development 

of the Group strategy

 – Five year business planning 2021-2025
 – Executive Succession planning, talent acquisition 

and development 

 – Furthering information technology strategy

62

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

HOW WE ENGAGE

The  Board  recognises  that  positive,  effective 
engagement  between  the  Company  and  its 
stakeholders is key in informing the Board’s decision 
making and strengthening and promoting JTC’s long-
term success. We will maintain and develop a proactive 
programme of stakeholder engagement to help us 
deliver our strategic ‘Galaxy‘ Plan 2021-2025, our 
statutory functions and achieve our vision for 2025.

Internal and External Stakeholder Engagement
JTC’s key stakeholders are its clients, employees, and 
shareholders, as well as our regulators and professional 
intermediaries. Appreciating stakeholders’ needs 
and  developing  corresponding  solutions  that 
meet  stringent  standards  and  set  new  industry 
benchmarks lie at the core of JTC’s holistic approach 
to value creation.

To set our strategic priorities, the Board incorporates 
stakeholder inputs, business insights, sector initiatives, 
peer reviews, and global trends. This helps to identify 
the most important issues for our business as well as 
our stakeholders, making it easier to not only define 
risks, opportunities, and performance metrics, but also 
to report and set targets.

Principles
We recognise that open and transparent engagement 
with our stakeholders is essential for the long-term 
success of our business. Engagement is based on 
mechanisms through which we provide information 
about our activities and learn about our stakeholders’ 
interests and concerns.

Transparent and responsible: we have a strong 
reputation for doing business with integrity – and 
we value it. In everything we do, we want to be 
transparent and honest with our stakeholders

An  inclusive  approach:  consultation  with 
stakeholders  in  developing  and  achieving  an 
accountable and strategic response to sustainability.

Materiality:  determining  the  relevance  and 
significance  of  issues  to  both  the  Group  and  its 
stakeholders. The materiality of issues concerns the 
legitimate interests and expectations of stakeholders 
in the context of the legal and strategic considerations 
of the business.

Responding: appropriately to stakeholder 
issues  through  decisions,  actions  and 
performance, and communication.

Section 172(1) Statement 
JTC  is  incorporated  in  Jersey  under  the 
Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 (as amended) 
which does not have a statutory equivalent 
to section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 
(the UK Act). However, in accordance with 
Provision 5 of the 2018 Code, the Directors 
have undertaken to describe in the annual 
report how their interests and the matters 
set out in section 172 have been considered 
in board discussions and decision-making.

Section 172(1) of the Companies Act 2006 
requires a director of a company to act in 
a  way  he  or  she  considers,  in  good  faith, 
would most likely promote the success of the 
company for the benefit of its members as a 
whole, and in doing so, have regard, amongst 
other matters, to:

a)  the likely consequences of any decision 

in the long-term;

b)  the interests of the company’s employees;
c)  the need to foster the Company’s 

business relationships with suppliers, 
customers and others;

d)  the impact of the Company’s operations 
on the community and the environment;

e)  the desirability of the Company 

maintaining a reputation for high 
standards of business conduct; and

f)  the need to act fairly as between 

members of the Company.

Set out below are some examples of how the 
Directors have had regard to the matters set 
out in section 172(1)(a)-(f) and the effect on 
certain decisions made by the Directors.

The Directors have taken steps to implement a 
more structured reporting process, increasing 
the  scope  of  information  received  and 
considered by the Directors at the formally 
scheduled  board  meetings.  The  Directors 
received information on a range of matters 
concerning  the  business  activities  of  the 
Company and its employees, to support the 

Directors in exercising their discretion when 
considering the matters set out in section 
172(1). To support the conduct of normal 
business in an expeditious manner, the board 
delegates certain authority to management, 
pursuant to the Company’s Delegation of 
Authority which is regularly reviewed.

The Directors consider the likely consequences 
of any decision in the long term. Each company 
within  the  JTC  Group  is  bound  by  Group 
policies consistent with the Group’s culture 
in all key areas including supplier management 
and  outsourcing,  customer  interactions, 
human  resources,  legal  and  compliance, 
quality and regulatory, and health and safety.

The  Directors  received  and  considered 
reports outlining stakeholder engagement 
activities which had taken place at a group 
level, whereby much of this activity takes 
place, due to the diversity and breadth of the 
Group’s stakeholders. Further details of the 
Group’s stakeholders and how their interests 
are considered can be found on pages 63 to 65. 

The Company considers its employees to be 
a key stakeholder and attaches significant 
impor tance  to  employee  welfare  and 
development.  The  Directors  considered 
some  of  the  key  themes  which  had  been 
communicated  as  part  of  the  employee 
engagement at a company level.

During the year when considering the proposed 
transactions undertaken by the Company, the 
Directors had regard to the Company’s assets, 
liabilities, and the benefit to the Company and 
its stakeholders. Further details can be found 
on pages 12 to 13.

63

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT CONTINUED

Understanding  the  views  and  values  of  all  our 
stakeholders is critical to JTC’s success and we use a 
range of tools to foster an open dialogue with all of them.

Stakeholder engagement in the Group is overseen by 
the Board and material engagements are reported 
to the Board at each meeting. Interactions with 
stakeholders take place on both a formal and informal 
basis, are ongoing and conducted by the functions 
directly  aligned  with  the  stakeholder  group. 
For example, employee engagements are mainly 
coordinated by the senior management team and 
engagements with clients include administration and 
operational staff.

For each matter that comes before the Board, the 
Board  considers  the  likely  consequences  of  any 
decision in the long-term, identifies stakeholders 
who may be affected, and carefully considers their 
interests and any potential impact as part of the 
decision-making process.

We openly communicate the reasons for our decisions 
so  stakeholders  can  understand  what  we  have 
done and how their feedback has been considered. 
Some of our information will be technical in nature, 
but we aim to communicate in ways that make it 
accessible for different audiences while still providing 
sufficient detail.

With stakeholder trust being a vital ingredient for 
sustainable long-term growth the Board is committed 
to  maintaining  engagement  mechanisms  that 
are working well and to find better ways to reach 
those  where  our  opportunity  for  engagement  is 
currently limited.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

CLIENTS
 – 98 Ambassador Programme meetings 
 – 20+ E-comms 
 – 10 BCP Covid-19 comms
 – 10 CEO updates issued

EMPLOYEES
 – ‘Ownership 4 All’ programme
 – Comms champions initiative 
 – 650+ ‘JTC Joogle’ articles
 – 15 Group BCP Covid-19 comms
 – 10 CEO updates 
 – 12 birthday breakfasts 
 – 51 virtual ‘events’

INTERMEDIARIES
 – 2,404 Meetings
 – 26 Conferences
 – 33 Events
 – 16 Webinars 
 – 20 E-comms

REGULATORS AND  
GOVERNMENT BODIES
 – 37 Events/virtual events attended
 – 5 Working parties
 – 5 Workshops attended
 – 12 Quarterly review meetings

SHAREHOLDERS
 – Annual and interim 
results presentations

 – Meetings held with holders of c. 75% 
of issued Share Capital (excluding 
Directors and Employees) 

 – c. 21% of Issued Share Capital held by 

Directors and Employees 

CHARITIES AND COMMUNITIES
 – 76 employee fund raising events
 – £150,000+ in charitable donations
 – 4,100+ hours donated 
 – 50+ charities supported

64

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE

HOW WE ENGAGE

KEY INTERESTS

OUTCOME OF ENGAGEMENT

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.

Governments and regulators, at national, regional and 
local levels, draft, implement and uphold legislation, 
rules and regulations, and set the framework within 
which we operate.

JTC has a global footprint and currently operates 23 
offices in 19 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.

Shareholders are the companies, financial institutions 
and individuals that hold a stake in the Company. 
They are entitled to receive dividends and to vote at 
shareholder meetings on certain matters, including 
the election of the Company’s Directors.

The Group Heads of ICS, PCS and Technology Strategy 

Our aim is to provide our clients with value-

By taking an entrepreneurial approach and delivering 

keep the Board informed of new and evolving trends 

added and competitive solutions tailored to 

a first class service with a can-do attitude, we are able 

and the requirements of our client base. 

their present and future needs.

to retain and support our clients in a way that adds 

value and is mutually beneficial.

Client feedback through JTC’s Ambassador and Star 

Ratings programmes, is key to process improvements, 

quality enhancement and service performance.

The Board receives regular People strategy updates 

Our engagement is supported by three 

Through our Shared Ownership culture and Guiding 

from the COO, including details of our employee 

constantly evolving programmes. JTC 

Principles we aim to help every member of the team 

engagement results, updates on diversity and inclusion 

Academy for learning and development, JTC 

maximise their individual potential, enjoy a balanced 

and cultural awareness initiatives, measurement and 

Gateway for global mobility opportunities 

life and have the opportunity to share directly in the 

performance, and our succession planning and talent 

and JTC Wellbeing for physical, emotional 

long-term growth and success of JTC.

development initiatives.

and mental good health. All of these 

are supported and underpinned by our 

Ownership for All programmes.

The Board is kept informed of intermediary partners 

We proactively develop, manage and 

By working with a range of high quality intermediaries 

initiatives through the Executive Committees, 

monitor relationships with our intermediary 

we are able to grow the business organically, especially 

with support from the Chief Commercial Officer, 

partners, focussing on relationships 

in terms of winning new clients and also offer our 

Chief Communications Officer and business 

and complementary services and using 

clients access to a wide range of ancillary services from 

development teams.

technology, such as Salesforce CRM, to make 

top-class providers.

our engagement as efficient as possible.

The Chief Risk Officer and Company Secretary, and 

We take a disciplined, timely and proactive 

By forming appropriate and engaged relationships with 

other subject matter experts regularly update the 

approach in monitoring regulatory 

our regulators we are able to offer an even better and 

Board on matters affecting the Group as a result 

updates and responding to any regulatory 

more informed service to our clients, mitigating risk 

of actions being taken by regional and national 

requests and requirements. We work 

by ensuring compliance with all relevant standards, 

government bodies and agencies which implement and 

closely and transparently with regulators 

regulations and laws.

enforce laws and regulations. 

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.

as circumstances dictate, including on 

convened working parties and through local 

professional associations.

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.

We regularly meet with institutional investors 

Shareholders, and particularly institutional 

We pay special attention to how we communicate 

and brokers’ analysts at industry conferences and 

investors, are constantly evaluating their 

with shareholders, maintaining fluent and transparent 

roadshows, as well as in one-on-one meetings. The 

holdings in the Company and whether to 

dialogue with them in order to ensure that they are 

Board attends the Company’s AGM, where Directors 

buy, hold or sell shares. We provide insightful 

treated well and informed of all relevant information.

are available to answer questions. The Company also 

information about the Company’s strategy, 

provides regular financial reports and other ad hoc 

projects and performance to assist them in 

information, which is maintained on our website: 

their assessment of the Company. 

jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/

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 

Engaging with a range of organisations in the 

Engaging directly with charities, both as JTC and 

giving and seek to get involved with both international 

third sector helps to guide our programmes 

where relevant on behalf of our clients, allows us to 

and local organisations that benefit the people and 

and our impact on the environment and 

support the communities where we operate and make 

communities where we work. We also recognise the 

society in the jurisdictions and countries 

a difference to people’s lives. We believe in maximising 

value of our client and intermediary relationships and 

where we operate.

where appropriate seek to support their charitable 

endeavours also.

the potential of the individual and this provides a focus 

for our charitable engagement and giving.

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020 – 20+ E-comms 

 – 10 BCP Covid-19 comms

 – 10 CEO updates issued

EMPLOYEES

 – ‘Ownership 4 All’ programme

 – Comms champions initiative 

 – 650+ ‘JTC Joogle’ articles

 – 15 Group BCP Covid-19 comms

 – 10 CEO updates 

 – 12 birthday breakfasts 

 – 51 virtual ‘events’

INTERMEDIARIES

 – 2,404 Meetings

 – 26 Conferences

 – 33 Events

 – 16 Webinars 

 – 20 E-comms

REGULATORS AND  

GOVERNMENT BODIES

 – 37 Events/virtual events attended

 – 5 Working parties

 – 5 Workshops attended

 – 12 Quarterly review meetings

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.

Governments and regulators, at national, regional and 

local levels, draft, implement and uphold legislation, 

rules and regulations, and set the framework within 

which we operate.

JTC has a global footprint and currently operates 23 

offices in 19 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.

Shareholders are the companies, financial institutions 

and individuals that hold a stake in the Company. 

They are entitled to receive dividends and to vote at 

 – Meetings held with holders of c. 75% 

shareholder meetings on certain matters, including 

of issued Share Capital (excluding 

the election of the Company’s Directors.

SHAREHOLDERS

 – Annual and interim 

results presentations

Directors and Employees) 

 – c. 21% of Issued Share Capital held by 

Directors and Employees 

CHARITIES AND COMMUNITIES

The jurisdictions and countries where we operate 

 – 76 employee fund raising events

 – £150,000+ in charitable donations

are more than just the homes of our clients, they are 

the homes of our employees, their families and their 

 – 4,100+ hours donated 

 – 50+ charities supported

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.

CLIENTS

Clients are the lifeblood of the business. The nature 

 – 98 Ambassador Programme meetings 

of our service offering means that we nurture and 

The Group Heads of ICS, PCS and Technology Strategy 
keep the Board informed of new and evolving trends 
and the requirements of our client base. 

Our aim is to provide our clients with value-
added and competitive solutions tailored to 
their present and future needs.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE

HOW WE ENGAGE

KEY INTERESTS

OUTCOME OF ENGAGEMENT

Client feedback through JTC’s Ambassador and Star 
Ratings programmes, is key to process improvements, 
quality enhancement and service performance.

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.

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.

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 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.

We regularly meet with institutional investors 
and brokers’ analysts at industry conferences and 
roadshows, as well as in one-on-one meetings. The 
Board attends the Company’s AGM, where Directors 
are available to answer questions. The Company also 
provides regular financial reports and other ad hoc 
information, which is maintained on our website: 
jtcgroup.com/investor-relations/

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

We pay special attention to how we communicate 
with shareholders, maintaining fluent and transparent 
dialogue with them in order to ensure that they are 
treated well and informed of all relevant information.

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.

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.

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.

Shareholders, and particularly institutional 
investors, are constantly evaluating their 
holdings in the Company and whether to 
buy, hold or sell shares. We provide insightful 
information about the Company’s strategy, 
projects and performance to assist them in 
their assessment of the Company. 

Engaging with a range of organisations in the 
third sector helps to guide our programmes 
and our impact on the environment and 
society in the jurisdictions and countries 
where we operate.

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.

65

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104BOARD EVALUATION

BOARD EVALUATION
MIKE LISTON
NON-ExECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

The Board carries out a review of the effectiveness 
of its performance and that of its Committees and 
Directors every year. The evaluation is externally 
facilitated  every  three  years.  The  next  external 
evaluation will be in respect of the 31 December 2021 
financial year.

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.

In 2020, 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.

THE BOARD, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE 
NOMINATION COMMITTEE, KEEPS UNDER 
CONSTANT REVIEW THE COMPOSITION 
OF THE BOARD AND ITS COMMITTEES, 
SUCCESSION PLANNING, DIVERSITY, 
INCLUSION AND GOVERNANCE 
RELATED MATTERS

Board Induction and Training Programme
We  have  an  established  induction  and  training 
programme in place which can be tailored to meet 
the requirements of individual Directors.

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

Informal Board Interactions 
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  at tend 
these sessions.

2020 Evaluation Process 
Step 1. 2020 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. 

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 at the 
Nomination Committee and Board meetings held in 
February 2021. 

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.

Evaluation Findings 
The internal evaluation concluded that the Board, 
its Committees and each of its Directors continue 
to be effective.

The internal effectiveness review identified some 
opportunities for the Board and the resulting areas of 
focus are summarised in the table overleaf.

The agreed actions included adopting more succinct 
reporting to assist the Board’s focused discussions, as 
well as the changes proposed to the composition of 
the Board Committees and terms of reference.

As part of the evaluation, consideration was given 
to the number of external positions held by the 
Non-Executive  Directors,  including  the  time 

66

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Non-Executive Directors’ Independence 
The Nomination Committee considers whether each 
of the NEDs continues to be independent. For more 
information please see page 70. 

Progress against 2019 actions
Set  out  below  is  the  progress  made  against 
actions identified through the 2019 internal Board 
effectiveness review.

commitment required for each. As a result of this 
review, the Nomination 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 58 to 59. 
All of our Non-Executive Directors are considered to 
be independent.

Board Expertise 
The Board’s evaluation process supports our approach 
to diversity by mapping the skills, capability and 
relevant experience of the Board to the needs of the 
Group and our strategy, while supporting our focus 
on developing the diversity of the Board in regard 
to  gender  and  ethnicity,  geographical  expertise, 
professional  background,  tenure,  age  and  other 
distinctions over time. 

2019 EVALUATION FINDINGS

PROGRESS IN 2020

BALANCE OF DEBATE

The Board noted the progress made in the following areas since the following areas since the previous Board 
effectiveness review:

 – the focus on future strategy (Galaxy era)
 – additional information supporting the Jurisdictional Strength Index metrics presented to the Board
 – reporting on employee engagement 
 – improvement in the format of the risk reporting Board papers

TALENT MANAGEMENT AND 
SUCCESSION PLANNING

The 2019 review included questions about the effectiveness of contributions of each Board member; the size, 
composition, diversity and balance of skills on the Board and the adequacy of succession plans. The Board 
received a full update on succession planning at its meeting in May 2020.

2020 EVALUATION FINDINGS

EVALUATION

BALANCE OF DEBATE

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

Greater focus on the impact of technology and the threats and opportunities arising from this to the Group’s 
longer-term strategy.

BOARD COMPOSITION 

Suggestions were made regarding desirable attributes in future potential candidates, including sector /
market experience

TALENT MANAGEMENT AND 
SUCCESSION PLANNING

Further increase the 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.

67

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104NOMINATION COMMITTEE

NOMINATION COMMITTEE
ERIKA SCHRANER,
INDEPENDENT NON-ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Shareholders,
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the 
Nomination Committee’s Report for the financial year 
ended 31 December 2020.

Having  been  a  member  of  the  Committee  since 
3 March 2020, I was delighted to assume the role of 
Chair of the Committee from 26 November 2020. 
I would like to thank Michael Gray for chairing the 
Committee since the Company’s IPO, and for his 
support in ensuring a smooth transition of our roles. 

Committee Responsibilities and Key Activities
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.

Details  of  the  key  areas  of  responsibility  of  the 
Committee and the time spent on each during 2020 
are set out below:

Committee Members
Erika Schraner
Independent  Non-Executive  Director 
–  appointed  Committee  Chairman 
26 November 2020

Board composition 
 – Review the size and composition of the Board 

and its Committees;

 – Review the Directors’ skills matrix; and 
 – Recommendation of the annual re-election 

of Directors.

Mike Liston
Non-Executive Chairman

Succession planning 
 – Review the succession plans for the Board and 

Dermot Mathias
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

senior management ; and

 – Talent management. 

Effectiveness 
 – Review the plans for the current year’s 

effectiveness review;

 – Review progress against the actions identified 
in the previous year’s effectiveness review;

 – Review the Non-Executive Director time 

commitments; and

 – Review of Non-Executive Director independence.

Governance 
 – Ensure the Committee’s compliance with 
the UK Corporate Governance Code;
 – Review of matters reserved for the Board;
 – Review Directors’ conflicts of interest; and 
 – Review the Group’s approach to diversity 

and inclusion.

Membership of the Committee
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.

Dr. Erika Schraner was appointed as Chair of the 
Committee with effect from 26 November 2020. 
Erika’s appointment is subject to her re-election by 
shareholders at the 2021 Annual General Meeting.

JTC  (Jersey)  Limited,  the  corporate  Company 
Secretary, acts as secretary to the Committee.

Michael Gray
Independent Non-Executive Director

Committee Meetings in 2020
The Committee met formally twice during the year. Attendance by the Committee members at 
these meetings is shown below:

MAxIMUM NO. OF 
MEETINGS

MEETINGS 
ATTENDED

% OF MEETINGS 
ATTENDED

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

100%

100%

100%

100%

Erika Schraner (Chair)

Michael Gray

Mike Liston

Dermot Mathias

68

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020WE ARE COMMITTED TO 
CONTINUING TO EVOLVE 
DIVERSITY OF THE BOARD 
AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, 
WHILST ENSURING THAT 
THE COMPOSITION AT 
BOTH LEVELS SUPPORTS THE 
COMPANY IN ACHIEVING ITS 
STRATEGIC PLANS

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.

Focus of Committee Activities in 2020
Board and Committee composition 
Succession planning  
Effectiveness  
Governance 

28%
22%
30%
20%

Board Committee Changes in 2020
The  Committee  has  sought  to  balance  the 
composition of the Board and its Committees and 
will seek to refresh them over time. In discharging 
its responsibilities, the Committee regularly reviews 
the structure, size and composition of the Board 
and its Committees, including skills, knowledge, 
independence and diversity to ensure that they are 
aligned with the Group’s strategy. 

Following a formal review of the composition of 
Board Committees and the UK Corporate Governance 
Code,  and  discussions  with  each  Non-Executive 
Director, the Board agreed to a recommendation 
from  the  Committee  to  my  appointment  as  the 
Nomination Committee Chair in place of Michael 
Gray. Michael remains a member of the Board and 
its Committees and will continue to fulfil the role of 
Chair of the Remuneration Committee. 

In accordance with the Committee’s recommendation 
Non-Executive  Chairman,  Mike  Liston,  stepped 
down as a member of the Company’s Audit and Risk 
Committee with effect from 26 November 2020. 
This change was made to ensure that the Company 
is fully compliant with Provision 24 of the 2018 UK 
Corporate Governance Code.

Succession Planning
Succession planning continues to be a priority for the 
Committee and throughout the year the Committee 
focussed on the succession plan and pipeline for 
candidates for the Board and senior management.

The Committee has also continued to focus on talent 
and the ability to retain, progress and incentivise high-
potential individuals with the skills and experience 
to improve the overall capability and performance 
of  the  Group.  This  has  been  facilitated  through 
regular reporting from and discussions with the Chief 
Operating Officer. This has provided the Committee 
and  the  Board  with  oversight  of  internal  talent 
progress within the broader leadership talent pool, 
and the bespoke LION development programme put 
in place for these colleagues.

The  Board  has  also  engaged  with  all  members 
of the senior management team through regular 
presentations  and  discussions  at  its  scheduled 
quarterly Board meetings. 

Effectiveness
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 2020 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 Non-Executive 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 
was 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 February 2021 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 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.

The Nomination Committee periodically reviews 
the format of the Board Committee and Directors’ 
performance evaluation programme to ensure that 
feedback is actioned.

Further details of the Board evaluation findings and the 
actions taken/agreed may be found at pages 66 to 67.

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.

69

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104NOMINATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

Governance 
During the year the Committee reviewed the matters 
which are reserved for the decision of the Board. 
The full schedule of matters reserved for the Board is 
available at jtcgroup.com/investor-relations.

Additionally, the Committee reviewed compliance 
with the UK Corporate Governance Code, resulting 
in the Non-Executive Chairman stepping down as a 
member of the Company’s Audit and Risk Committee 
with effect from 26 November 2020. 

Non-Executive Directors’ Independence
The Committee concluded that each Non-Executive 
Director is free from any relationship or circumstance 
that could affect, or appear to affect, the exercise of 
their independent judgement; and, the quality of the 
debate at Board and committee meetings indicates 
that the Non-Executives devote sufficient time to 
considering and are well informed on the matters 
relating to the business.

The Non-Executive Directors met with the Chairman 
without the Executive Directors being present on a 
number of occasions during the year, and the Directors 
met with the Senior Independent Non-Executive 
Director to review the Chairman’s performance and 
other matters.

Directors and their Other Interests
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,  the  Board 
will consider whether fees paid in respect of the 
appointment are retained by the individual or paid 
to the Company.

Board Diversity
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 

70

and embraces the benefits of and is committed to 
increasing the diversity of the 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.

Diversity and Inclusion
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 table opposite, however the 
Board acknowledges that there is currently relatively 
low representation of female employees at the most 
senior levels of the organisation. At manger level and 
above, this currently stands at 55% vs 45% in favour 
of male employees. At all levels of the business, gender 
representation figures stand 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.

Priorities for the Coming Year
We have a strong Board and executive management 
with a broad range of experience which has driven the 
Company’s success to date. In the coming year we will 
continue to focus on our evolutionary strategy led 
succession planning agenda.

Re-Election
All  Dire c tor s  will  submit  them selve s  for 
re-election at the forthcoming AGM in May 2021. 
Detailed information on the contribution that each 
Director brings to the Board is set out on pages 58 to 
59 and in the 2021 Notice of AGM.

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.

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Shareholder Engagement
Both  the  Committee  and  the  Board  as  a  whole 
recognise  the  benefits  of  and  welcome  the 
engagement of shareholders. I remain available to 
shareholders throughout the year to discuss key 
issues. I regret that due to the ‘safer travel guidance’ 
which currently applies to travel to and from Jersey 
to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 it is unlikely 
I shall be able to attend this year’s AGM in person. 
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 2021 by emailing them to the Company 
Secretary at agm@jtcgroup.com.

ERIKA SCHRANER
NOMINATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

12 APRIL 2021

NOMINATION COMMITTEE PRIORITIES 2021
BOARD COMPOSITION 

The Committee will continue to assess how the Board’s composition and director nomination process reflects 
the Company’s commitment to making further progress on diversity, equity and inclusion.

SUCCESSION

EVALUATION 

In 2021 the Committee will oversee discussion of the current and future Board composition in light of the 
Company strategy and review the implementation of the outcome of the Board evaluation exercise and 
succession planning. 

The Committee will consider what skills the Board needs to deliver the Company’s strategy throughout the 
‘Galaxy Era’ (2021-2025) and deal with changes in the business environment. 

Board succession discussions are seen as a matter for the whole Board, with the Committee reviewing the 
executive and senior talent succession planning and company strategy to ensure that there is appropriate 
challenge, questioning and debate.

In 2021 the Committee will review the executive succession plan and talent pipeline, the ongoing 
development of directors, the continued suitability of contingency plans and strategy for the next cycle 
of board appointments and reappointments.

In accordance with the Board evaluation programme, the 2021 Board effectiveness assessment will be 
conducted by an external third party. The Board and the Committee consider that independent evaluations 
provide essential insight into how the Board functions as a group and assists the Committee in the complex 
task of evaluating the skills, strengths and experience of the Directors in support of the Company’s long-term 
strategy. Regular independent analysis of Board composition and its collective effectiveness also enables the 
Committee to incorporate this insight on an ongoing basis so that it may ensure the Board’s composition 
adequately supports the Company’s needs in line with JTC’s evolution.

The Committee will consider the nature and quality of the executive and senior management development 
programmes keeping in mind the requirements of the Galaxy Era

GENDER DIVERSITY (ACTUAL YEAR-END HEAD COUNT) 

2020

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

71% MALE/29% FEMALE 

SENIOR MANAGERS – DIRECTORS

86% MALE/14% FEMALE

DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS

55% MALE/45% FEMALE

ALL EMPLOYEES

43% MALE/57% FEMALE

2019

71% MALE/29% FEMALE

86% MALE/14% FEMALE

55% MALE/45% FEMALE

42% MALE/58% FEMALE

71

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE

AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE
DERMOT MATHIAS,
SENIOR INDEPENDENT NON-ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Shareholders,
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the 
Audit and Risk Committee’s Report which provides 
insight into the work carried out by the Committee, our 
discussions and key areas of focus over the past year.

Role of the Committee
The Committee supports the Board in fulfilling its 
responsibilities in respect of monitoring the integrity 
of  financial  reporting,  the  effectiveness  of  risk 
management and internal controls processes together 
with governance and compliance matters. 

Further  details  of  the  Committee’s  roles  and 
responsibilities can be found in our Terms of Reference 
on our website at jtcgroup.com/investor-relations.

UK Corporate Governance Code
The Board applied all of the principles and provisions 
of the Code throughout the year ended 31 December 
2020,  except  for  the  appointment  of  the  Non-
Executive  Chairman  as  a  Committee  member. 
In accordance with the Nomination Committee’s 
recommendation  the  Non-Executive  Chairman 
resigned  from  the  Committee,  effective  as  of 
26 November 2020.

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.

Audit Committee Meetings
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.

At my request, meetings are attended by the Chief 
Risk Officer, the External Auditor and members of the 
Senior Management team, each of whom can be asked 
to withdraw from the meeting if necessary.

JTC (Jersey) Limited, our corporate Company Secretary, 
acts as Secretary to the Committee. 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.

Membership of the Committee
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.

In  accordance  with  the  Nomination  Committee’s 
recommendation  Non-Executive  Chairman,  Mike 
Liston, stepped down as a member of the Committee 
with effect from 26 November 2020. This change was 
made to ensure that the Company is fully compliant with 
Provision 24 of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code.

JTC  (Jersey)  Limited,  the  corporate  Company 
Secretary, acts as secretary to the Committee.

Committee Members
Dermot Mathias
Committee Chairman, Senior Independent 
Non-Executive Director

Mike Liston
Non-Executive Chairman
(resigned 26 November 2020)

Michael Gray
Independent Non-Executive Director

Erika Schraner
Independent  Non-Executive  Director 
(appointed 3 March 2020)

Committee Meetings in 2020
The Committee met six times during the year. Attendance by the Committee members at these 
meetings was as follows:

MAxIMUM NO. OF 
MEETINGS

MEETINGS 
ATTENDED

% OF MEETINGS 
ATTENDED

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

100%

100%

100%

100%

Dermot Mathias (Chair)

Mike Liston

Michael Gray

Erika Schraner

72

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020THE COMMITTEE HAS 
CONTINUED TO MONITOR 
THE INTEGRITY OF 
FINANCIAL REPORTING, 
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RISK 
MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL 
CONTROLS PROCESSES, 
AND IN GOVERNANCE AND 
COMPLIANCE MATTERS

I  provide  an  update  to  the  Board  following 
each meeting and Committee meetings are scheduled 
close to Board meetings to facilitate an effective and 
timely reporting process.

Throughout the year the Committee Chair meets with 
the Executive Directors and the Chief Risk Officer, as 
appropriate, to obtain a good understanding of the 
issues affecting the Group which assists the Chair in his 
oversight and direction of the Committee’s activities. 

Key Activities
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 
2020, the Committee concentrated on accounting 
and disclosures related to the valuation of intangible 
assets – including the three business combinations 
completed during the year (NESF, Sanne Private 
Clients and Anson Registrars) – the recoverability 
of  work  in  progress  and  the  potential  impact  of 
Covid-19. The Committee concluded that executive 
management had adopted an appropriate approach 
in all significant areas.

During the year, the Committee was updated regularly 
on the Group’s IT strategy including an overview of the 
IT controls framework and infrastructure and the ability 
quickly to detect and defend against cyber attack. 

Viability and Going Concern Statements 
For the half year results the Committee reviewed 
the going concern and financial statements for the 
period. For the Annual Report it also reviewed the 
going concern and financial statements together 
with the Viability Statement. This included the work 
undertaken to assess potential and emerging risks to 
the business, including the impact of the Covid-19 
pandemic, and the three year-period adopted in the 
Viability Statement.

The Committee was satisfied that management had 
carried out a robust assessment of the risks that could 
threaten the business model, future performance, 
solvency or liquidity of the Company, including its 
resilience to the threats to its viability posed by severe 
but plausible scenarios, and recommended to the 
Board that it could approve and make the viability 
and going concern statements. 

Internal Controls and Internal Audit 
The  Committee  is  responsible  for  overseeing 
the Group’s internal risk audit and accreditation 
arrangements. It reviews 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.

Internal Audit Charter and Framework setting out 
the purpose, activities, scope and responsibilities of 
the Internal Audit function and the arrangements for 
the management of the function, including ensuring 
its  independence  from  the  1st  and  2nd  lines  of 
defence within JTC. 

In 2021 the internal audit plan will be developed 
further using a risk based methodology, including 
business strategy and emerging and systemic risks, 
with the Committee providing general direction as 
to the scope of work and the activities to be audited. 
The head of Group Internal Audit will periodically report 
to senior management and directly to the Committee 
on performance relative to the internal audit plan, 
together with significant risk exposures and control 
issues, including fraud risks, governance issues, and 
other matters needed or requested by the Committee.

Risk Assessment
The  principal  risks  and  uncertainties  facing  the 
Company are set out in the Risk Management report 
section of the Strategic Report on pages 46 to 53.

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 effectively. Based on the 
review performed, the Board has concluded that it has 
not identified any significant failings or weaknesses 
during the year.

The Committee is satisfied that the statements made 
by executive management on pages 46 to 53 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.

Covid-19
The Board’s statements with regards to the Covid-19 
pandemic may be found on page 5.

Whistleblowing
Under  the  2018  Code,  the  responsibility  for 
whistleblowing resides with the Board, and widens 
the remit from financial to all aspects of the business. 
The Committee reviews the whistleblowing policy 
on an annual basis, and reports to the Board on its 
conclusions and highlights any concerns, including 
any whistleblowing incidents. There have been no 
such incidents reported during the course of the year.

During the year the Committee reviewed the proposal 
to introduce a dedicated Internal Audit function 
(see  page  46)  and  considered  and  approved  the 

Financial Reporting Council (FRC) 
The FRC undertook an audit quality review of the 
audit of the 2018 Annual Report and Accounts, the 
final result being that limited improvements were 

73

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE CONTINUED

required. In the Committee’s view this result was 
positive and an indication that the level of audit work 
being undertaken and the approach being followed 
was appropriate given the Group’s size and activities. 
The Committee has reviewed the recommendations 
from the FRC audit quality review and is satisfied that 
the measures taken by the External Auditors during 
the year are appropriate and sufficient to implement 
the required improvements in 2020.

External Audit
PwC  continued  as  our  External  Auditor  during 
the year and the Committee is satisfied that they 
remain independent and objective in their work. 
The Committee has reviewed the quality of the audit 
plan and related reports for the 2020 audit and is 
satisfied with the quality of these documents. 

The Committee met separately with the External 
Auditor without Executive Management being present 
on several occasions throughout the year, and I have 
met privately with the External Auditor to discuss any 
matters they may wish to raise.

The Committee will review the effectiveness and 
quality of PwC’s 2020 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 recommended to the Board that 
a resolution to reappoint PwC for the 2021 financial 
period be prepared and presented to shareholders. 
The audit partner is Mike Byrne, who has been the 
partner on the engagement since 2016. 

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 its review of the 
effectiveness of the External Auditor. 

Audit Fees
Fees payable to the Auditor for audit services are set 
out in note 6 to the Financial Statements on page 124.

Non-Audit Fees
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.

Fees  payable  to  the  Auditor  for  audit  and  non-
audit services are set out in note 6 to the Financial 
Statements on page 124. 

Effectiveness
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 66 and 67. The review found that the 
Committee was operating effectively and that its role 
and remit remained appropriate for the current needs 
of the Group.

I believe that the quality of discussion and challenge 
by the Committee of management, the external 
audit team and the risk controls, together with the 
quality of the papers received by the Committee 
and the Board, ensure the Committee continues to 
perform its role effectively. 

Priorities for the Coming Year
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 the 
implementation of 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 
are being met.

Fair, Balanced and Understandable Statement
The Committee has considered this Annual Report 
and Financial Statements, taken as a whole, and 
concluded  that  the  disclosures,  as  well  as  the 

74

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020processes and controls underlying its production, 
were appropriate. The Committee recommended 
to the Board that the Annual Report and Financial 
Statements are fair, balanced and understandable 
while providing the necessary information to assess 
the Company’s position and performance, business 
model and strategy. 

Shareholder Engagement
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 2021 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

12 APRIL 2021

Highlights from the year

2020 AREAS OF FOCUS

FINANCIAL REPORTING 

ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE/BOARD

Reviewed the half year and full year financial statements including key judgements, estimates and 
assumptions, going concern and viability statements

Consideration as to whether the Annual Report was fair, balanced and understandable 

Meetings with the Auditors in respect of the half year and full year financial statements 

CONTROLS AND ASSURANCE

Review of risk and controls including reports from and meeting with the Chief Risk Officer

Consideration of the need for internal audit, and review of the internal audit framework and charter 
for implementation in 2021

AUDIT 

Consideration of the independence and effectiveness of the external auditor

Review of the Group’s whistleblowing policy 

Review of audit fees and non-audit fees paid to the external auditor

Review and approval of the audit strategy and audit plan

SHARE BASED PAYMENTS

Review of the methodology for the accounting of share-based payments and assessment by 
management as to the number of shares expected to vest under the terms of the Performance 
Share Plan, and expectations around the achievement of performance targets.

75

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE
MICHAEL GRAY,
REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Dear shareholder,
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the 
Committee’s Report for the financial year ended 
31 December 2020.

Membership of the Committee
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 
58 to 59. 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. JTC (Jersey) Limited, the corporate Company 
Secretary, acts as secretary to the Committee.

Committee members
Michael Gray
Committee  Chairman,  Independent 
Non-Executive Director

Mike Liston
Non-Executive Chairman

Dermot Mathias
Audit & Risk Committee Chair, Senior 
Independent Non-Executive Director 

Erika Schraner
N o m i n a t i o n   C o m m i t t e e   C h a i r, 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Committee meetings in 2020
The Committee met formally 3 times during the year. Attendance by the Committee members at 
these meetings is shown below:

Michael Gray (Chair)

Mike Liston

Dermot Mathias

Erika Schraner

76

MEETINGS ATTENDED

100%

100%

100%

100%

Main responsibilities 
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 

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

 – 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

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Key areas of Remuneration Committee focus in 2020
A summary of the matters considered at each meeting is set out below: 

February

 – Annual bonus outcome for 2019 and oversight of distribution for the 

wider workforce

 – Directors’ salary increase proposals and broader wider workforce 

salary increases
 – Review of NED fees
 –  PSP awards for 2020 
 – Setting of Directors’ personal annual bonus objectives and weightings

July

 –  Review of broader workforce promotions and approach to mid-year 

merit increases

November

 – Review of market practice and remuneration governance trends 
 –  Remuneration report planning for 2020

Who supports the committee?
The Committee retendered the appointment of independent external remuneration advisers during 
the year and subsequently appointed Mercer as of October 2020 as a result of a competitive process. 
Mercer is a founder member of the Remuneration Consultants Group and, as such, voluntarily 
operates under the Code of Conduct in relation to executive remuneration consulting in the UK 
(www.remunerationconsultantsgroup.com). Neither Mercer (nor its parent, Mercer Limited) has any 
other remuneration or unrelated connection with the Group and is considered to be independent 
by the Committee. Fees paid to Mercer totalled £22,123 (excluding expenses and VAT) for the 2020 
financial year in their capacity as advisers to the Committee. 

Prior to this appointment, KPMG provided adhoc advice to the Committee when required. 
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 is satisfied that the advice from KPMG was objective and independent. 
Fees for advice provided by KPMG to the Committee during the year were £7,500. Separate teams 
within KPMG also provided advisory services during the year.

AGM shareholder voting

RESOLUTION

Approve Directors’ Remuneration Report 
(2020 AGM)

VOTES  
FOR

VOTES  
AGAINST

VOTES 
WITHHELD

60,606,356

37,187,632

842,232

61.97%

38.03%

Approve Remuneration Policy (2019 AGM)

90,970,146

180,717

3,509,502

99.80%

0.20%

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING 
JTC’S REMUNERATION POLICY 
PROMOTES LONG-TERM SUCCESS, 
ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH 
SHAREHOLDER VALUE-CREATION 
WITH PAY-FOR-PERFORMANCE SET 
AGAINST CHALLENGING TARGETS 
AND STRETCHING GOALS

Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many people, 
businesses and communities, and looks set to remain 
a very real challenge for 2021 and beyond. Faced with 
such uncertainty, I would like to start this letter by 
recognising our outstanding employees across the 
globe, who have shown great agility in adapting to new 
ways of working while ensuring that JTC continues to 
deliver the highest levels of service to its clients, whilst 
also continuing to grow sustainably and support and 
invest in all our people. 

At the onset of the pandemic, JTC took decisive action 
to ensure the stability of the business. The Business 
Continuity Planning team moved quickly to ensure 
that employees were able to continue to provide 
ser vices  remotely,  minimising  disruption  and 
maintaining critical dialogue with our clients and 
wider stakeholder groups. 

JTC  remained  steadfast  in  its  commitment  to 
protecting employees and their wellbeing. All of our 
employees have access to an Employee Assistance 
Programme  and  through  an  easy  to  use  mobile 
app we provided specific health-related content, 
including mental health, physical health and nutrition 
guidance. We also adapted and increased our internal 
communications programmes to support our people 
at all levels of the organisation and efforts to maintain 
team engagement and morale throughout the year. 

During  this  time,  we  prioritised  supporting  our 
employees. There was no temporary reduction to 
salaries and no furloughing of any employees. JTC did 
not receive any government support or assistance. 
We are proud that JTC has continued to pay out 
and  increase  dividends  and  that  our  share  price 
has remained resilient in the face of the pandemic. 
We also remained dedicated to our philanthropic goals 
and made donations totalling more than £100k to 
international and local charities, including the World 
Health Organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières and 

77

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104PERFORMANCE IS CRITICAL, 
BUT A WELL-DESIGNED 
REMUNERATION PROGRAMME 
MUST ALSO ATTRACT 
AND RETAIN A HIGH CALIBRE 
TEAM TO SUPPORT THE 
DELIVERY OF LONG-TERM 
SHAREHOLDER VALUE

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

numerous organisations that supported those who 
were disproportionately affected by Covid-19 in 
2020. We also set up a scheme to match employee 
charitable donations. 

Despite the pandemic, the Group was able to continue 
with its inorganic growth strategy and through the 
acquisitions  of  NESF  and  Sanne’s  private  client 
services stream, we welcomed 81 new employees to 
JTC. We also announced the acquisition of the RBC 
CEES business in December, which saw a further 171 
employees join the business at the beginning of April 
2021. These acquisitions further demonstrate JTC’s 
resilience and ability to sustain growth, even during 
periods of external challenge.

Pay for performance
The Committee is mindful of the importance of 
the relationship between pay and performance to 
generate returns for shareholders. The key aims of 
the remuneration policy are to promote the long-
term success of JTC whilst ensuring alignment with 
shareholder value-creation. 

Performance  is  critical,  but  a  well-designed 
remuneration programme must also attract and 
retain a high calibre team to support the delivery 
of  long-term  shareholder  value.  We  endeavour 
to maintain competitive remuneration packages 
that focus the Executive Directors’ efforts on the 
delivery  of  the  Company’s  long-term  strategic 
and  business  objectives,  avoiding  excessive  or 
inappropriate risk taking.

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. The Committee’s 
decision-making this year has taken into account 
a range of internal and external factors, including 
alignment with the wider workforce and the Group’s 
shared  ownership  ethos,  as  well  as  the  Group’s 
decisive and considered response to Covid-19 and 
the experience of our stakeholders during this period. 

Performance and remuneration in 2020
JTC has continued to grow year on year since IPO, 
demonstrated by our TSR which has grown by 97% 
since JTC listed on the London Stock Exchange on 
14th March 2018. This is significantly more than 
both the FTSE 250 (10% growth) and FTSE Small 
Cap (27% growth) within the same period. This year, 
despite the challenge that Covid-19 presented, we 
continued to grow and bounced back quickly from the 
initial share price drop in March 2020. Our financial 
performance was in line with our expectations that 
were set pre-Covid-19 and we delivered 33.6% EBITDA 
margin, slightly ahead of our ‘Meets’ expectations 
target. We achieved exceptional cash conversion 

improvement at 91%, ahead of our “Exceptional” 
target of 90%. Group net organic growth was just 
shy of our ‘Meets’ expectations target of 8% achieving 
7.9% within the year (and an average of 8.4% for the 
past three years). As mentioned earlier in the CEO’s 
report, our annual results of revenue growth, EBITDA 
margin, organic and net organic growth has led to us 
delivering our medium-term guidance of net organic 
growth and underlying EBITDA margin. 

In our Annual Report on Remuneration, on page we 
summarise the performance outcomes against our 
remuneration framework, in the context of how 
the Policy was applied in 2020. In keeping with the 
Company’s shared ownership ethos, the Executive 
Directors  voluntarily  waived  more  than  half  of 
their bonuses achieved to ensure the alignment of 
remuneration outcomes with the wider workforce 
and to additionally recognise the wider workforce 
for their resilience and contributions throughout 
the pandemic. As such, although the CEO, CFO, and 
COO respectively, earned annual bonus awards of 
70%, 65%, and 30% of salary, the pay-outs actually 
received were approximately half of that, or 32%, 30% 
and 14% of salary, respectively. The funds waived were 
reinvested in the wider bonus pot for employees

USE OF DISCRETION
The  Committee  believes  that  the  outcomes  of 
the 2020 annual bonus appropriately reflect the 
performance of the Company and the Executive 
Directors over this period. As such, the Committee did 
not exercise their discretion for any variable incentive 
outturns, but supported the Executive Directors’ 
personal decisions to waive part of their bonus

2020 AGM & shareholder engagement 
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. 

In relation to our engagement during the year, the 
Board and Committee took steps to engage with 
shareholders in advance of and following the 2020 
AGM  results,  as  detailed  below  to  ensure  that 
shareholders’ views have been fully taken into account 
and are reflected in the disclosures in the 2020 Report.

 – Annual General Meeting voting 

intention discussions

 – AGM results announcements on the 

company website
 – One-to-one meetings
 – Interim results analyst and investor meetings
 – Communication in the 2020 annual report

When  providing  feedback  regarding  their  voting 
intentions or recommendations, and subsequently 
the voting results of the 2020 AGM, shareholders 
and  proxy  advisory  agencies  were  consistent  in 

78

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020asking for more detailed disclosure in connection 
with the Executive Director’s individual objectives 
and performance measures for target and maximum 
bonus awards. Crucially no concerns were raised by 
investors regarding the Remuneration Policy.

The Committee has undertaken a comprehensive 
review of disclosure regulations and best practices 
with the aim to present clear, succinct and informative 
reports relevant to the Company and its particular 
circumstances. Our 2020 Report is divided into:

 – This letter from myself as Chair of the 

Remuneration Committee

 – JTC’s Remuneration at a Glance 
 – Our Annual Report on Remuneration 

detailing the outcomes from 2020 and our 
implementation of our Policy in 2021. 

The  Board  is  confident  that,  having  taken  into 
account the views received, the actions taken and 
the improvements made to the level of disclosure 
provided in the 2020 Report will address the concerns 
of the shareholders who raised issues.

The Board looks forward to continued engagement 
with its shareholders.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENTS 
The Committee is aware of the market development 
to align executive director pension contributions with 
that of the majority offering to the wider workforce. 
The Committee has committed to reviewing this in 
2021 alongside a full review of the Remuneration 
Policy against FTSE 250 practice. Following the year 
end, the Committee has adopted post-cessation share 
retention guidelines with a requirement that 150% of 
salary should be held in shares for a two-year period 
following cessation of employment. 

As COO Wendy Holley has responsibility for overseeing 
the development of strategies to improve employee 
engagement, and oversees the implementation of 
JTC’s employee development, recognition and wellness 
programmes, together with other activities aimed at 
creating a positive workplace environment, reporting 
to the Board on a regular basis on the effect of each, 
including activities and the views of employees.

This year the Committee reviewed the CEO pay ratio 
which has increased from 8x in 2019 to 20x in 2020. 
The Committee determined that the increase was 
due in part to a change in UK employee incumbents 
which led to a fall in absolute pay quartiles as well 
as the CEO receiving his first PSP award vesting. 
The Committee is mindful that the ratio is sensitive 
to the small subset of UK employees included within 
the calculation, but notes that the CEO’s pay should 
now be in a steady state with equity awards vesting, 
subject to the achievement of performance criteria, 
each year on a rolling basis. 

The Committee were informed of employee feedback 
and  developments  in  employee  engagement 
throughout the year; Communications Champions 
were appointed globally and reported to the Board 
feedback on themes including reward and recognition, 
wellbeing and benefits and general feedback on life at 
JTC across jurisdictions. JTC is committed to creating 
an inclusive environment where all voices are heard, all 
cultures are respected, and a diversity of perspectives 
is welcomed. In this regard, JTC continued to engage 
the wider workforce through a number of virtual 
initiatives, including monthly Birthday Breakfasts, 
where employees with birthdays falling in a given 
month are invited to an open forum where the CEO 
and other members of Senior Management provide 
Company updates and solicit direct feedback from 
employees on a more personal basis. 

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 
by Mercer, 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.

Remuneration in 2021 
Following a review of total remuneration in 2020, the 
CEO and CFO will receive nominal salary increases of 
3.57% which is below the Group average of 4.85%. 
The COO will receive an increase of 5.0% as part of the 
process to bring her closer to market and to provide due 
recognition for her growing responsibilities within the 
role, including her role as a main Board director. 

Work of the remuneration committee in 2020
Building on last year’s work to broaden oversight of the 
Committee to the wider workforce, the Committee 
were kept abreast of salary increases amongst the 
global employee population when reviewing executive 
salaries. The bonus structure is universal throughout 
the organisation ensuring there is consistency in 
the performance management system and review 
of performance. In particular, the bonus structure 
ensures that all individuals uphold JTC’s values and 
principles, which in turn are driven by its culture of 
shared ownership. 

The Committee has reviewed the incentive structure 
and opportunities with JTC’s long-term strategy, 
company purpose, and Ownership for All culture 
firmly in mind. Following this review, the Committee 
confirmed the maximum opportunities under the 
annual bonus and PSP for 2021, which remain within 
the approved policy:

Annual  bonus:  The  maximum  annual  bonus 
opportunity will remain up to 100% of salary for the 
Executive Directors, subject to meeting all financial 
and non-financial objectives. Financial measures will 
form at least 50% of the annual bonus award and 

COMMUNICATIONS 
CHAMPIONS WERE APPOINTED 
GLOBALLY AND REPORTED 
TO THE BOARD FEEDBACK ON 
THEMES INCLUDING REWARD 
AND RECOGNITION, WELLBEING 
AND BENEFITS

79

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104due consideration to our shareholders and broader 
employee population.

POST-EMPLOYMENT SHAREHOLDING GUIDELINES
The Committee is mindful of the developments in 
the market and as such, adopted post-employment 
guidelines in early 2021 whereby Executives are 
required to hold the lower of the in-post shareholding 
requirement (i.e. 150% of salary) and the incumbent’s 
level of holding on exiting the business for a period 
of 2 years. These guidelines are compliant with the 
Investment Association’s guidelines and echo our 
ethos of shared ownership and wealth creation in all 
employees. Our Executives all have significant levels 
of share ownership and satisfy the shareholding 
requirement in full. Further details on the levels of 
share ownership can be found on page 92. 

Wider workforce considerations 
The principle of making all our people owners of the 
business is fundamental to our culture and aligns us 
completely with the best interests of our clients and 
our shareholders. We work to maximise the potential 
of every employee, providing support through our 
range of development programmes. Further details 
on our broader workforce programmes can be found 
on pages 40 to 45 within the ESG section of our 
Strategic Report. 

Committee evaluation 
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 pages 66 to 67. 

I look forward to receiving your feedback and support 
at the upcoming AGM.

MICHAEL GRAY
REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

12 APRIL 2021

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

individual leadership and behaviours will be assessed 
holistically when determining the extent to which 
financial  and  non-financial  goals  were  achieved 
throughout the year. 

PSP awards: The Committee further determined that 
PSP awards will remain at up to a maximum of 150% 
of salary for all Executive Directors. All Executive 
Directors will share the same financial performance 
goals and will be measured against 3-year TSR and 
EPS  performance  on  an  equal  basis  (as  detailed 
on page 98). 

Employee incentive plan (EIP)
Following a review of the Company’s share plans, as 
adopted in March 2018, the Board intends to seek 
Shareholders’ approval to amend the rules of the JTC 
PLC Employee Incentive Plan (EIP) at the forthcoming 
AGM. The EIP was adopted as a performance-based 
cash bonus plan, funded using dividends paid over 
shares held by the employee benefit trust (EBT), under 
which payments made to participants are determined 
according to a points system based on seniority, length 
of service and individual performance. No awards 
under the EIP have been made to date. The intention 
is to amend the rules of the EIP, such that cash awards 
can be satisfied by either the Group or EBT trustee 
and awards may also be settled in shares, potentially 
using the shares held by the EBT. All employees of the 
Company and its subsidiaries (excluding all Executive 
Directors) will be eligible to be granted an award under 
the EIP at the discretion of the Committee. A summary 
of principal terms to the EIP, as amended, will be set 
out in the AGM notice to be sent to all Shareholders.

Since JTC’s first employee benefit trust was established 
in 1998 the concept of shared ownership, recognising 
the importance and benefits of offering equity to 
employees at all levels, has been embedded in JTC’s 
culture. The Directors believe this is a key differentiator 
and  a  significant  motivating  factor  in  executive 
and employee engagement and performance, and 
aligns with JTC’s strategy of creating value for all 
stakeholders through long-term, sustainable growth. 
The Directors consider the changes proposed to the 
EIP are consistent with the Company’s commitment 
to fair and responsible remuneration which, to the 
extent possible, seeks to ensure the reward structure 
is similar regardless of seniority, and the Board’s 
stated intention to maintain JTC’s well-established 
“ownership for all” programme.

Priorities for the coming year 
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. Next year we will focus on 
reviewing the Remuneration Policy ahead of the 2022 
AGM, including our executive pension provisions with 

80

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020OUR REMUNERATION AT A GLANCE

This section provides a summary of the 
remuneration policy approved in 2019 and 
our approach to implementing this for our 
Executive Directors in 2021.

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

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

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

O UR
R E M U N E R A T I O N
P R I N C I P L E S 

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

I N C E N T I V I S E S  
E X E C U T I V E S   T O   M E E T  
J T C ’ S   K E Y   O B J E C T I V E S

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

81

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

PAY ELEMENT

POLICY

2021 IMPLEMENTATION

LINK TO JTC’S STRATEGY

BASE SALARY

Reviewed annually with increases effective 1 January; reflects the 
individual’s role and contribution. 
Increases take account of those applied across the wider workforce; 
the Committee retains discretion to award higher increases where 
appropriate to take into account market conditions, performance and/
or development of the individual, a change in the responsibility and/or 
complexity of the role, new challenges or a new strategic direction for 
the Company.

CEO: £435,000 (3.57% 

increase)

CFO: £316,925 (3.57% 

increase)

COO: £241,500 (5.00% 

increase)

Creating long-term value 
for our
 – shareholders
 – employees

Being a responsible business

BENEFITS

PENSION

Executives are entitled to receive life assurance, pension contributions, 
private medical insurance and other de minimis benefits in kind.

Unchanged from Policy.

All Executives are eligible to receive employer contributions of up 
to 10% of salary. The COO has elected to receive an employer 
contribution of 5% of her salary. 

CEO: 10%
CFO: 10%
COO: 5%

ANNUAL BONUS Maximum opportunity: 100% of salary. 

Performance measures, targets and weightings are set at the start 
of the year. Performance is measured on financial, operational and 
individual goals. 
Malus and clawback provisions apply. 

Award of up to 100% of salary 
for all Executive Directors.
Performance will be measured 
based on tailored scorecards 
comprised of shared financial 
goals and strategic goals linked 
to the successful execution of 
JTC’s business plan.

Unchanged from Policy.

Creating long-term value 
for our
 – shareholders
 – employees
 – clients
 – intermediary partners
 – communities

Being a responsible business

A unique culture based on 
Shared Ownership

All employees are eligible to participate; it is intended that Executive 
Directors, Senior Managers and certain managers below Senior 
Manager will participate.
For Executive Directors, any bonus earned over 50% of salary is 
deferred into shares for 3 years.
The Committee may include further financial and non-
financial performance. 

Normal maximum opportunity: 150% of salary (exceptional maximum 
of 250%).
Performance is measured over TSR, EPS and delivery of the Group 
Business Plan over a period of 3 years. 
An additional 2-year holding period applies post-vesting. 
Malus and clawback provisions apply.

Award opportunity of up 
to 150% of salary for all 
Executive Directors. 
Performance will be measured 
by TSR and EPS over a period 
of 3 years.

Creating long-term value 
for our
 – shareholders
 – employees
 – clients
 – intermediary partners
 – communities

Acquisitions
Being a responsible business
A unique culture based on 
Shared Ownership

Executive Directors are not 
eligible to participate.

A unique culture based on 
Shared Ownership

In-post guidelines unchanged 
from Policy, post-cessation 
guidelines introduced.

A unique culture based on 
Shared Ownership
Being a responsible business

Unchanged from Policy.

Being a responsible business

All employees are eligible to be granted an award except for Executive 
Directors and Senior Managers. 
It is designed to incentivise high performance and may include 
performance measures – these will be reviewed by the Committee 
each year. 

Executive Directors are required to build or maintain a shareholding 
requirement equivalent to 150% of their base salary. 
Post-cessation, Executives are required to hold on to the lower of their 
share ownership on leaving or their in-post share ownership guideline 
for a period of 2 years. 

Recovery provisions may be applied to the annual bonus, DBSP And PSP 
in certain circumstances including:
 – materially inaccurate information
 –  material breach of employment contract which would include, 
without limitation, any event or omission by the Executive that 
contributes to a material loss or reputational damage to the Company

 – material breach of any compromise agreement
 – material breach of fiduciary duties
Cash bonuses will be subject to clawback, with deferred shares being 
subject to malus, over the deferral period. PSP awards will be subject 
to malus over the vesting period and clawback from the vesting date to 
the third anniversary of the relevant vesting date.

DEFERRED 
BONUS SHARE 
PLAN (“DBSP”)

PERFORMANCE 
SHARE PLAN 
(“PSP”)

EMPLOYEES 
INCENTIVE PLAN

SHAREHOLDING 
GUIDELINES

MALUS AND 
CLAWBACK 
PROVISIONS

82

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Recruitment policy
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 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.

Termination policy
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 
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.

Remuneration scenarios
The total remuneration opportunity for Executive Directors is strongly performance based and 
weighted to the long-term. The charts below provide scenarios for the total remuneration of Executive 
Directors at different levels of performance and are calculated as prescribed in UK regulations.

  B ASE SALARY 

  P ENSION CONTRIBUTION 

  BONUS 

  PSP

CEO

MAXIMUM + 50% SPA

MAXIMUM 

TARGET

MINIMUM

£ Thousands

0

200

400

600

800

1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000

CFO

MAXIMUM + 50% SPA

MAXIMUM 

TARGET

MINIMUM

£ Thousands

0

200

400

600

800

1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000

COO

MAXIMUM + 50% SPA

MAXIMUM 

TARGET

MINIMUM

£ Thousands

0

200

400

600

800

1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000

The above charts are based on the following assumptions:

SCENARIO

MINIMUM

DETAILS

Fixed remuneration only, i.e. base salary and pension contribution:

 – CEO: £435,000 and 10% pension contribution
 – CFO: £316,925 and 10% pension contribution
 – COO: £241,500 and 10% pension contribution 

TARGET

Fixed remuneration as above, plus target bonus (50% of maximum) and threshold PSP vesting (25% of maximum):

 – Bonus: 50% of salary for all Executive Directors
 – PSP: 37.5% of salary for all Executive Directors

MAXIMUM

Fixed remuneration as above, plus maximum bonus and full vesting of the 2020 PSP award:

 – Bonus: 100% of salary for all Executive Directors
 – PSP: 150% of salary for all Executive Directors

As above, plus with 50% share price growth over the vesting period for the PSP award.

MAXIMUM + 50% 
SPA (SHARE PRICE 
APPRECIATION)

83

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

2020 PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE & REMUNERATION OUTCOMES

2020 Single figure remuneration

  B ASE SALARY 

  BENEFITS 

  PENSION 

  A NNUAL BONUS

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

£ Thousands

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

2020 Annual bonus award (further details on page 90)

EBITDA MARGIN

ACTUAL

EXCEPTIONAL

EXCEEDS

MEETS

CASH CONVERSION IMPROVEMENT

33.6% 

ACTUAL

38.0% 

EXCEPTIONAL

35.0% 

33.0% 

EXCEEDS

MEETS

91.0% 

90.0% 

87.5% 

85.0% 

Non-Financial Metrics: 
The Non-Financial metrics includes Strategic Execution, Investor Relations, 
Risk and Compliance, People and Culture and Growth targets. The Committee 
reviewed these targets holistically; a description of the performance achieved 
against this metric is detailed on page 88. 

GROUP NET ORGANIC GROWTH

ACTUAL

EXCEPTIONAL

EXCEEDS

MEETS

7.9% 

10.0% 

9.0% 

8.0% 

The above charts are based on the following assumptions:

NIGEL LE QUESNE1 

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM1

WENDY HOLLEY1

MAx. 
OPPORTUNITY 
% OF SALARY

OUTTURN 
£

OUTTURN 
(% OF MAx)

ADJUSTED 
OUTTURN
(% OF MAx)

% 
OF SALARY

75%

75%

50%

£294,000

£198,900

£69,000

93%

87%

60%

42%

39%

27%

32%

30%

14%

ADJUSTED 
OUTTURN

£133,770

£90,500

£31,395

1  Amounts waived by the Executive Directors were £160,230 for the CEO, £108,400 for the CFO and £37,605 for the COO.

84

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020 
PSP (further details on page 90)
The 2018 PSP award was subject to performance conditions for a period ending on 31 December 2020 with the exception of TSR which ended on 14 March 
2021. Indicative TSR vesting and final vesting of the EPS and Group Plan objectives are shown below:

TSR (indicative vesting)

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

EPS

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ACTUAL

MAXIMUM

THRESHOLD

22.5p 

20.6p 

17.0p 

TSR threshold performance begins at median ranking against the FTSE Small 
Cap with 25% of the element vesting rising to full vesting for upper quartile 
performance. 

JTC at 31 December 2020 ranked 89th percentile and therefore indicative 
vesting suggests full vesting of the TSR element.

EPS threshold performance begins at 17.0p with 25% of the element vesting 
rising to full vesting for 20.6p. 

JTC at 31 December 2020 achieved an EPS of 22.5p and therefore the EPS 
element of the award fully vests.

Wendy Holley: Group Business Plan
The Group Business Plan incorporates Group, Divisional (ICS and PCS), Development, Finance and Operational targets. The Committee reviewed all targets 
holistically and determined that this element would vest in full. A description of the performance achieved against this metric is detailed on page 90.

85

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

The Annual Report on Remuneration and the Annual Statement will be put to an advisory Shareholder vote at the AGM on 26 May 2021. Sections of the 
report are subject to audit and these have been flagged where applicable.

Single total figure of remuneration for Executive Directors (audited)
The table below sets out the total remuneration payable to each Executive Director for the years ended 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2019.

SINGLE TOTAL FIGURE OF 
REMUNERATION

BASE
SALARY1

BENEFITS2

PENSION3

ANNUAL 
BONUS4

PSP5

TOTAL

TOTAL 
FIxED

TOTAL 
VARIABLE

NIGEL LE QUESNE

2020

£420,000

£2,913

£42,000

£133,770 

£368,727

£967,410

£464,913

£502,497

2019

£392,400

£2,857

£39,240

£196,200

n/a

£630,697

£434,497

£196,200

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

2020

£306,000

£2,976

£30,600

£90,500

£281,667

£711,743

£339,576

£372,167

2019

£300,000

£2,920

£17,500

£150,000

n/a

£470,420

£320,420

£150,000

WENDY HOLLEY

2020

£230,000

£2,913

£11,500

£31,395

£66,166

£341,974

£244,413

£97,561

20196

£90,959

£1,299

£4,548

£9,096

n/a

£105,902

£96,806

£9,096

1 
2 
3 
4 

5 

Base Salaries were increased effective 1 January 2020; the figures above represent the increased salaries for the year as disclosed in the prior year remuneration report. 
Benefits provided to Executive Directors include healthcare and annual membership provisions; 2019 figures have been restated to reflect taxable benefits in the UK in line with reporting regulations. 
Executives receive contributions to the Group Occupational Retirement Plan which is a defined contribution plan of up to 10% of salary. Wendy has elected to receive a contribution of 5% of her salary.
 To promote greater alignment between the annual bonus pay-outs for Executive Directors and the wider workforce, as well as to demonstrate their appreciation, the Executive Directors voluntarily waived 
more than half of their earned bonus. As such, bonus payments were reduced by c.54%.
 Estimated value of 2018 PSP award at 540.8 pence per share being the average of the closing mid-market share price in the 3 month period ending 31/12/2020. 2019 PSP values have been restated to reflect no 
awards vesting in 2019. PSP Participants are not entitled to any dividends (or any other distribution) and do not have the right to vote in respect of Shares subject to an Award until the Award vests. 

6  Wendy joined the Board of Directors on 19 July 2019; therefore, the figures are pro-rated to her appointment.

2020 Annual bonus (audited)
The chart below summarises our annual bonus framework for 2020 and includes measures that provide a fair balance of rewarding financial and non-financial 
performance. Each Executive has a personal scorecard with shared financial and non-financial objectives. As part of the transition to main Board director, 
as the first full year in role, Wendy Holley has a balance of 25%/75% financial to non-financial targets. From 2021 onwards, all three Executives will have 
at least 50% weighted towards Financial targets.

Annual bonus scorecard
Performance is assessed against defined threshold, target, and maximum targets.

FINANCIAL MEASURES

UNDERLYING EPS 

GROUP NET ORGANIC GROWTH

EBITDA MARGIN

CASH CONVERSION GROWTH

COMMERCIAL & OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS

STRATEGIC MEASURES

STRATEGIC EXECUTION

INVESTOR RELATIONS, RISK AND COMPLIANCE

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

GROWTH

The detail of the measures, targets and weightings may be varied by the Committee year on year based on the Company’s strategic priorities. The achievement 
of the objectives is measured on a points basis against determination of whether goals were met and where performance exceeded expectations or was 
deemed exceptional. In addition, in line with all JTC employees, the assessment of strategic priorities is conducted alongside an evaluation of JTC Behaviours 
and Core Values for each Executive. 

86

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Bonus scorecard – Financial Measures 
The table below sets out performance against the financial targets under the annual bonus scorecard which comprise a weighting of 25% to 60% on a 
combination of the following measures, with performance ranges set based on a sliding scale of challenging targets.

GROUP FINANCIAL METRICS

THRESHOLD

TARGET

MAxIMUM

2020 PERFORMANCE

UNDERLYING EPS PERFORMANCE 
VERSUS FINANCIAL CONSENSUS 

GROUP NET ORGANIC GROWTH

EBITDA MARGIN

Lower quartile 
of average 
consensus range

Median of 
average 
consensus range

Upper quartile 
of average 
consensus range

Achieved lower end of average consensus range 
above the threshold 

8%

33%

9%

35%

10%

38%

Group net organic growth of 7.9%

Completed a root and branch review on the 
ICS operating platform intended to drive future 
pricing harmonisation and delivery of margin 
improvements. Achieved overall EBITDA margin 
of 33.6% 

CASH CONVERSION IMPROVEMENTS  
(IN LINE WITH GUIDANCE) 

85%

87.5%

90%

91% cash conversion 

Successful integration of NESF plan against 
business plan

Successful integration of Sanne business against 
business plan 

Successful integration of the Luxembourg business 
against business plan 

Successful establishment and integration of the Dublin 
office against business plan

Successful integration of the NESF business and 
strong delivery against business plan despite 
Covid-19 headwinds; see “Growth” performance 
below for a summary of operational delivery

Notable success from planning to integration of 
the Sanne business, including delivery of planned 
profit margins; see “Growth” performance 
before for a summary of operational delivery 

Continued the consolidation of its Luxembourg 
operations as part of its long-term strategic 
commitment to service and growth in the region

Established a presence in Ireland with an office 
in Dublin and successfully acquired a corporate 
license which provides a strong foundation 
for growth and delivery against the Group 
business plan 

Bonus scorecard – Non-Financial Measures 
The table below sets out performance against the non-financial targets under the annual bonus scorecard, which comprise a weighting of 50% to 75%. 
Non-financial performance categories reflect short-term operational and strategic priorities of the business that are critical to our continued success and 
are assessed based on key milestones or performance in line with our business plan on a combination of the following measures. 

87

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

NON-FINANCIAL METRICS

2020 GROUP OBJECTIVES

STRATEGIC EXECUTION 

JTC has delivered share price growth of 97% since the IPO in 2018; successful admission to the FTSE 250 Index 
in November 2020 is a testament to the continued growth and performance of the business upon listing

Delivered strong progress against JTC’s banking strategy designed to meet the future needs of JTC and its 
clients, as evidenced by the launch of virtual banking solutions; delivery of custody services above plan financial 
returns; a more streamlined and cost-efficient banking platform in the Private Client Services division in Jersey; 
Straight Through Processing (STP) technology and improved treasury pooling services to improve our global 
payment and treasury solutions and foreign exchange offering

Drove the implementation of technological and process improvements across the Group, including initiatives 
to support the expansion of JTC’s service lines as well as upgrades to office premises, including a new and 
strategically important operating presence in Ireland 

For each completed acquisition, drove the integration of enterprise information technology systems and 
networks to unify communications, enable data sharing and cross organisational application access, and drive 
operational efficiency and cost reduction 

JTC was recognised at the Digital Jersey Tech Awards for the “Best Use of Technology in Finance” through 
its collaboration with BankClarity. The win focussed on the successful delivery of a single banking payments 
platform, resulting in up to 75% reduction in payment-processing times and up to 90% reduction in error 
rates, as well as the delivery of a centralised and integrated banking and treasury hub within JTC’s secure 
infrastructure designed with the scalability to support JTC’s future growth aspirations 

Seamless client experience provided by our global team despite the challenges of Covid-19, demonstrating 
business resilience

Established a clear strategic report ahead of the new business plan and communicating this to stakeholders

Deepened relationships with key stakeholders and in particular, the financial community, through proactive 
outreach by reinforcing JTC’s strategic vision and articulating JTC’s investment case and growth through 
strengthened financial reporting and communications – consistent and positive feedback from stakeholders

Appointment of a Group Chief Risk Officer in November 2020, a new strategic role for JTC, underscores the 
Group’s commitment to maintaining an efficient and effective governance and risk management framework, 
as well as regulatory compliance across its global network of 23 offices in 19 different jurisdictions to support 
JTC’s fourth decade of growth

Created a fully integrated US finance function following the acquisition of NESF to enable delivery and growth 
at scale

Continued to reinforce distinctive ‘Ownership for All’ culture by providing meaningful share ownership 
to all 1,100+ employees and by introducing year-end share ownership declarations to drive employee 
ownership levels

Appointed Communications Champions to provide a feedback conduit for employees and the Group; feedback 
themes culminating from the two-way dialogue between each jurisdiction, department, and division were 
ultimately relayed back to the Board for broader consideration

Continued to invest in Group-wide employee training and development programs, including the enhancement 
of the LION Foundation, to support the next generation of leaders

Achievement of 90%+ employee retention within the year

Delivered on the people and culture integration roadmap for the NESF and Sanne acquisitions to streamline 
operations and create a fit-for-purpose organisational structure

Supported employee wellbeing through the use of the Communications Champions, JTC Wellbeing App, 
facilitating Stress Management Courses, EAP and frequent internal communications. 

INVESTOR RELATIONS,  
RISK AND COMPLIANCE

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

88

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NON-FINANCIAL METRICS

2020 GROUP OBJECTIVES

GROWTH

JTC’s strategic acquisition of NESF (NESF) in April 2020, a US-based, technology enabled market leading 
provider of specialist fund administration services, provided JTC with a platform from which to capitalise on 
the trend towards outsourcing in the US and the in-house capability to deliver on the growing demand for 
tech-enabled client solutions. The technological enablement for JTC has already provided for some operational 
efficiencies delivered through data aggregation technology 

The acquisition of Sanne’s private client business was strategically beneficial as it afforded the Company with 
the opportunity to demonstrate to the market the value of JTC’s commitment to its two tier Institutional Client 
Services and Private Client Services model

JTC’s strategic acquisition of the corporate services business in Dublin, Cornerstone, and subsequent 
appointment of a Dublin Leadership Team in May 2020 enabled the Company to offer corporate and fund 
administration services in Ireland, provide flexibility to alternative asset managers and exposure to the US 
market, as well as access to a highly skilled workforce, which, together, presents a strong foundation for growth 

JTC’s shared ownership culture has been recognised as important and unique and is central to the ongoing 
success of the business. As a facet of the ESG agenda, the announced acquisition of the RBC CEES business is 
strategically important as it enables JTC to support both institutional and private clients who wish to make a 
similar investment in their people by offering them access to the market leader in global Employer Solutions

Introduced a new process with regards to cohesively govern the identification and management of new 
technology and projects across the Group

Individual performance 
The Committee carefully considered the individual performance of each Executive Director with the following in mind and approved modified pay-outs 
to recognise strong individual contributions and achievement. The details of the considerations that were factored into the final bonus assessment are set 
out in the detail below: 

 – Individual contribution and achievements 
 – Individual leadership exhibited 
 – Demonstration and alignment with JTC’s values 

NIGEL 
LE QUESNE

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

2020 INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS 

Under the CEO’s leadership, JTC continues to transform and grow, 
with a clear purpose and well-defined strategy to deliver strong 
returns to shareholders. The CEO has combined strong financial 
performance, international expansion within defined business 
outcomes, strengthened relations with institutional investors 
whilst leading an engaged and motivated workforce through a 
challenging period. 

The CFO demonstrated strong capital discipline leadership, as 
evidenced by the maintenance of the debt equity ratios, efficient 
capital investment on acquisitions and reduction in the operating 
cost base. In particular, the CFO has played a significant role in clearly 
articulating JTC’s investment case through meaningful engagement 
with the investor community and providing timely and informative 
updates, which has further strengthened JTC’s reputation globally 

The Chief Operating Officer has been instrumental in the 
co-ordination of the group’s Covid-19 response and in particular 
ensuring that business continued as usual in the numerous 
countries in which JTC operates by implementing group-wide 
protocols and processes, as well as supporting the wellbeing 
of employees globally, further reinforcing JTC’s reputation as 
a professional service provider and employer of choice. During 
this period, she also led the successful financial, operational, 
and cultural integration process for two significant acquisitions 
despite the limitations resulting from the pandemic.

1 

For further information see table on page 90. 

FINAL 
PERORMANCE1

TOTAL 
SCORECARD  
(% OF SALARY)

INDIVIDUAL 
MODIFIER

FINAL BONUS  
(% OF SALARY)

9 /10 

60%

10%

70%

8.5 /10

60%

5%

65%

8 /10

20%

10%

30%

89

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

2020 annual bonus outcomes for Executive Directors 
The Committee conducted a comprehensive analysis in respect of the progress achieved against the financial and non-financial measures. Overall, it was 
concluded that 2020 was a successful year, marked by strong performance financially and execution against our four strategic areas. In assessing the individual 
performance of the Executive Directors, the Committee noted their contributions in establishing the strategic direction for the Group; clearly articulating our 
business strategy and strong investment case to secure investment worldwide; leading JTC’s growth agenda to ensure that it is well-positioned for the next 
phase of transformation during the Galaxy Era from 2021; and continuing to build on JTC’s team capabilities through supporting its learning, development, 
and growth despite the challenges brought on by Covid-19. 

The following table sets out the basis on which the potential 2020 annual bonus award is calculated as a % of salary: 

BONUS % AWARD

CEO/CFO

COO

6

50%

10%

7

55%

20%

8

60%

30%

9

70%

40%

10

75%

50%

COMBINED PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOUR GRADE

Given the current bonus levels, the outcomes are well within the maximum set out in policy in recognition of leadership and resilience demonstrated 
through Covid-19. The Executive Directors voluntarily waived more than half of their bonus achieved (c.54%) to demonstrate their appreciation of the 
wider workforce and to recognise their resilience and contributions throughout the pandemic. The funds waived were reinvested in the wider bonus pot for 
employees. This further reflects the Executive Directors’ commitment to the shared ownership culture at JTC. The following table sets out the outcome of 
the 2020 annual bonus, including the adjusted outturn to reflect the impact of the voluntary bonus reduction for each Executive Director:

MAx 
OPPORTUNITY 
(% OF SALARY)

OUTTURN 
£

OUTTURN
(% OF MAx)

OUTTURN 
(% OF SALARY)

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

75%

75%

50%

£294,000

£198,900

£69,000

93%

87%

60%

70%

65%

30%

*Amounts forfeited by the Executive Directors were £160,230 for the CEO, £108,400 for the CFO and £37,605 for the COO.

ADJUSTED 
OUTTURN*
£

£133,770

£90,500

£31,395

ADJUSTED 
OUTTURN
(% OF MAx)

ADJUSTED 
OUTTURN
(% OF SALARY)

42%

39%

27%

32%

30%

14%

The Remuneration Policy states that any bonus earnt in excess of 50% of salary should be deferred into shares on a net of tax basis for 3 years. As such, 
there will be no deferral of bonuses this year. 

PSP Awards vesting in 2020 (audited)
The 2018 PSP award is subject to performance conditions ending on 31 December 2020 with the exception of TSR which will be ending on 14 March 2021. 
We have set out indicative vesting of the award below, based on indicative TSR vesting as at 31 December 2020 and final vesting of the EPS and Group 
objectives. These will be updated in the next annual report once the TSR element has been finalised and audited. 

For the TSR performance condition which underscores our commitment to share price outperformance, median TSR performance versus the FTSE Small Cap 
Index results in threshold vesting (i.e. 25% of maximum), rising to full vesting for upper quartile performance versus the FTSE Small Cap Index. Indicative TSR 
performance to 31 December 2020 positions JTC at 89th percentile against the FTSE Small Cap. As such, indicative vesting shows full vesting of TSR. 

For the EPS performance condition which was originally set with reference to available analyst forecasts, EPS of 17.03p results in threshold vesting (i.e. 25% 
of maximum) and EPS of 20.59p qualifies for full vesting. For the year ending 31 December 2020, JTC’s underlying EPS was 22.5p and as such this element 
of the award qualified for full vesting

The Group objectives performance condition was assessed against JTC’s Odyssey Era business plan ambitions which were set following JTC’s IPO in 2018. 
These included becoming a £1bn+ business; delivering a margin of 33% and 10% organic growth per annum at a Group level; fostering a global reputation 
for service excellence in the Private Client Service (PCS) and Institutional Client Service (ICS) divisions; delivering sector-leading efficiencies to ensure global 
scalability whilst maintaining an impeccable standard of service and administration; and becoming an employer of choice. 

The Committee reviewed JTC’s achievements in the context of the ambitions set and was satisfied that full vesting was warranted on account of the overall 
success of the Odyssey era and shareholder value created over the three-year period:

 – JTC delivered on its ambition to become a $1bn+ business (by market capitalisation)
 – Despite Covid-19 challenges, JTC reported an EBITDA margin of 33.6% and Group net organic growth of 7.9% as at 31 December 2020 and achieved 

guidance, which is a testament to the robustness and resilience of the business and its people 

 – The Group has developed a highly successful growth strategy that combines strong organic growth of the core business, with highly disciplined 
inorganic growth in a sector that is consolidating at a global level. Notable acquisitions completed since IPO include NESF which provided a 

90

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020strategic entry into the US fund services market (completed April 2020) and Sanne’s private client business in Jersey which was a good value bolt-on 
(completed July 2020). These acquired businesses have been successfully integrated into JTC’s portfolio and have contributed to the Group’s growth 
and margins. JTC also acquired Minerva, Van Doorn and Exequtive Partners since IPO. 

 – JTC continues to pursue growth opportunities to expand its service range, including the announced acquisition of the RBC CEES Limited business 

which is an established leader in the employee benefits market (December 2020) 

 – Further technology and process improvements, management enhancements, service line expansion and premises upgrades positions JTC for 
further growth via acquisition opportunities to increase market share; structure and diversified nature of the business ensures that it is well-
organised for success 

 – Continued outperformance with JTC shares up 97% since the IPO versus the FTSE Small Cap Index (27%) and the FTSE 250 Index (10%)
 – Reflecting JTC’s commitment to shareholder returns, annual dividend per share increased from 3.0p per share in 2018 to 5.3p per share in 2019 (a 

77% increase), and a further year-over-year increase in the interim dividend in 2020 

 – Admission to the FTSE 250 Index in November 2020, as a result of the continued growth and performance of the business since its IPO in 2018
 – JTC is a ‘top tier’ provider: JTC’s PCS division was awarded “STEP Large Trust Company of the Year” in 2020 by the Society of Trust and Estate 

Practitioners, which is seen as a hallmark of quality in the private client industry around the world and evidences JTC’s commitment to client focus 
and global service excellence 

 – JTC continues to invest in employee training, development, and global mobility initiatives through the establishment of JTC Academy and JTC 

Gateway. Key initiatives include the design of Managing JTC Way, a bespoke in-house management development programme, that is accredited by 
the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), to support the lifelong learning and growth of its people 

 – JTC’s ICS division continues to be a top tier global provider, with two large competitive mandates secured demonstrating its reputation in the market 

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

MEASURE

WEIGHTING

INDICATIVE VESTING  
(% OF ELEMENT)

TOTAL INDICATIVE 
VESTING 
(% OF MAxIMUM)

TOTAL INDICATIVE VESTING 
(NO. SHARES)

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

TSR

EPS

TSR

EPS

TSR

EPS

Group Business Plan

50%

50%

50%

50%

33%

33%

33%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

68,182

52,083

100%

12,235

2020 PSP Awards (audited)
During the year ended 31 December 2020, Executive Directors received a conditional award of shares which may vest after a three year performance period 
ending on 31 December 2023, based on the achievement of stretching performance conditions. The maximum levels achievable under these awards are 
set out in the table below:

MAx. AWARD 
(% OF SALARY)

MAx. AWARD1
(£)

NO. SHARES

MEASURE

WEIGHTING

VESTING DATE

HOLDING 
PERIOD2

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

NIGEL LE QUESNE

100%

£420,000

99,762

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM

100%

£306,000

72,684

WENDY HOLLEY

25%

£57,500

13,658

TSR

EPS

TSR

EPS

TSR

EPS

Group Business Plan

50%

50%

50%

50%

33%

33%

33%

31.12.2023

2 years

31.12.2023

2 years

31.12.2023

2 years

1 
2 

Face value of award based on the 3-day average share price to 20 April 2020 being £4.21. 
 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.

91

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

The targets for the 2020 PSP award are outlined below. EPS targets are set with reference to available analyst forecasts and projected in line with expected 
organic growth. 

TSR VS. FTSE SMALL CAP INDEX 
(EXCLUDING REAL ESTATE AND 
INVESTMENT TRUSTS)

PERFORMANCE 
OVER THE 
PERIOD

Below 
Median

Equal 
to Median

Equal  
or Exceeds 
Upper 
Quartile

% OF ELEMENT VESTING

0%

25%

Straight-line 
vesting occurs 
between 
points

100%

PERFORMANCE 
OVER THE 
PERIOD

Underlying 
EPS

Below 23.8p 
per share

23.8p 
per share

Equal to 
Exceeds 
29.75p 
per share

% OF ELEMENT VESTING

0%

25%

Straight-line 
vesting occurs 
between 
points

100%

GROUP BUSINESS PLAN

The Board approves a rolling three-year business plan, which codifies the Company’s strategy of growth organically 
and by acquisition. The Committee sets objectives reflecting the Company’s delivery of the plan which will be 
detailed further retrospectively at the end of the performance period. 

Statement of Directors’ shareholdings and interests in shares (audited)
As at 31 December 2020 the Directors have significant shareholdings in the Company, as follows:

UNVESTED SHARES

WITH 
PERFORMANCE 
CONDITIONS

WITHOUT 
PERFORMANCE 
CONDITIONS

SHARES LEGALLY 
OWNED AS AT
31 DECEMBER 
20203

PSP AWARDS

DBSP AWARDS

% INTEREST IN 
VOTING RIGHTS

REQUIREMENT 
(% OF SALARY)

SHAREHOLDING

SHAREHOLDING 
AS AT  
31 DECEMBER 
2020  
(% OF SALARY)4

REQUIREMENT 
MET?

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

NIGEL LE QUESNE1

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY2

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

MIKE LISTON

DERMOT MATHIAS

MICHAEL GRAY

ERIKA SCHRANER

10,509,128

718,586

349,489

266,044

199,767

42,560

32,797

25,863

17,242

0

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

–

–

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

8.58%

0.58%

0.28%

0.03%

0.02%

0.01%

0.00%

150%

150%

150%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

13,962%

1,310%

848%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1 
2 

3 
4 

Includes Ordinary Shares held by Ocean Drive Holdings Limited, a company in which Nigel Le Quesne is beneficially interested.
 In August 2020 Wendy Holley sold 229,139 shares; as detailed in the announcements on 10 and 12 August 2020 this related to the purchase of a private primary residence. Wendy remains fully committed 
to the business and, in keep with JTC’s ethos of shared ownership amongst all employees, retains a significant shareholding In the Company. 
In accordance with LR 9.8.6. there have been no further changes in the interests of each director during the period, nor in the period from 1 January 2021 to the date of this Report. 
Share price as of 31 December 2020 was £5.58. 

92

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Total share awards granted (audited)
The table below sets out details of the Executive Directors’ outstanding share awards as at 31 December 2020.

NO. SHARES 
(100% VEST)1

MAx. AWARD AS 
% OF SALARY

VALUE AT DATE 
OF GRANT

% VESTING AT 
THRESHOLD 
PERFORMANCE

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

AWARD

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

PSP 2020

68,182

98,100

99,762

Total

266,044

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

PSP 2020

52,083

75,000

72,684

Total

199,767

PSP 2018

PSP 2019

PSP 2020

Total

Total

12,235

16,667

13,658

42,560

508,371

75%

75%

100

75%

75%

£270,000

£294,300

£420,000

£206,250

£225,000

100%

£306,000

25%

25%

25%

£48,450

£50,000

£57,500

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

VEST DATE

14.03.2021

31.03.2022

31.03.2023

14.03.2021

31.03.2022

31.03.2023

14.03.2020

31.03.2022

31.03.2023

HOLD

n/a

2 years

2 years

n/a

2 years

2 years

n/a

2 years

2 years

PSP Share awards are nil cost (in the case of existing shares) or the nominal value of the Shares if newly issued. All PSP awards made to date are nil cost.

1 
2  Number of shares awarded calculated based on the average of the middle market quotations in the 3 immediately preceding days prior to the date of Grant (2018: £3.96/2019: £3.00/2020: £4.21).
3 
4 

The end of the performance period for all PSP awards is on the third anniversary of the date of Grant.
 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.

Loss of office payments (audited)
No loss of office payments were made during the year. 

Payments to past Directors (audited)
No payments to past Directors were made during the year. 

Fees retained for external Non-Executive Directorships
Executive Directors may hold positions in other companies as Non-Executive Directors subject to the prior approval of the Chairman. Executive Directors 
are also permitted to retain fees for these appointments subject to Board approval. Nigel Le Quesne is a Non-Executive Director of Brooks Macdonald 
International Investment Funds Limited and Brooks Macdonald Multi Strategy Fund Limited, but does not receive any personal fees for these appointments. 

Relative spend on pay
The table below shows the relative 2020 expenditure of dividends against employee costs compared to 2019. These figures are underpinned by amounts 
from the Notes to the Financial Statements. 

YEAR ON YEAR INCREASES 

DIVIDENDS PAID IN FINANCIAL YEAR 

TOTAL EMPLOYEE COSTS 

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SPEND OF PAY (£m)

DIVIDENDS 
PAID IN
FINANCIAL
YEAR

2019 4.4 

2020

4.6 

TOTAL 
EMPLOYEE
COSTS

2019

2020

46.7 

54.7 

2020

£7.4m

£57.4

2019

£4.4m

£46.7m

ANNUAL 
INCREASE 
%

67%

23%

93

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

ALIGNMENT BETWEEN PAY AND PERFORMANCE

Total shareholder return (“TSR”) performance
The following graph shows, for the financial year period ended 31 December 2020 and for each of the financial periods since JTC Group’s IPO, the TSR on 
a holding of JTC’s ordinary shares of the same kind and number as those by reference to which the FTSE 250 is calculated. The Committee feels that the 
FTSE 250 is the appropriate comparator index given JTC’s recent ascent to the FTSE 250 on 16 November 2020. However, we note that our Performance 
Share Plan measures performance over the FTSE Small Cap in line with our prior constituency within that index. 

The TSR graph represents the daily value of £100 invested in JTC Group on 12 March 2018, compared with the value of £100 invested in the FTSE 250 Index 
over the same period. JTC’s TSR since IPO has grown by 97% which is significantly more than both the FTSE 250 (10% growth) and FTSE Small Cap (27% 
growth). This strong continued growth reinforced JTC’s solid investment case and contributed to JTC’s admission to the FTSE 250 Index in November 2020. 

  JTC 

  F TSE 250 

  F TSE SMALL CAP

JTC's TSR vs. FTSE Small Cap and FTSE 250

8
1
0
2
h
c
r
a
M
2
1
n
o
0
0
1
o
t

d
e
s
a
b
e
r
R
S
T

225

200

175

150

125

100

75

50

25

0

March-18

June-18

Sept-18

Dec-18

March-19

June-19

Sept-19

Dec-19

March-20

June-20

Sept-20

Dec-20

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 %

2020

2019

2018

£979,139

£630,697

£538,239

42%1

n/a

67%

n/a

80%

n/a

1 

 Represents the value of the annual bonus following the voluntary reduction by the CEO. In 2019, the CEO and CFO both waived part of their bonus (representing 15% of salary) in order to better align with the 
remuneration outcomes for the wider workforce; the funds waived were reinvested in the wider bonus pot for employees. 

94

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Percentage change in Director remuneration
The table below shows the percentage year-on-year change in salary, benefits and annual bonus for all Directors compared to the average of all employees 
in the UK, which JTC believes this is the most appropriate peer group as it provides consistency with the CEO pay ratio methodology. Please note that the 
population in the UK is small and is therefore subject to volatility changes year on year due to turnover in the incumbent data set. 

The Executive Directors received salary increases within the year, increases in benefits are minimal and reflect the year on year increase in cost for the 
same benefits, but annual bonuses have reduced year on year reflecting the Executives’ personal decision to waive more than half of their bonus this year. 
As mentioned, the UK subset is exposed to changes in the incumbent data set which saw a number of higher earners leave during the year; bonuses are 
slightly smaller compared to last year but were partially funded by the Executive Directors waiving a portion of their bonuses. 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM 

WENDY HOLLEY1

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

MIKE LISTON 

DERMOT MATHIAS

MICHAEL GRAY 

ERIKA SCHRANER1

2020

SALARY
%

BENEFITS
%

ANNUAL BONUS
%

7%

2%

n/a

0%

0%

0%

n/a

2%

2%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

-32%

-40%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

AVERAGE PAY FOR UK EMPLOYEES

-15.5%

-12.76%

-4.45%

1  Wendy joined the Board of Directors on 19 July 2019; therefore, year on year percentage changes are not reflected of full year service and have not been disclosed.
2 

Erika was appointed to the Board on 18 November 2019. 

CEO pay ratio
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. 

JTC has adopted ‘Option A’ as its methodology to calculate the pay ratio as it believes it is the most comparable and relevant methodology: 

 – 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. These employees were identified as 

of 31 December 2020. 

YEAR

METHOD

20201

20192

TOTAL FTE REMUNERATION 
FOR ALL UK EMPLOYEES

TOTAL FTE REMUNERATION 
FOR ALL UK EMPLOYEES

25TH 
PERCENTILE  
PAY RATIO

MEDIAN 
PAY RATIO

75TH 
PERCENTILE 
PAY RATIO

28

16

20

8

11

5

1 

2 

 2020 is the first year that the CEO had a PSP Award vest (awarded in 2018) and this accounts for a significant proportion of the CEO’s total remuneration. To allow for ‘like for like’ comparison year-on-year if 
the 2018 PSP award is removed from the CEO’s single figure remuneration then the pay ratio would be 17x the 25th percentile, 12x at the median and 7x at 75th percentile. 
Figures have been restated to account for changes to the single figure in 2019 in relation to the calculation of benefits and PSP. 

Please note that the 2020 ratios will be restated next year should the final vesting figure for the 2018 PSP change from the indicative figures provided in 
the single figure calculation.

Due to the small subset of employees included within the analysis for calculating the pay ratios, the Committee is aware of the data sensitivity in publishing 
the salary and bonuses of the employees at each quartile. As such, the Committee has decided not to disclose this data publically, but will review this in 
future as the JTC population in the UK grows. 

95

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

This ratio shows that the CEO’s pay is 20x greater than the median average of all of JTC’s UK employees compared to 8x in 2019. The year on year increase 
in median pay ratio is due partially to a change in UK incumbent employees which has reduced the absolute pay quartiles. As mentioned there is a small 
subset of employees in the UK and as such the pay quartiles are sensitive to changes in incumbents. 

In addition, 2020 is the first year that the CEO has had a PSP award vest which has increased his total pay substantially compared to 2019. The ratio 
is currently calculated on the indicative vesting figures as outlined in the report earlier; should these figures change we will restate these ratios in next 
year’s report. The Committee is mindful of these year on year changes and will continue to monitor this in future; it acknowledges that the exclusion of 
the PSP award from the single figure table would have resulted in a median pay ratio of 12x which reflects the significance of the addition of variable pay. 
The Committee anticipates that year on year changes will continue to be sensitive to changes in incumbent UK employees, however, the CEO’s pay should 
now be in a steady state, with equity awards that are due to vest each year, if earned based on performance

Single total figure of remuneration for Non-Executive Directors (audited)
The table below sets out the total remuneration payable to each Non-Executive Director for the year ended 31 December 2020

SINGLE TOTAL FIGURE OF 
REMUNERATION

MIKE LISTON

DERMOT MATHIAS

MICHAEL GRAY

ERIKA SCHRANER1

CHAIRMAN

£100,000

£100,000

BASE

n/a

n/a

SID

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

£60,000

£10,000

£60,000

£60,000

£60,000

£60,000

£7,233

£10,000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

AUDIT & RISK 
COMMITTEE 
CHAIR

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE 
CHAIR

n/a

n/a

£5,000

£5,000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

£10,000

£10,000

n/a

n/a

TOTAL

£100,000

£100,000

£75,000

£75,000

£70,000

£70,000

£60,000

£7,233

1 

Erika Schraner was appointed to the Board on 18 November 2019.

Implementation of the Remuneration Policy during 2021
This section provides details of how the Remuneration Policy will be implemented for 2021. 

Base salary 
The proposed annual rate of base salaries of the Executive Directors from 1 January 2021 are detailed below; the average increase for the wider 
workforce is 4.85%.

GROUP FINANCIAL METRICS

BASE SALARY

EFFECTIVE DATE

INCREASE

REASON

NIGEL LE QUESNE

£435,000

1 January 2021

3.57%

Nominal increase below the Group average

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

£316,925

1 January 2021

3.57%

Nominal increase below the Group average 

WENDY HOLLEY

£241,500

1 January 2021

5.00%

Following JTC’s ascent to the FTSE 250, executive pay was 
reviewed in this context; the Committee expected pay to be 
somewhat behind market as pay positioning was previously 
set with the FTSE Small Cap in mind. However, the COO’s 
positioning lagged behind the market and therefore the 
Committee determined that a larger increase than the Group 
average was appropriate to bring the COO closer to market. 
To facilitate further alignment with the market and to provide 
due recognition for her growing responsibilities as a main Board 
director, the Committee also determined that the COO should 
be remunerated with the same PSP opportunity as the CEO and 
CFO going forwards. See below for further details.

The Committee has in the past year made increases to Executive Directors to reflect the increase in responsibilities since the IPO. Following JTC’s move 
from the FTSE Small Cap to FTSE 250 and in line with the upcoming review of the Remuneration Policy as a whole, the Committee will review each pay 
element as well as the overall reward proposition. 

96

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Salary adjustments are generally considered in the context of market conditions, performance of the individual, new challenges or a new strategic direction 
for the Company. There may be occasions when the Committee needs to recognise circumstances including, but not limited to: an individual’s development 
in the role, a change in the responsibility and/or complexity of the role. In these circumstances, the Committee may determine that a higher annual 
increase than the average for the workforce is appropriate. The Committee will consult with shareholders ahead of time and the rationale will be disclosed 
to shareholders in the Remuneration Report.

Benefits and pension
In line with the Policy, Executive Directors will continue to receive life assurance, pension contributions, private medical insurance and other de minimis 
benefits in kind. The average employer contribution rate in the UK and Jersey for employees is 5%, this increases to 7%-10% for senior management. 

Executive Directors are eligible for pension contributions up to 10% of salary. The CEO and CFO currently receive a contribution of up to 10% of salary, 
the COO has elected to receive a pension contribution equal to 5% of her salary. A review in terms of the alignment of pension contributions between 
incumbent Executives and the wider workforce is underway. 

Annual bonus 
As noted Executive Directors will have a maximum annual bonus opportunity for 2021 of 100% of salary. The Committee will consider the overall 
remuneration mix and its alignment with JTC’s strategic goals and the wider workforce pay policy when it undertakes its review of remuneration policy 
prior to the 2022 AGM. 

A combination of financial and non-financial weightings will be retained for Executive Directors, with financial measures comprising at least 50% of the 
total weighting. Annual bonus performance measures will be aligned with JTC’s Group business plan to incentivise the achievement of annual delivery 
targets. From 2021, the Executive Directors will also have shared financial measures, to reinforce a common focus on creating shareholder value and to 
align with best practice. The Executive Directors’ specific objectives under each theme are considered commercially sensitive and as such will be reported 
in the following financial period.

GROUP FINANCIAL METRICS

FINANCIAL METRICS

UNDERLYING EPS 

GROUP NET ORGANIC GROWTH

EBITDA MARGIN

CASH CONVERSION IMPROVEMENTS

DELIVER COMMERCIAL AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS

NON-FINANCIAL METRICS

STRATEGIC EXECUTION 

INVESTOR RELATIONS

RISK AND COMPLIANCE

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

GROWTH

NIGEL  
LE QUESNE

MARTIN 
FOTHERINGHAM

60%

60%

WENDY
HOLLEY

50%

40%

40%

50%

Performance Share Plan 
For 2021, Executive Directors will be granted PSP awards with a maximum face value of 150% of salary and vesting linked to JTC’s TSR performance 
(relative to the FTSE 250 Index, excluding real estate and investment trusts) and EPS performance over a three-year period. The Committee believes that 
the maximum long-term incentive award provides a strong incentive for management to focus on executing the global growth strategy to position JTC 
firmly as a leader in fund, corporate, and private client services. It also rewards the achievement of sustainable per share returns, in a manner that is aligned 
with the long-term shareholder experience. 

As part of the review of policy before the 2022 AGM the Committee will consider the remuneration mix and the balance between long and short term 
performance together with the relationship to the JTC Ownership for All culture. 

Under the PSP, performance share awards will be made in April 2021, in line with our shareholder approved policy. The number of shares over which awards 
will be made is determined by the 3-day average share price prior to date of award. The Committee intends to make PSP grants to each of the Executive 
Directors as set out below, subject to shareholder approval, with values based on salaries effective 1 January 2021 as set out below. Actual award values 
and shares granted will be disclosed in next year’s Annual Report. 

97

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CONTINUED

GROUP FINANCIAL METRICS

NIGEL LE QUESNE

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM

WENDY HOLLEY

% OF SALARY

150%

150%

150%

PSP VALUE 
£

£652,500

£475388

£362,250

TSR

50%

50%

50%

EPS

50%

50%

50%

The performance share awards to be granted in May 2021 will be subject to three-year targets for the following measures: relative TSR; underlying EPS. 
The targets for the 2021 PSP award are outlined below: 

TSR VS. FTSE 250 INDEX 
(EXCLUDING REAL ESTATE  
AND INVESTMENT TRUSTS)

PERFORMANCE 
OVER THE 
PERIOD

Below 
Median

Equal 
to Median

Equal or 
Exceeds 
Upper 
Quartile

% OF ELEMENT VESTING

0% Straight-line 
vesting 
occurs 
between 
points

25%

100%

PERFORMANCE 
OVER THE 
PERIOD

% OF ELEMENT VESTING

Underlying 
EPS

Below 30p 
per share

0%

30p per share

25%

Straight-line 
vesting 
occurs 
between 
points

Equal to 
Exceeds 37.5p 
per share

100%

Shareholding requirements
Executive Directors are required to build or maintain a shareholding requirement equivalent to 150% of their base salary. All the Executive Directors comply 
with this requirement. In 2021, the Committee will review emerging best practice in relation to post-cessation guidelines and the requirements against the 
UK Corporate Governance Code. Changes will be incorporated in the Remuneration Policy for approval at the 2022 AGM. During the year, the Committee 
reviewed these requirements against the UK Corporate Governance Code and emerging best practice in relation to post-cessation requirements. As such, the 
Committee has decided to adopt post-employment guidelines whereby Executives are required to hold the lower of the in-post shareholding requirement 
and the incumbent’s level of holding on exiting the business for a period of 2 years. These guidelines are compliant with the IA’s guidelines and echo our 
ethos of shared ownership and wealth creation for all employees.

Non-Executive Directors’ fees for 2021
The Committee reviewed Non-Executive Director fees during 2020 and determined that no adjustments would be made for 2021. As such, the fees for 
2021 are as follows: 

FEES

CHAIRMAN

BASE

SID

AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE CHAIR

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIR

WITH EFFECT FROM 
1 JANUARY 2021

£100,000

60,000

£10,000

£5,000

£10,000

Service contracts
In accordance with general market practice, Executive Directors have a rolling service contract. The Executives have service contracts with JTC (copies 
of which are available to view at the Company’s registered office) that are terminable on 6 months’ notice from the Group and 6 months’ notice from 
the Executive Director. This practice will also apply for any new Executive Directors. The Non-Executive Directors’ letters of appointment do not contain 
provision for notice periods or for compensation if their appointments are terminated. 

The Directors’ Remuneration Report has been approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

MICHAEL GRAY
REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

12 APRIL 2021

98

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020DIRECTORS’ REPORT

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

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 56 to 98 and the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement on page 104 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

149 to 153

6 to 13

104

169

54

54

Company status 
JTC PLC is public company incorporated in Jersey. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange main market with a premium listing.

Subsidiary companies 
JTC operates through a number of subsidiaries in various different countries. The list of subsidiaries is available at note 33 to the Financial Statements.

Compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code)
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. A copy of the Code can be found at frc.org.uk. 

As at the date of this Report, the Company complies with the UK Corporate Governance Code published by the Financial Reporting Council (the “Code”) 
except that: the Non-Executive Chairman was a member of the Audit and Risk Committee during the year. The Non-Executive Chairman stepped down 
from the Committee effective as of 26 November 2020 to ensure that the Company is fully compliant with Provision 24 of the Code; the Company did not 
have a post-employment shareholding requirement during the year. The Remuneration Committee adopted a policy in relation to Executives’ shareholdings 
post-cessation of employment on 11 February 2021 to ensure compliance with provision 36 of the Code; and the alignment of the Executive Directors’ 
pensions with that of the workforce in accordance with provision 38 of the Code. The Remuneration Committee will review the Executive Directors’ pension 
arrangements when reviewing the Company’s Remuneration Policy in 2021 and consider making any adjustments it considers appropriate to ensure 
consistency with the Company’s commitment to fair executive and employee compensation. 

Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules
By virtue of the information included in this Governance section of the Annual Report we comply with the corporate governance statement requirements 
of the FCA’s Disclosure and Guidance and Transparency Rules. Certain additional information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to DTR7.2 can be 
found on pages 99 to 103. 

Forward-looking statements 
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.

99

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104DIRECTORS’ REPORT CONTINUED

Results and dividends 
In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group delivered an underlying profit before tax of 21.4 million (2019: £19.7 million), an increase of 8.3%; and a 
statutory profit before tax of 11.2 million (2019: £17.6 million), a change of -36.3%.

A summary of the dividends on ordinary shares for the financial year ended 31 December 2020 compared to the prior year is shown below:

YEAR

2020

2020

2020

2019

2019

2019

DIVIDEND

FINAL (RECOMMENDED)

INTERIM 

TOTAL

FINAL 

INTERIM

TOTAL

PENCE PER 
SHARE

4.35p

2.4p

6.75p

3.6p

1.7p

5.3p

The 2020 interim dividend of 2.4 pence per existing ordinary share (2019: 1.7 pence) was paid to shareholders on 23 October 2020.

Payment of the recommended final dividend for the year 31 December 2020, if approved at the 2021 AGM, will be made on 2 July 2021 to shareholders 
registered at the close of business on 11 June 2021. The shares will be quoted ex-dividend from 10 June 2021.

Directors 
Details of the Directors in office at the date of this Report are listed on pages 58 to 59. In accordance with the Code, each director will retire and submit 
himself or herself for election or re-election at the 2021 AGM.

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 92 and 96.

Appointment and replacement of Directors 
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 2021 AGM.

Directors’ indemnity 
Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance is maintained by the Company.

Powers of the Directors 
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 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.

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities 
Our statement on Director’s Responsibilities has been provided on page 104 of this Report.

100

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Material interest in shares 
Up to year-end being 31 December 2020 and as at 10 March 2021, 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

ABERDEEN STANDARD INVESTMENTS

NIGEL LE QUESNE

FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

INVESCO

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON FUND MANAGEMENT

% INTEREST IN 
VOTING RIGHTS

10.70

8.83

8.58

7.00

6.95

6.02

Share capital 
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 116 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 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

Allotment of shares
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 Shareholders approved the 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 until the conclusion of the AGM to be held this year. 
The Directors will seek to renew this extra authority 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 a 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.

Purchase of shares 
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.

101

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104DIRECTORS’ REPORT CONTINUED

Articles of Association 
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.

Share dealing code 
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.

Post balance sheet events 
Details of post-balance sheet events are given in note 40 of the financial statements.

Donations and political expenditure 
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

2020

£

110,000

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.

Communicating with shareholders 
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 and the Group CFO as well as by the Chairman (who remains in contact with our largest 
shareholders) and are discussed at its meetings. 

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.

UK Listing Rule 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. Details of long 
term incentive plans can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on page 82.

Auditors 
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP, which was re-appointed in 2020, 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 5 and 6 set 
out in the Notice of Meeting.

Going concern 
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. 

102

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020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 2021. Therefore, the Board continues to adopt the going concern 
basis in preparing the financial statements.

Disclosure to the auditors 
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.

AGM 
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 ‘safer travel’ guidance which currently applies to everyone 
travelling to and from Jersey, 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) may 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

12 APRIL 2021

103

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020GOVERNANCE ���������������������������������������������������������P.55–P.104DIRECTORS’
RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT

DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT

THE CORPORATE SECRETARY IS AN 
IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN THE 
BOARD, MANAGEMENT, SHAREHOLDERS 
AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. GOOD 
GOVERNANCE ENSURES THE JTC NOT 
ONLY CONFORMS BUT PERFORMS

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.

Responsibility statement of the Directors in 
respect of the annual financial report
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 1 to 
54) 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 12 April 2021 and signed 
on its behalf by:

MIRANDA LANSDOWNE
JOINT COMPANY SECRETARY
JTC (JERSEY) LIMITED, COMPANY SECRETARY

104

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

106 Independent Auditor’s Report
113  Consolidated Income Statement
114  Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
115  Consolidated Balance Sheet
116  Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
117  Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
118  Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
169  Investor Relations Information
170  Glossary

105

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF JTC PLC

Report on the audit of the consolidated financial statements
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 2020, 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 2020; 
 – 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 significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.

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

AUDIT SCOPE
 – Group audit scoping was performed based on profit before tax which identified fourteen significant 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 United States of America.

 – In determining the significant components we also considered total revenue and total work in progress of the group, ensuring that the fourteen 
significant components also cover at least 85% of these financial statement line items. 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 group financial reporting functions are located. Trading subsidiaries are based in Africa, Americas, 

Caribbean, Middle East, Asia and Europe.

KEY AUDIT MATTERS
 – Recognition and recoverability of work in progress (“WIP”).
 – Impairment of goodwill.
 – Business combinations.
 – Consideration of the potential impact of Covid-19 on the group.

MATERIALITY
 – Overall group materiality: £885,950 (2019: £882,000) based on 5% of the group’s profit before tax, adjusted for the loss on revaluation of the 

contingent consideration relating to NESF. 

 – Performance materiality: £664,400 (2019: £661,500).

106

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020THE SCOPE OF OUR AUDIT 
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.

KEY AUDIT MATTERS
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements of 
the current period. These matters, and any comments we make on the results of our procedures thereon, 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. 

This is not a complete list of all risks identified by our audit.

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

RECOGNITION AND RECOVERABILITY OF WORK IN 
PROGRESS (“WIP”)

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the billing process and 
quarterly valuation of WIP;

Recognition of, and 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.

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 4 & 13 of the 
consolidated financial statements.

For a sample of clients where WIP has been recognised and is outstanding at the year end, 
we confirmed subsequent billing and when possible, the amounts recovered post year end 
to ensure appropriateness of revenue recognition; 

Where WIP was not billed and not recovered post year end for any of the clients within the 
sample, 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 with a focus on current year payments to identify any potential impact from 
the Covid-19 pandemic; 

Analytical procedures were performed to analyse the implied recovery of historic WIP for us 
to assess the reasonability of the implied recovery of WIP on a sample selected at year-end; 

We assessed the provisions applied, the level of WIP written-off and credit notes raised on 
post year end invoices, on a sample basis and challenged the rationale for those provisions, 
WIP write-offs and credit notes raised and the impact on the year-end WIP balance;

We assessed the appropriateness of judgements made regarding the potential impact of the 
Covid-19 pandemic on the implied recovery of WIP at the year end and in light of the general 
economic conditions of each jurisdiction/client; and

We performed a standback evaluation for the implied recovery of WIP at year end in order 
to assess whether there are any indicators of management bias.

As a result of the procedures performed, we have not identified any material misstatements 
in respect of the WIP balance at year end.

107

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT CONTINUED

Key audit matter

IMPAIRMENT OF GOODWILL

Various acquisitions made 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 fair value 
of acquired intangible assets) is determined at the 
acquisition date. 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 judgements 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 geographic 
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 
consolidated financial statements.

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

The group has completed three business 
combinations during the year. Significant judgement 
is involved in calculating the fair value of acquired 
assets and the allocation of the purchase price.

Judgements arise from the fact that there are a 
number of assumptions included in the valuation 
models used to determine the fair values of intangible 
assets acquired which include customer contracts, 
brand and software. These assumptions include 
estimates for the economic useful lives of the 
intangible assets, projected future earning levels, 
growth rates, client attrition rates, royalty rates and 
discount rates.

Judgement is also applied in considering whether 
acquisitions meet the definition of a business 
combination, the date control passed and judgement 
on inputs required to determine the fair value of 
contingent consideration when it arises.

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the preparation and review of 
impairment calculations.

We evaluated the inputs and assumptions in the forecast used by management in determining 
the value in use for each of the CGUs, including the appropriateness of the basis of the forecast. 
We challenged management’s judgements, tested the underlying value in use calculation 
and compared the forecast used in the calculation to management’s approved forecasts 
and budgets;

We challenged management’s key assumptions used in the forecasts taking into consideration 
potential short term and long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on future performance, 
profit margin and terminal growth rate;

We performed sensitivity analysis to identify the key assumptions to 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 occurring; 

We compared the approved management forecast to historical performance;

We performed sensitivity analysis to identify the key assumptions to 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 occurring;

We assessed the mathematical accuracy of each discounted cash flow model;

We considered the adequacy of the disclosure in the consolidated financial statements of the 
impairment assessment of goodwill; and

We performed a standback evaluation for the key assumptions used in the value in use 
calculation in order to assess whether there are any indicators of management bias.

As a result of the testing performed we have not identified any material issue in respect of the 
impairment of goodwill. 

We evaluated the design and implementation of controls around the preparation, review and 
accounting for acquisitions.

We obtained management’s accounting judgement papers and challenged whether the 
valuations performed were appropriately accounted for in accordance with applicable financial 
reporting standards;

We challenged management on the date the control was passed to JTC for each acquisition;

We challenged management on the key assumptions used in the valuation of non-cash 
contingent consideration at the date of the acquisition and the subsequent valuation of the 
contingent consideration at year end;

We challenged management on the appropriateness of the method used for the valuation of 
each type of intangible assets;

We challenged management on the assumptions used in the valuation models such as royalty 
rates, attrition rates, discount rates, useful economic life and future projections of revenue/
EBITDA margins. This included benchmarking against comparable data;

We performed sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions used in the valuation models, 
including royalty rates, useful economic life, attrition rates, discount rates and revenue 
growth rates;

We reconciled source data used in the models to underlying accounting records; and

Accounting policies and disclosures relating to 
the acquisitions are disclosed in note 31 of the 
consolidated financial statements.

We performed a standback evaluation for the key assumptions used to determine the fair 
values of the acquired intangibles in order to assess whether there are any indicators of 
management bias.

As a result of the testing performed, we have not identified any material issues in respect of the 
accounting for business combinations.

108

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the Key audit matter

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 of directors (“the 
board”) have considered the impact caused by 
the Covid-19 pandemic 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 goodwill impairment and 
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 impact of 
Covid-19 (including their associated estimates and 
judgements) to be a key audit matter.

In assessing the 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 underlying factors incorporated and 
the sensitivities applied as a result of Covid-19;

We evaluated management’s assessment of accounting estimates, which could be impacted 
by the economic environment resulting from Covid-19, including estimates involved in 
the impairment assessment of goodwill and intangible assets and recoverability of WIP 
and debtors;

We noted the following factors that were considered to be fundamental in the 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:

 – The group has a highly visible recurring revenue not linked to Assets under Administration.
 – The group has demonstrated the ability to deliver ‘business as usual’ services 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.

We reviewed the disclosures presented in the Annual Report in relation to Covid-19 by reading 
the other information, including the response to Covid-19, and assessing their consistency with 
the financial statements and the evidence we obtained in our audit; and

We assessed management’s going concern analysis in light of Covid-19 and evaluated 
management’s stressed scenarios, challenged the underlying data and adequacy and 
appropriateness of the underlying assumptions used to make the assessment and evaluated the 
directors’ plans for future actions in relation to their going concern assessment.

Based on the procedures performed 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 but acknowledge that the situation continues to evolve.

HOW WE TAILORED THE AUDIT SCOPE
We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give 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.

The group has operating components internationally spread and two segments, institutional client services and private client services. Components were 
considered financially significant where they exceeded 10% of our primary benchmark, profit before tax, as well as revenues and WIP. Additional components 
were scoped in considering the risks associated with those components and their financial contribution, to ensure audit coverage is at least 85% of 
each benchmark. 

Eight of the components in scope for group reporting were audited by PwC Channel Islands, and a further three components were audited by PwC member 
firms providing 78% coverage of total profit before tax. Three additional components were audited by non-PwC firms. We instructed non-PwC Channel 
Island component audit teams to perform full scope audit procedures on the component’s management information. 

Centralised procedures were performed by the group audit team to look at non-significant components, including a combination of statutory audits for 
non-significant components, analytical review and journal entries testing. 

As the group audit team, we determined the level of involvement required at those components to be able to conclude whether sufficient and appropriate 
audit evidence had been obtained as a basis for our opinion on the financial statements as a whole. In our role as group auditors, we exercised oversight 
over the work performed by auditors of the components including performing the following procedures:

 – Maintained an active dialogue with reporting component audit teams, including regular group wide audit team conference/video calls and specific 

conference/video calls for each reporting territory covering scope, status and results prior to inter-office reporting; and

 – Video conferencing and/or remote audit workpaper reviews, to satisfy ourselves as to the sufficiency of audit work performed at the significant and 

additional components.

109

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT CONTINUED

MATERIALITY 
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds for materiality. These, together with qualitative 
considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement 
line items and disclosures and in evaluating the effect of misstatements, both individually and in aggregate on the consolidated financial statements as a whole.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the consolidated financial statements as a whole as follows:

OVERALL GROUP MATERIALITY

£885,950 (2019: £882,000).

HOW WE DETERMINED IT

RATIONALE FOR BENCHMARK 
APPLIED

5% of the group’s profit before tax, adjusted for the loss on revaluation of the contingent consideration relating to 
NESF (Prior year: 5% group profit before tax).

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 the 
market. We have adjusted the profit before tax for the loss on revaluation of the contingent consideration relating to 
NESF as we do not consider this transaction to be reflective of the normal operations of the business.

For each component in the scope of our group audit, we allocated a materiality that is less than our overall group materiality. The range of materiality 
allocated across components was between £123,000 and £841,600. Certain components were audited to a local statutory audit materiality that was also 
less than our overall group materiality.

We use performance materiality to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that the aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements 
exceeds overall materiality. Specifically, we use performance materiality in determining the scope of our audit and the nature and extent of our testing of 
account balances, classes of transactions and disclosures, for example in determining sample sizes. Our performance materiality was 75% of overall materiality, 
amounting to £664,400 for the group financial statements.

In determining the performance materiality, we considered a number of factors – the history of misstatements, risk assessment and aggregation risk and the 
effectiveness of controls – and concluded that an amount at the upper end of our normal range was appropriate.

We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit above £44,300 (2019: £44,000) as 
well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

Reporting on 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 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 based on these responsibilities.

Responsibilities for the consolidated financial statements and the audit
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibility statement, 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.

110

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020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. 

Our audit testing might include testing complete populations of certain transactions and balances, possibly using data auditing techniques. However, it 
typically involves selecting a limited number of items for testing, rather than testing complete populations. We will often seek to target particular items 
for testing based on their size or risk characteristics. In other cases, we will use audit sampling to enable us to draw a conclusion about the population from 
which the sample is selected.

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.

USE OF THIS REPORT 
This 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.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
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.

111

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT CONTINUED

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
The Listing Rules require us to review the directors’ statements in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and that part of the corporate governance 
statement relating to the company’s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our review. Our additional 
responsibilities with respect to the corporate governance statement as other information are described in the Reporting on other information section 
of this report.

Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the corporate governance statement, included 
within the Directors report is materially consistent with the consolidated financial statements and our knowledge obtained during the audit, and we have 
nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to:

 – The directors’ confirmation that they have carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks;
 – The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those principal risks, what procedures are in place to identify emerging risks and an explanation of 

how these are being managed or mitigated;

 – The directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether they considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in 

preparing them, and their identification of any material uncertainties to the group’s ability to continue to do so over a period of at least twelve months 
from the date of approval of the financial statements;

 – The directors’ explanation as to their assessment of the group’s prospects, the period this assessment covers and why the period is appropriate; and
 – The directors’ statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the company will be able to continue in operation and meet its 
liabilities as they fall due over the period of its assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications 
or assumptions.

Our review of the directors’ statement regarding the longer-term viability of the group 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 statement is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and our 
knowledge and understanding of the group and its environment obtained in the course of the audit.

In addition, based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the corporate governance statement 
is materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge obtained during the audit:

 – The directors’ statement that they consider the Annual Report, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable, and provides the information 

necessary for the members to assess the group’s position, performance, business model and strategy;

 – The section of the Annual Report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems; and
 – The section describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee.

We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when 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

12 APRIL 2021

a. 

b. 

 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.
 Legislation in Jersey governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

112

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CONSOLIDATED  
INCOME STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS --------------------------------------- P.105–P.172

Revenue

Staff 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

Depreciation and amortisation

Profit from operating activities

Other losses

Finance income

Finance cost

Profit before tax

Comprising:

Underlying profit before tax

Non-underlying items

Tax

Profit for the year

Earnings per Ordinary share (“EPS”)

Basic EPS

Diluted EPS

The notes on pages 118 to 168 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Note

4

5

6

12

32

7

8

9

10

10

2020
£’000

115,090

(57,364)

(20,875)

(2,382)

49

359

2019
£’000

99,274

(46,699)

(17,808)

(1,253)

53

146

34,877

33,713

38,724

(3,847)

34,877

35,383

(1,670)

33,713

(13,846)

(10,752)

21,031

22,961

(5,409)

(1,479)

33

(4,415)

11,240

170

(4,013)

17,639 

21,386

7

(10,146)

11,240

19,745

(2,106)

17,639

11

(707)

(458)

10,533

17,181

34.1

34.2

Pence

9.02

8.96

Pence

15.43

15.35

113

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020

Profit for the year

Other comprehensive loss

Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss

Note

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

10,533

17,181

  Exchange difference on translation of foreign operations (net of tax)

(3,928)

(1,375)

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss:

  Remeasurements of post-employment benefit obligations

Total comprehensive income for the year

5

(808)

5,797

–

15,806 

The notes on pages 118 to 168 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

114

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2020

Note

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

20

21

21

32

22

15

23

12

13

14

22

15

16

49,249

37,865

173,777

124,880

54,944

2,274

48,039

1,124

303

64

104

965

217

103

280,715

213,193

17,230

11,431

13,382

3,671

4,368

31,078

81,160

16,255

9,297

12,906

2,992

6,266

26,317

74,033

361,875

287,226

26.1

1,225

1,141

130,823

100,658

26.2

26.3

26.3

26.3

(3,084)

1,456

(2,859)

30,844

(3,027)

451

1,069

28,265

158,405

128,557

17

18

19

23

24

25

17

18

19

24

11

25

23,027

104,376

39,154

8,902

311

1,601

–

86,681

28,616

7,656

518

1,116

177,371

124,587

11,684

21,148

2,456

4,215

5,171

2,534

39

508

2,875

7,536

1,942

73

26,099

34,082

361,875

287,226

Assets

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill

Other intangible assets

Investments

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

The consolidated financial statements on pages 113 to 168 were approved by the Board of Directors on 12 April 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

NIGEL LE QUESNE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

MARTIN FOTHERINGHAM
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

115

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT  
OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020

Share
capital
£’000

Share
premium
£’000

Own
shares
£’000

Capital
reserve
£’000

Translation
reserve
£’000

Retained
earnings
£’000

Total
equity
£’000

Note

1,109

94,599

(2,565)

(112)

2,444

13,426

108,901

–

–

–

–

–

Balance at 1 January 2019 as 
originally presented

Adoption of new standards

Restated total equity at 1 January 2019

1,109

94,599

(2,565)

(112)

2,444

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

–

–

–

32

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

6,093

(34)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(462)

–

–

–

–

–

–

694

(131)

–

–

–

(1,375)

(1,375)

–

–

–

–

–

–

26.1

36.2

26.2

27

1,792

15,218

17,181

–

17,181

–

–

–

–

–

1,792

110,693

17,181

(1,375)

15,806

6,125

(34)

694

(131)

(462)

(4,134)

(4,134)

Balance at 31 December 2019

1,141

100,658

(3,027)

451

1,069

28,265

128,557

Balance at 1 January 2020

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

1,141

100,658

(3,027)

451

1,069

–

–

–

–

–

–

84

30,240

–

–

–

–

–

(75)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(57)

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,082

(77)

–

–

–

(3,928)

(3,928)

–

–

–

–

–

–

28,265

10,533

128,557

10,533

(808)

(4,736)

9,725

–

–

–

–

–

5,797

30,324

(75)

1,082

(77)

(57)

(7,146)

(7,146)

26.1

36.2

26.2

27

Balance at 31 December 2020

1,225

130,823

(3,084)

1,456

(2,859)

30,844

158,405

The notes on pages 118 to 168 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

116

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020CONSOLIDATED  
CASH FLOW STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital

Increase in receivables

Decrease 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

Payment for investment

Net cash used in investing activities

Financing activities

Share issuance costs

Purchase of own shares

Dividends paid

Loans to related parties

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

Interest paid on lease liabilities

Net cash from financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) 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 the end of the year

The notes on pages 118 to 168 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Note

35.1

2020
£’000

35,600

(1,226)

(5,377)

28,997

(1,413)

27,584

2019
£’000

34,261

(4,912)

(5,751)

23,598

(2,009)

21,589

35.2

35,290

(6,293)

28,997

28,748

(5,150)

23,598

20

21

31

32

33

(1,518)

(2,884)

171

(2,009)

(1,417)

(18,912)

(26,596)

(791)

–

(24,072)

(29,851)

(75)

(45)

(33)

(434)

(7,146)

(4,134)

26.2

27

(311)

(2,236)

18,914

(642)

(2,442)

(156)

(3,138)

(1,006)

1,717

–

(689)

15,509

(285)

(2,193)

(183)

(2,167)

(936)

4,455

5,229

(3,807)

26,317

(468)

16

31,078

32,457

(2,333)

26,317

117

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172NOTES TO THE  
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020

Section 1 – Basis For Reporting and General Information
1. 

Reporting Entity

Section 5 – Equity
26. 

Share Capital and Reserves

27. 

Dividends

Section 6 – Risk
28.  Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgements

29. 

Financial Risk Management

30.  Capital Management

Section 7 – Group Structure
Business Combinations
31. 

32. 

Investments

33. 

Subsidiaries

Section 8 – Other Disclosures
Earnings Per Share
34. 

35. 

Cash Flow Information

36. 

Share-based Payments

37. 

Contingencies

38. 

Foreign Currency

39. 

Related Party Transactions

40. 

Events Occurring After the Reporting Period

2. 

3. 

Basis of Preparation

Significant Accounting Policies

Section 2 – Result for the Year
Segmental Reporting
4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

Staff Costs

Other Operating Expenses

Non-underlying Items

Depreciation and Amortisation

Other Losses

10. 

Finance Income and Finance Cost

11. 

Income Tax Expense

Section 3 – Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
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

Section 4 – Non-financial Assets and Non-financial Liabilities
19. 

Lease Liabilities

20. 

Property, Plant and Equipment

21. 

Intangible Assets

22.  Other Non-financial Assets

23.  Deferred Taxation

24.  Other Non-financial Liabilities

25. 

Provisions

118

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Reporting Entity

Section 1 – Basis for Reporting and General Information
1. 
JTC PLC (the “Company”) was incorporated on 2 January 2018 and is 
domiciled in Jersey, Channel Islands. The Company was admitted to the 
London Stock Exchange on 14 March 2018 (the “IPO”). The address of the 
Company’s registered office is 28 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey.

The consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended 
31 December 2020 comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together the 
“Group” or “JTC”) and the Group’s interest in an associate.

The  Group  provides  fund,  corporate  and  private  wealth  services  to 
institutional and private clients.

Basis of Preparation

2. 
2.1.  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.

In assessing the going concern assumption in light of Covid-19, the Directors 
noted that the Group continued to experience revenue growth and generate 
positive cash flows from operating activities. Considering these factors as part 
of the review of the Group’s financial performance and position, forecasts 
and expected liquidity, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group will have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for 
the foreseeable future, being at least 12 months from the date of approval 
of the consolidated financial statements. They have concluded that it is 
appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the 
consolidated financial statements.

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.

Significant Accounting Policies
3. 
 Changes in Accounting Policies and New Standards Adopted
3.1. 
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 2020
To the extent that they are relevant, the Group has adopted from 1 January 
2020 all IFRS standards and interpretations including amendments that were 
in issue and effective for accounting periods beginning on 1 January 2020. 
These are as follows:

 – Definition of Material – Amendments to IAS 1 and IAS 8
 – Definition of a Business – Amendments to IFRS 3
 – Interest Rate Benchmark Reform – Amendments to IFRS 7, 

IFRS 9 and IAS 39

 – Revised Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting

These  standards  and  interpretations  have  had  no  material  impact 
for the Group.

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 2020 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 
or on foreseeable future transactions.

3.2.  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.

119

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172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”).

Section 2 – Result for the Year
Segmental Reporting
4. 

Revenue Recognition
Revenue is measured as the fair value of the consideration received or 
receivable for satisfying performance obligations contained in contracts 
with customers excluding discounts, VAT and other sales-related taxes. 

To recognise revenue in accordance with IFRS 15 “Revenue from contracts 
with customers”, the Group applies the five step approach: identify the 
contract(s) with a customer, identify the performance obligations in 
the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction 
price to the performance obligations and recognise revenue when, or as, 
performance obligations are satisfied by the Group. 

The Group enters into contractual agreements with institutional and 
private clients for the provision of fund, corporate and private client 
services. The agreements set out the services to be provided and each 
component is distinct and can be performed and delivered separately. 
For each of these performance obligations, the transaction price can 
be either a pre-set (fixed) fee based on the expected amount of work 
to be performed or a variable time spent fee for the actual amount of 
work performed. For some clients, the fee for agreed services is set at a 
percentage of the net asset value (“NAV”) of funds being administered or 
deposits held. Where contracts include multiple performance obligations, 
the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based 
on its stand-alone selling price. 

Revenue is recognised in the consolidated income statement when, or 
as, the Group satisfies performance obligations by transferring control of 
services to clients. This occurs as follows for different elements: 

 – Variable fees are recognised over time as services are provided at 

agreed charge out rates in force at the work date where there is an 
enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. 
Time recorded but not invoiced is shown in the consolidated balance 
sheet as work in progress (see note 13). To determine the transaction 
price, an assessment of the variable consideration for services 
rendered is performed by estimating the expected value, including 
any price concessions, of the unbilled amount due from clients for 
the work performed to date (see note 28.2).

 – Pre-set (fixed) and NAV-based fees are recognised over time based 
on the actual service provided to the end of the reporting period as 
a proportion of the total services to be provided where there is an 
enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. 
This is determined based on the actual inputs of time and expenses 
relative to the total expected inputs. Where services have been 
rendered and performance obligations have been met but clients 
have not been invoiced at the reporting date, accrued income is 
recognised, this is recorded based on agreed fees to be billed in 
arrears (see note 14). Where fees are billed in advance in respect of 
services under contract and given rise to a trade receivable when 
recognised, deferred income is recognised and released to revenue 
on a time apportioned basis in the appropriate reporting period 
(see note 24).

The Group does not adjust transaction prices for the time value of money 
as it does not expect to have any contracts where the period between the 
transfer of the promised services to the client and the payment by the 
client exceeds one year.

120

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED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

2020
£’000

PCS

Total

2019
£’000

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

64,560

54,824

50,530

44,450

115,090

99,274

(26,138)

(21,371)

(17,248)

(14,897)

(43,386)

(36,268)

(359)

(157)

(1,540)

(1,592)

(1,899)

(1,749)

38,063

59.0%

33,296

60.7%

31,742

62.8%

27,961

62.9%

69,805

60.7%

61,257

61.7%

(7,529)

(12,557)

18

(5,221)

(9,959)

28

(5,429)

(5,975)

390

(4,760)

(6,133)

171

(12,958)

(9,981)

(18,532)

(16,092)

408

199

17,995

27.9%

18,144

33.1%

20,728

41.0%

17,239

38.8%

38,724

33.6%

35,383

35.6%

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 losses 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.

121

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.1725. 

Staff Costs

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 PENSION PLANS
Under defined contribution pension plans, the Group pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans. The Group has no 
further payment obligation once the contributions have been paid. The contributions are recognised as an employee benefit expense when they are due.

DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS
The liability or asset recognised in the consolidated balance sheet in respect of defined benefit pension plans is the present value of the defined benefit 
obligation at the end of the reporting period less the fair value of plan assets. The calculation of defined benefit obligations is performed annually by 
independent qualified actuaries using the projected unit credit method.

The present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates of high quality 
corporate bonds that are denominated in the currency in which the benefits will be paid, and that have terms approximating to the terms of the related 
obligation. In countries where there is no established market in such bonds, the market rates on local government bonds are used.

The net interest cost is calculated by applying the discount rate to the net balance of the defined benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets. 
This cost is included as an employee benefit expense in the consolidated income statement.

Remeasurement gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are recognised in the period in which 
they occur, directly in other comprehensive income. They are included in retained earnings in the consolidated statement of changes in equity and the 
consolidated balance sheet.

Changes in the present value of the defined benefit obligation resulting from plan amendments or curtailments are recognised immediately in the 
consolidated income statement as past service costs.

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 to their present value using an appropriate discount rate.

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT TRUST (“EBT”)
The Group is committed to the concept of shared ownership. It has created EBTs to indirectly hold shares in the Company for the benefit of employees 
(see note 26.2). All permanent employees of the Group automatically become beneficiaries once they complete their probationary period. Any awards 
made from the EBT will be expensed to staff costs immediately. Management regard such distributions as non-underlying costs.

Note

7

36.2

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

48,658

39,667

–

1,555

1,902

1,082

4,167

(407)

1,216

1,735

694

3,794

57,364

46,699

Salaries and Directors' fees

Capital distribution from EBT12

Other short-term employee benefits

Pension employee benefits

Share-based payments

Training and other staff-related costs

Staff costs

122

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDDefined Benefit Pension Plans
The Group operates defined pension plans in Switzerland and Mauritius. Both plans are contribution based with guarantee of a minimum interest credit and 
fixed conversion rates at retirement. Disability and death benefits are defined as a percentage of the insured salary. The Group recognised a net defined 
benefit obligation of £0.9m (2019: £nil) on the consolidated balance sheet in respect of amounts that are expected to be paid out to employees. The Group 
does not expect a significant change in contributions for the following years.

The Swiss plan must be fully funded under LPP/BVG law on a static basis at all times. The subsidiary, JTC (Suisse) SA, is affiliated to the collective foundation 
Swiss Life. The collective foundation is a separate legal entity. The foundation is responsible for the governance of the plan, the board is composed of an equal 
number of representatives from the employers and the employees chosen from all affiliated companies. The foundation has set up investment guidelines, 
defining in particular the strategic allocation with margins. Additionally, there is a pension committee responsible for the set-up of the plan benefit, this is 
composed of an equal number of representatives of JTC (Suisse) SA and its employees. 

The amounts recognised in the consolidated balance sheet are as follows:

Present value of funded obligations

Fair value of plan assets

Consolidated balance sheet liability

The movement in the net liability recognised in the consolidated balance sheet is as follows:

At 1 January 2020*

Service cost

Net interest

Contributions paid by employer

Actuarial remeasurements

Gain from change in demographic assumptions

Loss from change in financial assumptions

Experience gain

Total amount recognised in other comprehensive income

At 31 December 2020

2020
£’000

(2,285)

1,382

(903)

£’000

(901)

(235)

(6)

149

(993)

192

(116)

14

90

(903)

* 

 During the year, Management have reviewed the accounting for their pension schemes across the Group and now recognise a defined benefit pension scheme in Switzerland which was previously accounted 
for as defined contribution schemes. The accounting has been corrected for the current year financial statements and was not considered material for restatement of prior periods.

The plans are exposed to actuarial risks relating to discount rate, interest rate for the projection of the savings capital, salary increase and pension increase.

The principal annual actuarial assumptions used for the IAS 19 disclosures were as follows:

Discount rate at 1 January 2020

Discount rate at 31 December 2020

Future salary increases

Rate of increase in deferred pensions

Switzerland

Mauritius

0.3%

0.1%

1.0%

0.0%

4.6%

2.8%

2.5%

0.0%

The mortality assumptions are based on standard mortality tables which allow for future mortality improvements. The assumptions are that a male 
member aged 65 will live on average until age 86.7 and that a female member aged 65 will live on average until age 88.5. For a member currently aged 45 
the assumptions are that if they attain age 65, they will live on average until age 88.3 if male and age 90 if female.

123

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.1726. 

Other Operating Expenses

Other operating expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis.

Third party administration fees

Legal and professional fees(i)

Auditor’s remuneration for audit services

Auditor's remuneration for other services

Establishment costs(ii)

Insurance

Travelling

Marketing

IT expenses

Other expenses

Other operating expenses

2020
£’000

1,994

5,923

1,055

128

1,806

1,183

438

964

5,343

2,041

2019
£’000

1,789

3,791

969

98

1,446

607

1,418

890

4,436

2,364

20,875

17,808

(i) 
(ii) 

Included in legal and professional fees are £2.73m (2019: £0.92m) of non-underlying items (see note 7(i)).
 Establishment costs were previously shown separately in the consolidated income statement. Following the adoption of IFRS 16 and the capitalisation of lease payments, Management consider the residual 
expenses in this category to be more representative of operating expenses.

7. 

Non-underlying Items

Non-underlying items represent specific items of income or expenditure that are not of an operational nature and do not represent the underlying 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:

Acquisition and integration costs(i)

Revision of ICS operating model(ii)

Other(iii)

IPO costs

Capital distribution from EBT12

Total non-underlying items within EBITDA

Underlying EBITDA

Profit before tax

Total non-underlying items within EBITDA

Unwinding of discount on capital distribution

Gain on settlement of contingent consideration(iv)

Loss on revaluation of contingent consideration(v)

Gain on bargain purchase

Impairment of customer relationship intangible asset

Total non-underlying items within profit before tax

Underlying profit before tax

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

34,877

33,713

3,302

2,041

401

144

–

–

3,847

38,724

11,240

3,847

33

(213)

6,479

–

–

10,146

21,386

–

–

36

(407)

1,670

35,383

17,639

1,670

165

–

–

(188)

459

2,106

19,745

(i) 

 During 2020, the Group expensed £3.3m (2019: £2.04m) in relation to business combinations. For those completed in the year: NESF £2.48m (see note 31.1), Sanne private client business £0.16m (see note 31.2), 
RBC CEES £0.37m (see note 40) and other smaller acquisitions £0.06m (see note 31.3). For those completed in prior periods: Van Doorn £0.11m, Minerva £0.07m, Exequtive £0.02m (see note 31.4) and Aufisco 
£0.03m (see note 31.5). 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 and staff reorganisation costs.

(ii)  During 2020, the Group commenced the implementation of a revised operating model for the fund services practice and incurred redundancy costs.
(iii)  One-off costs relating to other items not considered to represent the ongoing operations of the business, including aborted project costs.
(iv)  Gain recognised on final settlement of contingent consideration for the Swiss & Global Fund Administration (Cayman) Ltd (“S&GFA”) acquisition.
(v)  Loss on revaluation of contingent consideration to fair value for the NESF acquisition (see note 28.2 and note 31.1(B)).

124

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED8. 

Depreciation and Amortisation

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

Amortisation of intangible assets

Amortisation of contract assets

Depreciation and amortisation

9. 

Other Losses

Foreign exchange gains/(losses)

Net profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Gain on settlement of contingent consideration

Loss on revaluation of contingent consideration

Gain on bargain purchase

Impairment of customer relationship intangible asset

Other losses

10. 

Finance Income and Finance Cost

Note

20

21

22

Note

7

31.1

21.2

2020
£’000

5,884

7,327

635

2019
£’000

4,588

5,566

598

13,846

10,752

2020
£’000

842

15

213

(6,479)

–

–

2019
£’000

(1,215)

7

–

–

188

(459)

(5,409)

(1,479)

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, contingent consideration and lease liabilities 
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

Amortisation of loan arrangement fees

Unwinding of net present value discounts

Other finance expense

Finance cost

2020
£’000

33

–

33

2,319

603

1,043

450

4,415

2019
£’000

158

12

170

2,065

376

1,259

313

4,013

125

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17211. 

Income Tax Expense

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 offset with deferred tax liabilities when there is a legally enforceable right to set off 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 profit

Foreign company taxes on current year profit

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

2020
£’000

692

1,128

1,820

(10)

(1,102)

(1)

(1,113)

707

2019
£’000

323

903

1,226

17

(787)

2

(768)

458

126

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED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 
before tax is as follows:

Profit on ordinary activities before tax

Tax on profit on ordinary activities at standard Jersey income tax rate of 10% (2019: 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 expenses/(income)

Consolidation adjustments

Other differences

Total tax charge for the year

2020
£’000

11,240

1,124

2019
£’000

17,639

1,764

(485)

(1,403)

56

670

(10)

(1)

(1,102)

15

463

(23)

707

(204)

663

17

2

(787)

(14)

412

8

458

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 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 contracts

Non-deductible (income)/expenses

Consolidation adjustments

Other differences

Effective tax rate

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

10.00%

10.00%

(4.32%)

0.49%

5.96%

(0.09%)

(0.01%)

(9.80%)

0.13%

4.12%

(0.21%)

6.27%

(7.96%)

(1.16%)

3.76%

0.10%

0.01%

(4.46%)

(0.08%)

2.33%

0.05%

2.60%

127

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Section 3 – Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

This section 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 the rights to receive the contractual cash flows from the 
transaction in which substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset have been 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 (“ECL”) 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, borrowings and lease liabilities.

Trade and other payables represent liabilities incurred 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.

128

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDLease liabilities are financial liabilities measured at amortised cost. They are initially measured at 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.

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.

129

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Trade Receivables

12. 
The ageing analysis of trade receivables with the loss allowance is as follows:

2020

<30 days

30 – 60 days

61 – 90 days

91 – 120 days

121 – 180 days

180> days

Total

2019

<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

Credit impairment losses

Amounts written off (including unused amounts reversed)

Total allowance for doubtful debts

Gross
£’000

7,990

1,770

1,834

967

1,369

8,192

22,122

Gross
£’000

8,724

1,474

1,199

731

1,042

7,087

20,257

Loss 
allowance
£’000

(113)

(36)

(127)

(126)

(262)

(4,228)

(4,892)

Loss 
allowance
£’000

(151)

(38)

(72)

(59)

(175)

(3,507)

(4,002)

Net
£’000

7,877

1,734

1,707

841

1,107

3,964

17,230

Net
£’000

8,573

1,436

1,127

672

867

3,580

16,255

2020
£’000

(4,002)

(2,382)

1,492

(4,892)

2019
£’000

(3,659)

(1,253)

910

(4,002)

To measure the ECL, trade receivables are grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due. The ECL 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. Management have identified gross domestic product and inflation in each country the Group 
provides services in to be the most relevant macroeconomic factors.

Management have given consideration to these factors and the unusual trading environment presented by Covid-19 and concluded that any impact is highly 
immaterial to the ultimate recovery of receivables, such is the diversification across the book in industries and geographies. Upon further analysis of the 
small increase to the loss allowance in 2020, Management concluded this to be a temporary increase reflective of our commitment to work with customers, 
providing support if necessary with extended terms. This is not considered a fundamental change to credit risk management (and commitment remains 
towards long-term recovery) but is representative of a short-term uplift in ECL based on an ageing profile appropriate to the current uncertain macroeconomic 
conditions. See note 29.2 for further comment on credit risk management.

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.

130

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED13.  Work in Progress

Total

Loss allowance

Net

2020
£’000

11,491

(60)

11,431

2019
£’000

9,350

(53)

9,297

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, allowances for unrecoverable amounts and ECL. 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 ECL.

Sensitivity Analysis
The total carrying amount of WIP (before ECL allowances) is £11.49m (2019: £9.35m). 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 £1.15m lower (2019: £0.94m lower).

14.  Accrued Income

Total

Loss allowance

Net

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

13,400

12,927

(18)

(21)

13,382

12,906

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 ECL. 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 ECL.

131

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17215.  Other Receivables

Non-current

Loans receivable from employees

Loans receivable from related undertakings

Total non-current

Current

Other receivables

Loans receivable from employees

Loan receivable from related undertakings

Loans receivable from third parties

Total current

Total other receivables

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

–

64

64

1,934

2,214

220

–

4,368

4,432

153

64

217

1,867

180

–

4,219

6,266

6,483

Loans receivable from employees include the following: (i) £0.05m due from employees participating in Advance to Buy (“A2B”) programmes (2019: £0.18m) 
(these are interest bearing at 3% per annum and repayable two years after the commencement date of each annual programme unless the employment 
contract is terminated at an earlier date) and (ii) £2.16m due from employees of NESF to participate in JTC share options as part of the acquisition, £0.97m 
of which was settled in early 2021 with the balance expected later in the year (these are interest bearing at 2% per annum).

Non-current loans receivable from related undertakings are due from Northpoint Byala IC (£0.05m) and Northpoint Finance IC (£0.01m), incorporated cell 
companies registered in Jersey, Channels Islands, considered related parties due to common directorships. These loans are unsecured, interest free and with 
an unspecified repayment date.

The current loan receivable from related undertakings relates to Harmonate Corp. (see note 32); this is an unsecured short-term loan and is interest bearing 
at 4% per annum.

In the prior year, loans receivable from third parties included £4.2m ($5.5m) due from NESF, an entity acquired during 2020. These were settled during the 
2020 as part of the purchase consideration (see note 31.1).

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.

16.  Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash attributable to the Group

Committed EBT capital distributions (restricted)

Total

2020
£’000

31,078

–

31,078

2019
£’000

23,693

2,624

26,317

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.

132

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED17. 

Trade and Other Payables

Non-current

Contingent consideration

Employee benefit obligations

Total non-current

Current

Trade payables

Other taxation and social security

Other payables

Accruals

Contingent consideration

Total current

Total trade and other payables

Note

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

5

22,124

903

23,027

1,970

312

3,006

5,022

1,374

11,684

34,711

–

–

–

1,196

646

5,670

5,176

8,460

21,148

21,148

Contingent consideration payable is discounted to net present value, split between current and non-current and is due by acquisition as follows: £23.35m 
for NESF (see note 31.1) and £0.15m for Sanne Private Client Business (see note 31.2) (2019: £7.64m for Exequtive (see note 31.4), £0.56m for Aufisco (see 
note 31.5) and £0.26m for S&GFA).

The fair value of contingent consideration for the acquisition of NESF is considered a critical estimate and is discussed further in note 28.2.

At 31 December 2019, current other payables included £2.5m being the discounted value of capital distributions due from EBT12 to employees; these were 
paid in 2020.

For current trade and other payables, due to their short-term nature, Management consider the carrying value of these financial liabilities to approximate 
to their fair value.

133

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Loans and Borrowings

18. 
This note provides information about the contractual term of the Group’s interest-bearing loans and borrowings, which are measured at amortised cost. 
For more information about the Group’s exposure to interest rate, foreign currency and liquidity risk, see note 29.

Non-current

Bank loans

Total non-current

Current

Other loans

Total current

Total loans and borrowings

18.1.  Bank Loans
The terms and conditions of outstanding bank loans are as follows:

Currency

GBP

GBP

EUR

Termination date

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

Interest rate(i)

LIBOR + 2% margin

LIBOR + 2% margin

EURIBOR + 2% margin

Facility

Term facility

Revolving facility

Revolving facility

Total principal value

Issue costs

Total bank loans

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

104,376

104,376

86,681

86,681

2,456

2,456

508

508

106,832

87,189

2020
£’000

45,000

35,425

25,169

105,594

(1,218)

104,376

2019
£’000

45,000

19,000

23,836

87,836

(1,155)

86,681

(i) 

 The margin applied to bank loans may change as a result of net leverage calculations. At 1 January 2020, the margin was 1.75%. This changed in August 2020 to 2% and remained at this rate 
at 31 December 2020 (2019: 1.75%).

Under the terms of the facility, HSBC holds a charge against the shares of JTC PLC and other applicable 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:

At 1 January
2020
£’000

Drawdowns
£’000

Amortisation
release
£’000

87,836

(1,155)

16,425

(625)

86,681

15,800

–

562

562

Effect of
foreign
exchange
£’000

At 31 
December
2020
£’000

1,333

105,594

–

(1,218)

1,333

104,376

Principal value

Issue costs

Total

134

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDOn 9 March 2018, the Group entered into a five year loan facility agreement with HSBC Bank Plc (“HSBC”) for a total commitment of £55m (or its 
equivalent in EUR and USD) consisting of a term loan of £45m and a revolving credit facility (“RCF”) of £10m. The loan agreement was amended on 19 
October 2018 to increase the total commitment to £100m and to introduce Barclays Bank Plc, Santander UK Plc and the Bank of Ireland as incoming 
lenders. On 9 January 2020, the RCF was increased by £50m providing a total facility commitment of £150m. The additional commitments are made on 
the same terms as the existing commitments.

During 2018, an amount of £45m was used to partially fund the repayment of the previous bank loan with HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland Plc and 
subsequent to this, further withdrawals were made for £9m and £19m respectively to partially fund the acquisitions of Minerva and Van Doorn. In the prior 
year, £15.5m (€17.9m) was drawn to partially fund the acquisition of Exequtive. In the current year, a withdrawal was made on 16 April 2020 for £6.425m 
to assist with the funding required to settle contingent consideration due for Exequtive (£5.5m) and Aufisco (£0.58m); see notes 31.4 and 31.5. A further 
withdrawal was made on 30 June 2020 for £10m to partially fund the acquisition of Sanne Private Clients (see note 31.2).

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 2020, arrangement and legal fees amounting to £2.38m 
have been capitalised for amortisation over the term of the loan.

At 31 December 2020, the Group had available £44.4m of committed facilities currently undrawn (2019: £12.1m). All facilities are due to be repaid on or 
before the termination date of 8 March 2023.

18.2.  Compliance with Loan Covenants
The Company has complied with the financial covenants of its borrowing facilities during the 2020 and 2019 reporting periods; see note 30.

18.3.  Other Loans
Upon acquiring NESF, JTC inherited its existing bank revolving credit note with CIBC Bank USA, an Illinois banking corporation. The original note was 
executed on 25 January 2018 for a line up to $5m, of which $3.85m was drawn down on 1 February 2018 and was outstanding at the time of the merger. 
The interest rate on the drawn amount was the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5%, and (b) the Prime Rate. Repayment was made in full on the 
maturity date of 25 January 2021.

On 10 April 2017, the Group entered into a loan facility with Close Leasing Limited for £2.52m. The balance and loan arrangement fees were settled in 
41 monthly instalments of £65k each; this was repaid in full in September 2020.

On 18 June 2020, the Company entered into an uncommitted loan facility with Close Leasing Limited for £1.29m; this was settled in six monthly instalments 
and was repaid in full in December 2020.

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.

135

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Section 4 – Non-financial Assets and Non-financial Liabilities
19. 
Where the Group is a lessee its lease contracts are for the rental of buildings for office space and also some office furniture and equipment.

Lease Liabilities

From 1 January 2019, upon adopting IFRS 16 ‘Leases’, the Group recognises right-of-use assets which are shown with property, plant and equipment 
(see note 20) and lease liabilities which are shown separately on the consolidated balance sheet.

Non-current

Current

Total lease liabilities

20. 

Property, Plant and Equipment

2020
£’000

39,154

4,215

43,369

2019
£’000

28,616

2,875

31,491

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:

Computer equipment – 4 years
Office furniture and equipment – 4 years
Leasehold improvements – over the period of the lease

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.

For right-of-use assets, upon inception of a contract, the Group assesses whether a contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for 
a period in exchange for consideration, in which case it is classified as a lease. The Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at the lease 
commencement date. Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:

 – 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
 – estimated restoration costs.

The right-of-use asset is subsequently depreciated using the straight-line method from the commencement date to the end of the useful life; this is 
considered to be the end of the lease term as assessed by Management. The lease asset is periodically adjusted for certain remeasurements of the lease 
liability and impairment losses (if any).

136

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDThe movements of all tangible assets are as follows:

Cost

At 1 January 2019

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2020

Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2019

Charge for the year

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Charge for the year

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2020

Carrying amount

At 31 December 2020

At 31 December 2019

Office 
furniture 
and 
equipment
£’000

Computer 
equipment
£’000

2,759

1,206

477

24

(40)

(45)

3,175

935

38

(1)

15

680

38

(71)

(32)

1,821

430

151

(29)

25

Leasehold 
improvements
£’000

Right-of-use 
assets
£’000

Total
£’000

6,889

1,269

–

(32)

(66)

8,060

414

–

(66)

33

29,139

39,993

4,018

1,069

(499)

(261)

6,444

1,131

(642)

(404)

33,466

46,522

13,324

15,103

2,068

2,257

(352)

304

(448)

377

4,162

2,398

8,441

48,810

63,811

2,038

430

(41)

(37)

2,390

406

(1)

10

620

237

(69)

(21)

767

361

(26)

5

1,790

513

–

(39)

2,264

773

(55)

6

–

3,415

(141)

(38)

3,236

4,440

–

(14)

4,448

4,595

(251)

(135)

8,657

5,980

(82)

7

2,805

1,107

2,988

7,662

14,562

1,357

785

1,291

1,054

5,453

5,796

41,148

49,249

30,230

37,865

137

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17221. 

Intangible Assets

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 – 2 to 12 years 
Software – 4 years
Brand – 5 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:

Customer relationships – 10 years
Regulatory licence – 12 years
Software – 4 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 (CGUs). 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.

138

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDThe movements of the intangible assets and goodwill are as follows:

Cost

At 1 January 2019

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Impairment charge

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Additions

Additions through acquisitions

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2020

Accumulated amortisation

At 1 January 2019

Charge for the year

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2019

Charge for the year

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2020

Carrying amount

At 31 December 2020

At 31 December 2019

Goodwill
£’000

Customer
relationships
£’000

Regulatory
licence
£’000

Software
£’000

Brands
£’000

Total
£’000

104,835

46,033

251

44

853

21,246

11,988

–

(1,245)

(459)

(635)

124,880

57,780

39

50,927

(2,069)

106

8,926

539

173,777

67,351

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5,630

5,012

487

11,129

6,038

(18)

17,149

173,777

124,880

50,202

46,651

–

–

–

(13)

238

–

81

19

338

52

20

(3)

69

57

5

131

207

169

3,517

520

–

–

(3)

4,034

1,368

2,757

(233)

7,926

2,284

534

(3)

2,815

1,143

(21)

3,937

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

691

(61)

630

–

–

–

–

89

(5)

84

154,636

1,417

33,234

(459)

(1,896)

186,932

1,513

63,382

(1,805)

250,022

7,966

5,566

481

14,013

7,327

(39)

21,301

3,989

1,219

546

228,721

–

172,919

139

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Intangible Assets (continued)

21. 
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 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

US

Total

In the prior year:
CGU

Jersey

Guernsey

BVI

Switzerland

Cayman

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Dubai

Mauritius

Total

Balance at
1 Jan 2020
£’000

Business
combinations
£’000

Post-
acquisition
adjustments
£’000

Exchange
differences
£’000

Balance at
31 Dec 2020
£’000

63,987

10,598

752

2,328

231

28,240

14,482

1,815

2,447

–

124,880

2,582

163

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

48,118

50,863

Balance at
1 Jan 2019
£’000

Business
combinations
£’000

64,006

10,598

752

2,349

237

7,273

15,281

1,876

2,463

–

–

–

–

–

21,246

–

–

–

104,835

21,246

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

72

(9)

39

1,442

810

(69)

(90)

66,569

10,761

752

2,400

222

29,721

15,292

1,746

2,357

(4,225)

43,957

(2,069)

173,777

Exchange
differences
£’000

Balance at
31 Dec 2019
£’000

–

–

–

(21)

(6)

(279)

(799)

(61)

(79)

63,987

10,598

752

2,328

231

28,240

14,482

1,815

2,447

(1,245)

124,880

–

–

–

64

103

Post-
acquisition
adjustments
£’000

(19)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

63

44

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 1% and 2%, based on the expected long-term inflation rate of the relevant jurisdiction of the CGU.

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

140

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED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 39.3% (the maximum annual growth rate excluding the US CGU was 16.2%)
 – Terminal value growth rate: between 0% and 2%
 – Discount rate: between 10.5% and 16.4%
 – EBIT margin: between 13.2% and 64.8%

SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN ASSUMPTIONS
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 US. For this CGU, should the revenue growth rate 
estimated by Management in their detailed outlook for years 1 to 5 be 9% lower, an impairment of £1.0m would be recognised which would be equal to 
an impairment of 2.3% of the US CGU carrying amount.

CONCLUSION
The recoverable amount of goodwill determined for each CGU as at 31 December 2020 was found to be higher than its carrying amount.

21.2.  Customer Relationship Intangible Assets
The carrying amount of 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)(ii)

Van Doorn(i)

Minerva(i)

Exequtive(i)

Aufisco(i)

Sackville(i)

NESF

Sanne Private Clients

Anson Registrars

Total

Useful
economic
life (“UEL”)

10 years

12 years

10 years

10 years

10 years

11.4 years

Carrying amount

2020
£’000

1,284

2,267

1,747

6,896

1,544

6,182

2019
£’000

1,486

2,616

2,198

7,987

1,703

6,500

8.7 – 11.8 years

11,003

12,323

10 years

10 years

10 years

2 – 8 years

10 years

10 years

8,581

1,821

790

1,987

6,072

28

9,111

1,928

799

–

–

–

50,202

46,651

Note

31.1

31.2

31.3

(i) 

(ii) 

 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”), Van 
Doorn B.V. (“Van Doorn”), Exequtive Partners S.A. (“Exequtive”), Aufisco B.V. (“Aufisco”) and Sackville Bank and Trust Company Limited (“Sackville”).
 In the prior year, an in-depth review of the client relationships acquired from this business identified that some customer relationships would be terminated sooner than originally anticipated due to an 
increasingly stringent regulatory environment; this resulted in an impairment of £459k (see note 9).

141

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Intangible Assets (continued)

21. 
21.2.  Customer Relationship Intangible Assets (continued)
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 2020, the Group acquired NESF, Sanne Private Clients and Anson Registrars and recognised customer relationship intangible assets of £2.5m, £6.39m, and 
£0.03m respectively; their carrying amount at 31 December 2020 is shown above.

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
 – Year on year client attrition rate

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
Management carried out a sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions used in the valuation of new customer relationship intangible assets. For the Sanne 
Private Clients customer relationships, an increase of 2.5% in year on year client attrition rates would decrease fair value by £0.92m. Management estimate 
that any reasonable changes to the key assumptions for the other customer relationship intangible assets recognised in the year would not result in a 
significant change to fair value.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP INTANGIBLES IMPAIRMENT
Management review customer relationship intangible assets for indicators of impairment at the reporting date. The only indicators identified that would 
impact the acquired customer relationships were that actual revenues generated by Signes and Exequtive were lower than forecast.

An impairment assessment was performed on those assets with impairment indicators and Management concluded that the recoverable amount was in 
excess of the carrying amount as at 31 December 2020. All other customer relationship intangible assets were deemed to have a recoverable amount in 
excess of the carrying amount as at 31 December 2020.

22.  Other Non-financial Assets

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.

2020 
£’000

2019 
£’000 

99 

204 

303 

342 

623 

965 

2,803 

2,112 

544 

324 

3,671 

3,974 

554 

326 

2,992 

3,957 

Non-current

Prepayments

Contract assets

Total non-current

Current

Prepayments

Contract assets

Current tax receivables

Total current

Total other non-financial assets

142

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED23.  Deferred Taxation

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 

24.  Other Non-financial Liabilities

Note

2020 
£’000

8,784 

14 

8,798 

(104)

8,902 

8,798 

2020 
£’000

7,528 

2,247 

11 

(1,102)

111 

8,784 

25 

(11)

14 

2019 
£’000 

7,528 

25 

7,553 

(103)

7,656 

7,553 

2019 
£’000 

5,869 

2,648 

(787)

(202)

7,528 

6 

19 

25 

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

2020 
£’000

2019 
£’000 

311 

518 

4,801 

370 

5,171 

5,482 

6,930 

606 

7,536 

8,054 

143

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17225. 

Provisions

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 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 lease agreements for the rental of office space 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. From 1 January 2019, upon adoption of IFRS 16, any provisions for 
onerous leases were adjusted against the right-of-use assets recognised.

At 1 January 2019 

Release upon application of IFRS 16

Additions 

Disposals

Unwind of discount

Amounts utilised

Impact of foreign exchange 

At 31 December 2019 

Additions

Disposals 

Unwind of discount 

Amounts utilised

Impact of foreign exchange

At 31 December 2020

Analysis of total provisions:

Amounts falling due within one year

Amounts falling due after more than one year

Total

511 

(103)

 – 

(178)

1 

(229)

(2)

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

 – 

Onerous 
lease 
provisions 
£’000

Dilapidation 
provisions
£’000

Total
£’000

1,439 

(103)

516 

(310)

12 

(347)

(18)

928 

 – 

516 

(132)

11 

(118)

(16)

1,189 

1,189 

528 

(73)

28 

36 

(68)

528 

(73)

28 

36 

(68)

1,640 

1,640 

2020 
£’000

39 

1,601 

1,640 

2019 
£’000 

73 

1,116 

1,189 

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
In the prior year, the Group had identified onerous leases for premises in Jersey, Guernsey and Switzerland. Following transition to IFRS 16, these provisions 
were adjusted against the right-of-use assets recognised.

144

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDSection 5 – Equity
26. 
26.1.  Share Capital

Share Capital and Reserves

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 (2019: 300,000,000 Ordinary shares)

Called up, issued and fully paid

2020 
£’000

2019 
£’000

3,000

3,000

122,521,974 Ordinary shares (2019: 114,068,353 Ordinary shares)

1,225

1,141

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

At 1 January 2019

Acquisition of Exequtive

PLC EBT issue

Acquisition of Aufisco

Movement in the year

At 31 December 2019

Acquisition of Exequtive

PLC EBT issue

Acquisition of NESF

Movement in the year

At 31 December 2020

Note

31.4

31.5

31.4

31.1

No.

110,895,327

1,925,650

1,128,210

119,166

3,173,026

Par value
£’000

1,109

20

11

1

32

114,068,353

1,141

560,707

1,146,291

6,746,623

8,453,621

6

11

67

84

122,521,974

1,225

MOVEMENTS IN THE PRIOR 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 31.4.

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 31.5.

MOVEMENTS IN THE CURRENT YEAR
On 8 April 2020, the Company issued and admitted an additional 560,707 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the final earn-out consideration payable 
in equity for the acquisition of Exequtive; see note 31.4.

On 27 April 2020, the Company issued an additional 1,146,291 Ordinary shares in order for PLC EBT to satisfy future exercises of awards granted to 
beneficiaries.

On 4 May 2020, the Company issued and admitted an additional 6,746,623 Ordinary shares at fair value to satisfy the initial consideration payable for the 
acquisition of NESF; see note 31.1.

145

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Share Capital and Reserves (continued)

26. 
26.2.  Own Shares

Own shares represent the shares of the Company that are unallocated and currently held by the JTC PLC Employee Benefit Trust (“PLC EBT”) and previously 
by share ownership trusts (“SOPs”) and the Jersey Trust Company Employee Benefit Trust 2012 (“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 2019

Acquisition of Exequtive

PLC EBT issue

Purchase of own shares

Movement in year

At 31 December 2019

PLC EBT issue

Purchase of own shares

Movement in year

At 31 December 2020

PLC EBT 
No. 

741,345

173,482

1,128,210

117,630

1,419,322

2,160,667

1,146,291

10,352

1,156,643

3,317,310

PLC EBT 
£’000 

2,565

–

11

451

462

3,027

12

45

57

3,084

MOVEMENTS IN THE PRIOR 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.

MOVEMENTS IN THE CURRENT YEAR
On 27 April 2020, the Company issued an additional 1,146,291 Ordinary shares for PLC EBT.

PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES 
During both the current and prior year, shares were purchased for PLC EBT using its surplus cash held as a result of dividend income and following capital 
appointments from EBT12 using its surplus cash from leavers who forfeited intended capital distributions following the IPO.

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.

27.  Dividends

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:

Final dividend for 2018 of 2.0p per qualifying Ordinary share

Interim dividend for 2019 of 1.7p per qualifying Ordinary share

Final dividend for 2019 of 3.6p per qualifying Ordinary share

Interim dividend for 2020 of 2.4p per qualifying Ordinary share

Total dividend declared and paid

146

2020
£’000

–

–

4,288

2,858

7,146

2019
£’000

2,235

1,899

–

–

4,134

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDSection 6 – Risk
28.  Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgements
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 regularly evaluated based on historical 
experience, current circumstances, expectation of future events and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these 
estimates. Management continue to be vigilant in monitoring for any potential effects whilst uncertainties relating to the Covid-19 pandemic remain.

This note provides an overview of the areas that involved a higher degree of judgement or complexity, and of items which are more likely to be materially 
adjusted due to estimates and assumptions turning out to be wrong.

The following are the critical judgements and 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.

28.1.  Critical Judgements in Applying the Group’s Accounting Policies
RECOGNITION OF SEPARATELY IDENTIFIABLE INTANGIBLES
In 2020, the Group acquired both NESF (see note 31.1) and Sanne Private Clients (see note 31.2). IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations’ requires Management to 
identify assets and liabilities purchased including intangible assets. Following their assessment, Management concluded that the intangible assets meeting 
the recognition criteria were customer relationships in both cases and also the NESF brand and its internally generated software (known as “eSTAC”). 
The intangible assets recognised through these acquisitions were £8.9m (Sanne Private Clients £6.4m and NESF £2.5m), £0.69m and £2.68m respectively.

ExTENSION OPTIONS ON LEASES
Many of the leases for office space contain extension options as these provide operational flexibility. The Group assesses at each reporting period if they 
are reasonably certain that an extension option will be exercised. Such assessment involves 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
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.

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 further detail on key assumptions and 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 and the discount rate applied to free cash flow. See note 21.2 for the sensitivity analysis.

FAIR VALUE OF INTERNALLY DEVELOPED SOFTWARE INTANGIBLES ACQUIRED ON ACQUISITION
To derive the fair value of the internally generated software (eSTAC) acquired as part of the NESF acquisition, a relief from royalty valuation methodology 
was used. Management consider the key assumptions in this model to be the projected revenue growth and the royalty rate applied. See note 31.1(A) for 
the sensitivity analysis.

FAIR VALUE OF EARN-OUT CONSIDERATION FOR NESF
To derive the fair value of the earn-out contingent consideration, Management allocated a probability weighting to cash flow forecast scenarios to determine 
the calculated number of shares and then applied an estimated share price. Management consider the estimated number of shares and forecast share 
price to be the key assumptions in the calculation of the fair value of the earn-out contingent consideration. See note 31.1(B) for the sensitivity analysis.

147

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Financial Risk Management

29. 
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 – measured at amortised cost

Trade receivables

Work in progress

Accrued income

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total

Financial liabilities – measured at amortised cost

Trade and other payables

Loans and borrowings

Lease Liabilities

Total

Financial liabilities – measured at fair value

Trade and other payables 

Total

Note

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

17

17,230

11,431

13,382

4,432

31,078

77,553

11,366

106,832

43,369

16,255

9,297

12,906

6,483

26,317

71,258

21,148

87,189

31,491

161,568

139,828

23,345

23,345

–

–

All financial assets and liabilities are measured at amortised cost which is deemed to be representative of fair value with the exception of the contingent 
consideration of £23.35m for NESF that is measured at fair value in line with IAS 32. For further detail on the transaction, see note 31.1.

Management have considered the following fair value hierarchy levels in line with IFRS 13.

Level 1 – Inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset and liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 – Inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

Management have concluded that the contingent consideration is classified under the Level 3 inputs of the fair value hierarchy.

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.

148

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED29.1.  Market Risk
Market risk arises from the Group’s use of interest-bearing, tradable 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 that 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 the Euro, US dollar and South African rand. The Group’s bank loans are denominated 
in £ and Euros.

As at 31 December 2020, 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

US dollar

South African rand

2020
£’000

9,966 

8,760 

7,158 

561 

7,812 

(28,324)

(79,207)

(26,440)

(99,714)

2019
£’000

10,790 

6,821 

5,308 

986 

7,673 

(6,903)

(63,353)

(23,903)

(62,581)

2020
£’000

2,936 

1,530 

454 

416 

10,134 

(1,720)

(25,169)

(11,401)

2019
£’000

2,866 

1,617 

1,327 

398 

8,514 

(10,171)

(23,836)

(5,044)

2020
£’000

3,949 

907 

5,523 

3,285 

11,789 

(2,134)

(2,456)

(4,243)

2019
£’000

2,455 

592 

6,152 

4,812 

9,088 

(2,476)

 – 

(683)

(22,820)

(24,329)

16,620 

19,940 

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

10 

 – 

 – 

 – 

619 

(990)

 – 

(139)

(500)

3 

 – 

67 

 – 

608 

(777)

 – 

(381)

(480)

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 continues 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, US 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

US dollars

South African rand

Total

Euro

US dollars

South African rand

Total

(i)  holding all other variables constant

Strengthening/ 
(weakening) of 
pound sterling(i)

+20%

+20%

+20%

(20%)

(20%)

(20%)

Effect on comprehensive 
income and net assets

2020 
£’000

3,804

2019 
£’000

4,055

(2,770)

(3,323)

83

1,117

(5,705)

4,155 

(125)

(1,675)

80

812

(6,082)

4,985 

(120)

(1,217)

149

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172BANK LOANS

Financial Risk Management (continued)

29. 
29.1.  Market Risk (continued)
INTEREST RATE RISK MANAGEMENT AND SENSITIVITY
(A) 
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 Group is considering the 
proposed LIBOR reforms and it does not expect a material impact on the financial results.

The interest fluctuations are generally low which minimises the Group’s exposure to interest rate fluctuations. As a result, no hedging instruments have 
been put in place.

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 2020 would 
decrease/increase by £528k (2019: £433k).

The Group’s exposures to interest rates on financial assets and financial liabilities are detailed in the liquidity risk management section of this note.

(B)  US PRICING MODEL
The Group’s revenue is exposed where pricing is linked to interest rates. This exposure is limited to the US business (NESF) that was acquired in 2020 (see 
note 31.1), specifically from the revenues that are generated from depository agreements with US banking partners. As a result of Covid-19, the US Federal 
Reserve significantly reduced interest rates that in turn negatively impacted the US business revenues associated with deposit spread fee agreements, many 
tied directly to the published Federal Funds Rate. The future impact on revenue will be minimal due to the current rate being at its current low/near zero 
level. While rates are expected to remain low during the ongoing global pandemic, in the longer term, if US interest rates increased by 50 basis points and 
deposit levels as at 31 December 2020 remained constant for one year then Group revenue would increase by £1.6m.

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. Specific provisions incremental to ECL are made when 
there is objective forward-looking 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. 
This process has highlighted that some clients have been affected by an uncertain trading environment due to Covid-19 and this has in some cases resulted 
in some delay to payment within contracted credit terms. For more commentary on this, the ageing of trade receivables and the provisions thereon at the 
year end, including the movement in the provision, see note 12.

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.

150

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED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
2020
£’000

22,122

11,491

13,400

4,432

31,078

82,523

Loss
allowance
2020
£’000

(4,892)

(60)

(18)

–

–

(4,970)

Net
2020
£’000

17,230

11,431

13,382

4,432

31,078

77,553

Total
2019
£’000

20,257

9,350

12,927

6,483

26,317

75,334

Loss
allowance
2019
£’000

(4,002)

(53)

(21)

–

–

(4,076)

Net
2019
£’000

16,255

9,297

12,906

6,483

26,317

71,258

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.

2020 

Loans and borrowings(i)

Trade payables and accruals

Contingent consideration for acquisitions

Lease liabilities

Total

2019

Loans and borrowings(i)

Trade payables and accruals

Contingent consideration for acquisitions

Lease liabilities

Total

(i)  This includes the future interest payments not yet accrued and the repayment of capital upon maturity.

<3 months
£’000

2,814

10,680

–

1,295

14,789

3 – 12 
months
£’000

1 – 5 years
£’000

>5 years
£’000

1,786

108,273

311

–

–

–

–

19,477

128,061

27,345

27,345

–

153

3,885

5,824

<3 months
£’000

3 –12 months
£’000

1 – 5 years
£’000

>5 years
£’000

462

13,294

823

930

2,114

92,321

–

5,382

2,790

518

–

12,531

15,509

10,286

105,370

–

–

–

23,205

23,205

Total 
contractual
cash flow
£’000

112,873

10,991

153

52,002

176,019

Total 
contractual
cash flow
£’000

94,897

13,812

6,205

39,456

154,370

151

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17230.  Capital Management
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 that capital adequacy requirements are met for local regulatory requirements at entity level.

The managed capital refers to the Group’s debt and equity balances; for quantitative disclosures, see note 18 for loans and borrowings and note 26 for 
share capital.

Loan Covenants
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 3.25:1)

 – Interest cover (being the ratio of EBITDA to net finance charges must not be less than 4:1) 

* 

EBITDA has not been adjusted for IFRS 16 in this calculation.

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, Ireland, 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.

152

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDSection 7 – Group Structure
31. 

Business Combinations

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 consolidated 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 remeasured at subsequent reporting dates and 
its subsequent settlement is accounted for within equity. Contingent consideration that is classified as an asset or liability is remeasured at subsequent 
reporting dates at fair value with the corresponding gain or loss being recognised in the consolidated income statement.

31.1.   NES Financial Corp (“NESF”)
On 29 April 2020, JTC acquired 100% of NES Financial Corp and its subsidiaries (together known as “NESF”), a US based, technology-enabled, market-
leading provider of specialist fund administration services. NESF was merged with, and into, JTC USA Holding Inc., a California corporation. This acquisition 
represents a key part of JTC’s ongoing growth strategy, its focus on developing its ICS business in the US and a commitment to acquire and develop 
technology capabilities that drive future growth and operating efficiency.

The acquired business contributed revenues of £5.46m and an underlying loss before tax of £1.15m to the Group for the period from 1 May 2020 to 
31 December 2020. If the business had been acquired on 1 January 2020, the consolidated revenue and underlying profit for the period for the Group would 
have been £117.8m and £20.8m respectively.

153

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17231. 
Business Combinations (continued)
31.1.  NES Financial Corp (“NESF”) (continued)
(A) 
The following table shows, at fair value, the recognised assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS ACQUIRED AND LIABILITIES ASSUMED ON ACQUISITION

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets – Brand

Intangible assets – Internally developed software

Intangible assets – Customer relationships

Intangible assets – Software

Trade receivables

Other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets

Deferred income

Deferred tax liabilities

Trade and other payables

Lease liabilities

Liabilities

Total identifiable net assets

$’000

3,077 

859 

3,345 

3,114 

91 

1,874 

4,372 

205 

£’000

2,467 

689 

2,682 

2,497 

73 

1,503 

3,505 

165 

16,937 

13,581 

174 

2,002 

11,231 

3,036 

139 

1,605 

9,006 

2,435 

16,443 

13,185 

494 

396 

Deferred tax liabilities have been recognised in relation to identified intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-deductible against US Corporation 
Taxes and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

Between the acquisition date and 31 December 2020, the following fair value adjustments were made to identifiable assets acquired:

 – Removal of rent free creditors and alignment of accounting policies to IFRS 16 for the lease of office space; trade and other payables were reduced by 

£0.48m ($0.61m) with an resulting increase to lease liabilities of £0.17m ($0.22m) and a reduction in goodwill of £0.31m ($0.39m)

 – To align to IFRS 9 and provide for ECL; trade debtors were increased by £0.03m ($0.03m)
 – To recognise provision for dilapidations; provisions and goodwill increased by £0.26m ($0.33m)

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ON FAIR VALUE OF INTERNALLY DEVELOPED SOFTWARE INTANGIBLES
The internally developed platform, known as eSTAC, leverages end-to-end integrated software to automate fund administration and is used to support all 
product lines. The fair value is derived using a relief from royalty method. This takes an estimated royalty rate as a percentage of the projected revenues 
generated to calculate anticipated royalty payments which are discounted to present value using an appropriate risk adjusted rate.

Management carried out a sensitivity analysis on the key assumptions used in the valuation of internally developed software intangible assets. An increase 
or decrease of 1% to the royalty rate used of 4% would increase or decrease the fair value by £0.86m. An increase to year on year revenue growth of 10% 
would increase the fair value by £0.74m, while a decrease to year on year revenue growth of 10% would decrease the fair value by £0.62m.

154

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED(B)   CONSIDERATION
Total consideration is satisfied by the following:

Equity instruments (6,746,623 Ordinary shares issued at fair value)

Cash consideration

Contingent consideration – Indemnification holdback

Contingent consideration – Earn-out

Fair value of total consideration at acquisition

Adjustment to fair value at 31 December 2020

Contingent consideration – Indemnification holdback

Contingent consideration – Earn-out 

Fair value of total consideration at 31 December 2020

Note

$’000

£’000

34,732 

27,931 

4,704 

2,212 

18,760 

60,408 

3,783 

1,779 

15,087 

48,580 

900 

7,931 

8,831 

660 

5,819 

6,479 

9

69,239 

55,059 

FAIR VALUE OF CONTINGENT CONSIDERATION AT ACQUISITION
The indemnification holdback part of the initial consideration was 637,954 JTC PLC Ordinary shares and this was adjusted downwards for working capital 
and transaction expenses to 437,029 shares. Of these, 50% are payable 12 months following completion (30 April 2021) with the remaining balance payable 
six months later (31 October 2021). The simulated share prices at these dates using the Monte Carlo valuation method described below, were discounted 
using an appropriate risk free rate and applied to the number of shares to determine a fair value at acquisition of £1.78m ($2.21m).

The earn-out contingent consideration is subject to NESF meeting certain EBITDA thresholds across assessment periods, being 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2021 
(“Earn-out AP1”) and 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022 (“Earn-out AP2”). The maximum potential earn-out consideration is capped at 14,253,070 shares, split 
into 7,348,771 shares for Earn-out AP1 and 6,904,299 shares for Earn-out AP2.

To calculate the anticipated earn-out at the acquisition date, Management applied a probability weighting to three forecast scenarios; a downside, upside 
and base case for the three financial years ended 31 December 2020 (“FY2020”), 31 December 2021 and 31 December 2022. The resulting number of shares 
was then multiplied by an estimated share price at the relevant date to determine a fair value for the earn-out contingent consideration.

In each of the scenarios, there was a negative EBITDA in Earn-out AP1 due to the loss forecast in FY2020 as a result of the impact of Covid-19, which was 
recovered in Earn-out AP2 in all instances. As the two most likely scenarios gave a negative EBITDA for Earn-out AP1, a probability weighted approach rather 
than a Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the likely number of JTC PLC Ordinary shares attributed to the earn-out. This approach calculated 
that no shares were due for Earn-out AP1 and 3,765,269 shares were due for Earn-out AP2.

The estimated share price was calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation based on JTC’s share price at acquisition and historical volatility, adjusted for any 
projected dividend payments and then discounted using an appropriate risk free rate. This derived a share price estimate of £4.01 that was applied to the 
number of shares to determine a fair value at acquisition of £15.08m ($18.76m).

FAIR VALUE OF CONTINGENT CONSIDERATION AT THE REPORTING DATE
As the earn-out and indemnification holdback are liability-classified contingent consideration, Management are required to update their fair value at each 
reporting date. Management therefore reassessed the forecast Earn-out and identified no evidence to indicate an adjustment was required to the number 
of shares calculated for Earn-out AP2, nor any change to the number of indemnification holdback shares. However, given a change in market conditions 
and significant growth in JTC’s share price since acquisition (£5.58 at 31 December 2020), the Monte Carlo simulation was updated, increasing the share 
price applied to the number of shares.

As a result, the fair value of the contingent consideration for the earn-out increased by £5.82m ($7.93m) to £20.91m ($26.69m) and for the indemnification 
holdback by £0.66 ($0.90m) to £2.44m ($3.11m). The total increase in the fair value of the contingent consideration of £6.48m ($8.83m) is recognised in 
other gains and losses in the consolidated income statement.

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ON FAIR VALUE OF EARN-OUT CONSIDERATION
Management carried out a sensitivity analysis on the output of the key assumptions and estimates used to calculate the fair value of the earn-out 
consideration. Management consider the key assumptions and estimates to include the estimated share price and EBITDA across assessment periods. 
Assuming no change to the number of shares and a 10% increase or decrease to the share price, the fair value of the earn-out contingent consideration 
would be £2.21m higher/lower. Increasing or decreasing the EBITDA in Earn-out AP2 by 5% and applying the latest share price per the Monte Carlo 
simulation, the contingent consideration would increase/decrease by £3.10m.

155

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17231. 
Business Combinations (continued)
31.1.  NES Financial Corp (“NESF”) (continued)
(C)  GOODWILL
Goodwill arising from the acquisition has been recognised as follows:

Total consideration

Less: fair value of identifiable net assets

Goodwill

$’000

60,408

£’000

48,580

(494)

(396)

59,914

48,184

Goodwill is represented by assets that do not qualify for separate recognition or other factors. These include access to the US market, new business wins 
from new customers, effects of an assembled workforce and synergies from combining some resources and operations of the acquiree and the acquirer.

(D) 

IMPACT ON CASH FLOW

Cash consideration(i)

Less: cash balances acquired

Net cash outflow from acquisition

(i)  

Included in the balance are contingent consideration payments of £1.2m ($1.5m).

$’000

4,704

(205)

4,499

£’000

3,750

(165)

3,585

(E)   ACQUISITION-RELATED COSTS
The Group incurred acquisition-related costs of £2.48m 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.  Sanne Private Client Business (“Sanne Private Clients”)
On 1 July 2020, JTC acquired 100% of Pen Private Clients Limited (“PPCL”), a newly incorporated 100% owned subsidiary of Sanne Private Clients Limited 
(“Sanne Private Clients”), the private client services division of Sanne Group (“Sanne”). Sanne Private Clients provides specialist expertise in fiduciary, 
administration and family office services.

The acquired business contributed revenues of £2.4m and a profit before tax of £1.6m to the Group for the period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2020. 
If the business had been acquired on 1 January 2020, the consolidated revenue and underlying profit for the period for the Group would have been £117.5m 
and £23.0m 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:

Intangible assets – Customer relationships

Trade receivables

Other receivables

Accrued income

Assets

Deferred revenue

Deferred tax liabilities

Liabilities

Total identifiable net assets

£’000

6,392

173

10

802

7,377

202

639

841

6,536

Deferred tax liabilities have been recognised in relation to identified customer relationship intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-deductible 
against Jersey Corporation Tax and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

156

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED(B)   CONSIDERATION
Total consideration is satisfied by the following:

Maximum cash consideration

Purchase price adjustment

Fair value of total consideration

£’000

12,000

(2,883)

9,117

The consideration payable for the shares was a completion payment of £12m less a non-transferred client adjustment. Following an assessment of the actual 
transferring revenue at completion (including any subsequently transferred clients), the purchase price adjustment for non-transferring clients reduced the 
fair value of total consideration to £9.12m.

(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(i)

Less: cash balances acquired

Net cash flow from acquisition

£’000

9,117

(6,536)

2,581

£’000

8,963

 – 

8,963

(i)  £0.15m remains payable to Sanne as at 31 December 2020 and is included within contingent consideration; see note 17.

ACQUISITION-RELATED COSTS

(E) 
The Group incurred acquisition-related costs of £0.16m 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).

157

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Business Combinations (continued)

31. 
31.3.  Other Acquisitions in 2020
On 23 January 2020, JTC acquired 100% of the share capital of both Cornerstone AIS Corporate Services Ireland Limited and Cornerstone AIS Corporate 
Trustees Ireland Limited, entities registered in Ireland with a regulatory licence to operate as a trust or company service provider. Consideration was £0.07m 
(€0.08m) for net assets acquired of the same amount. On 22 June 2020, the entities changed their names to JTC Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited and 
JTC Trustees (Ireland) Limited respectively.

On 27 February 2020, JTC acquired 100% of the share capital of Anson Registrars Limited and Anson Registrars (UK) Limited (together “Anson Registrars”), 
entities with registered offices in Guernsey, Channel Islands and the UK respectively. This acquisition enables JTC to provide CREST enabled registrar services, 
complementing the administration and accounting offering already being provided. Consideration was £0.22m for net assets acquired of £0.06m (including 
customer relationships of £0.03m), resulting in goodwill of £0.16m. In May 2020, the entities changed their names to JTC Registrars Limited and JTC Registrars 
(UK) Limited.

31.4.  Exequtive Partners S.A. (“Exequtive”)
On 25 March 2019, the Group acquired 100% of the share capital of Exequtive, a Luxembourg based provider of domiciliation and corporate administration services.

The fair value of consideration was £29.24m (€34.18m) for acquired identifiable net assets of £7.99m (€9.34m) resulting in goodwill of £21.25m (€24.84m). 
This included earn-out consideration of £7.6m (€8.88m) comprising 70% cash and 30% shares. As the business performed successfully, exceeding the revenue 
and underlying EBITDA targets set for 2019, this was paid in April 2020 and as a result 560,707 Ordinary shares were issued (see note 26.1).

Within the acquired identifiable net assets were customer relationship intangibles of £9.86m (€11.53m) with a UEL of 10 years. Deferred tax liabilities of 
£2.47m (€2.88m) were recognised in relation to identified intangible assets, the amortisation of which is non-deductible against Luxembourg Corporation 
Tax and therefore creates temporary differences between the accounting and taxable profits.

31.5.  Aufisco B.V. (“Aufisco”)
On 1 April 2019, the Group entered into a facilitation and referral agreement with Aufisco B.V. and Oak Tree Management B.V. (“Aufisco”) whereby its clients 
were referred, introduced and recommended to JTC as a replacement provider of the trust, custody and administration services, their staff were also offered 
employment contracts, as such Management accounted for the transaction as a business combination.

The fair value of consideration was £1.75m (€1.96m) for acquired identifiable net assets of £1.94m (€2.17m) resulting in negative goodwill of £0.19m (€0.214m). 
This included earn-out consideration of £0.59m (€0.66m), which was paid in March 2020.

Within the acquired identifiable net assets were customer relationship intangibles of £2.125m (€2.375m) with a UEL of 10 years. Deferred tax liabilities of 
£0.18m (€0.2m) 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.

158

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED32. 

Investments

The Group’s interest in other entities includes an associate and an investment held at cost. An associate is an entity in which the Group has significant 
influence, but not control or joint control, over the financial and operating policies. The Group’s interest in an equity-accounted investee solely comprises 
an interest in an associate.

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.

Where the Group has an interest in an entity but does not have significant influence, the investment is held at cost.

Set out below are the associates of the Group as at 31 December 2020 which, in the opinion of the Directors, are material to the Group. The entities listed 
have share capital consisting solely of Ordinary shares, which are held directly by the Group. The country of incorporation is also their principal place of 
business, and the proportion of ownership interest is the same as the proportion of voting rights held.

Name of entity

Country of
incorporation

Nature of
relationship

Measurement
method

Kensington International Group Pte. Ltd

Singapore

Associate(i) Equity method

Harmonate Corp.

Total investments

United States

Investment(ii)

Cost Method

% of ownership interest

Carrying amount

2020 
%

42

16

2019 
%

42

– 

2020 
%

1,483 

791 

2,274 

2019 
%

1,124 

– 

1,124 

(i)  Kensington International Group Pte. Ltd (“KIG”) provides corporate, fiduciary, trust and accounting services and is a strategic partner of the Group, providing access to new clients and markets in the Far East.
 Harmonate Corp. (“Harmonate”) provides fund operation and data management solutions to clients in the financial services industry. The Group acquired 24.2% of the share capital in Harmonate on 31 July 
(ii) 
2020 for a total consideration of £0.8m ($1.0m). During November 2020, Harmonate undertook an equity raise which resulted in the dilution of the Group’s equity holding; the resulting ownership interest for 
the Group was 16.3% 

The summarised financial information for KIG, which is accounted for using the equity method, is as follows:

Summarised income statement

Revenue

Gross profit

Profit for the year

Summarised balance sheet

Total non-current assets

Total current assets

Total assets

Total current liabilities

Net assets less current liabilities

2020
£’000

5,336

4,327

2019
£’000

4,695

3,673

947

409

2020
£’000

667

5,134

5,801

3,529 

2,272 

2019
£’000

418

2,974

3,392

1,969 

1,423 

159

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17232. 

Investments (continued)

Reconciliation of summarised financial information

Opening net assets

Profit for the year

Foreign exchange differences

Closing net assets

Group's share of closing net assets

Goodwill

Carrying value of investment in associate

Impact on consolidated income statement

Balance at 1 January 2019

Share of profit of equity-accounted investee

Balance at 31 December 2019

Balance at 1 January 2020

Share of profit of equity-accounted investee

Balance at 31 December 2020

2020
£’000

1,423

947

(98)

2019
£’000

1,077

409

(63)

2,272

1,423

961

522

602

522

1,483

1,124

£’000

978

146

1,124

1,124

359

1,483

160

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDSubsidiaries

33. 
The Group’s subsidiaries at 31 December 2020 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 Trustees (Suisse) Sàrl

JTC Trustees (IOM) Limited

Global Tax Support B.V.(i)

JTC Holdings (Netherlands) B.V.

JTC Institutional Services Netherlands B.V.

JTC (Netherlands) B.V.

JTC Trust Company (New Zealand) Limited

JTC (Cayman) Limited

JTC Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd

JTC Fiduciary Services (Mauritius) Limited

JTC Corporate Services (DIFC) Limited

JTC Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited

JTC Registrars Limited

JTC Registrars (UK) Limited

JTC USA Holdings, Inc.

British Virgin Islands

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Switzerland

Switzerland

Isle of Man

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

New Zealand

Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands

Mauritius

Dubai

Ireland

Guernsey

United Kingdom

United States

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

Holding

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

Trading

% holding

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

50

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

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 that it has control of this entity and it has, therefore, 
been consolidated.

161

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Section 8 – Other Disclosures
34. 

Earnings Per Share

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.

Underlying Basic Earnings Per Share
The calculation of underlying basic Earnings Per Share is based on basic Earnings Per Share after adjusting profit for the year for non-underlying items and 
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 and underlying basic Earnings Per Share (“EPS”). The results can be summarised as follows:

Note

34.1

34.2

34.3

2020
Pence

9.02

8.96

22.49

2020
£’000

10,533

2019
Pence

15.43

15.35

21.74

2019
£’000

17,181

No.

No.

111,820,703

110,153,982

4,946,720

1,346,281

(30,838)

(147,395)

116,736,585

111,352,868

9.02

15.43

2020
£’000

10,533

2019
£’000

17,181

Note

34.1

No.

No.

116,736,585

111,352,868

857,841

539,647

117,594,426

111,892,515

8.96

15.35

Basic EPS

Diluted EPS

Underlying basic EPS

34.1.   Basic Earnings Per Share

Profit for the year

Issued Ordinary shares at 1 January

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 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

162

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED34.3.  Underlying Basic Earnings Per Share

Profit for the year

Non-underlying items

Amortisation of customer relationship intangible assets

Amortisation of loan arrangement fees

Unwinding of net present value discounts

Temporary difference arising on amortisation of customer relationships

Adjusted underlying profit for the year

Weighted average number of Ordinary shares (basic)

Underlying basic EPS

Note

7

21

10

11

Note

34.1

2020
£’000

10,533

10,146

6,038

603

38

(1,102)

26,256

2019
£’000

17,181

2,106

5,012

376

323

(787)

24,211

No.

No.

116,736,585

111,352,868

22.49

21.74

Underlying basic EPS is an alternative performance measure used by Management to better reflect the underlying activities of the Group excluding specific 
non-recurring items.

35.  Cash Flow Information
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

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital

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

Revision of ICS operating model

Other

Total non-underlying items within net cash from operating activities

Underlying net cash from operating activities

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

21,031

22,961

5,884

7,962

1,082

(359)

4,588

6,164

694

(146)

35,600

34,261

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

28,997

23,598

2,641

–

3,108

401

143

6,293

35,290

2,976

36

2,138

–

–

5,150

28,748

163

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.17235.  Cash Flow Information (continued)
35.3.  Financing Activities
Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities:

At 1 January 2019

Lease
liabilities
due within
one year
£’000

–

Lease
liabilities
due after
one year
£’000

–

Adjustment for change in accounting policy

2,631

26,543

Cash flows:

Drawdowns

Repayments

Other non-cash movements(i)

At 31 December 2019

Cash flows:

Acquired on acquisition

Drawdowns

Repayments

Other non-cash movements(i)

At 31 December 2020

–

(146)

390

2,875

–

(2,922)

4,995

28,616

743

2,293

(132)

729

4,215

(4,012)

12,258

39,155

Finance
leases
due within
one year
£’000

Finance
leases
due after
one year
£’000

5

–

–

30

–

–

(5)

(30)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Borrowings
due within
one year
£’000

Borrowings
due after
one year
£’000

678

72,002

–

Total
£’000

72,715

29,174

–

–

(170)

–

508

15,509

15,509

(519)

(311)

(3,792)

5,074

86,681

118,680

3,070

–

–

16,425

(883)

(239)

–

1,270

6,106

16,425

(5,027)

14,018

2,456

104,376

150,202

(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

Other loans

Trapped cash(i)

Committed capital distributions(ii)

Loans receivable from employees

Less: cash and cash equivalents

Total net debt

(i)  Trapped cash represents the minimum cash balance to be held to meet regulatory capital.
(ii)  Committed capital distribution from EBT12 to employees.

Note

18

18

15

2020
£’000

2019
£’000

(104,376)

(86,681)

(2,456)

(2,444)

–

2,164

31,078

(508)

(3,007)

(2,624)

–

26,317

(76,034)

(66,503)

164

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED36. 

Share-based Payments

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 Management’s estimate of equity 
instruments that will eventually vest. At each balance sheet date, Management 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 awards vested are as follows:

Outstanding at the start of the year

Exercised

Outstanding at the end of the year

No.

652,398

(652,398)

2020
£’000

300

(300)

No.

652,398

–

–

–

652,398

2019
£’000

300

–

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 £534k. 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 £614k. 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 March 2022.

On 23 April 2020, the Group granted 213,420 of the Company’s shares to Executive Directors and senior management (“PSP3”); these awards have a set 
limit for Executive Directors of 75% of the annual base salary and have a fair value of £825k. Vesting of the PSP3 awards is subject to continued employment 
and achievement of performance conditions measured over a three year period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. If conditions are met, the 
awards will vest on 31 March 2023.

165

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172Share-based Payments (continued)

36. 
36.1.  Description of Share-based Payment Arrangements (continued)
(B) 
Details of the number of shares awarded but not vested are as follows:

POST-IPO (CONTINUED)

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Awarded

Forfeited

Outstanding at the end of the year

No.

410,488

213,420

(16,667)

607,241

2020
£’000

1,148

825

(43)

No.

156,970

253,518

–

2019
£’000

534

614

–

1,930

410,488

1,148

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 3 April 2019, the Group granted 49,756 of the Company’s shares to eligible Directors as part of the annual bonus award for performance during the 
financial year ended 31 December 2018 (“DBSP1”). The DBSP1 awards vest on 3 April 2021 subject to continued employment up to this date. The fixed 
amount awarded being £149k will be expensed over the three year vesting period.

On 23 April 2020, the Group granted 72,717 of the Company’s shares to eligible Directors as part of the annual bonus award for performance during the 
financial year ended 31 December 2019 (“DBSP2”). The DBSP2 awards vest on 23 April 2022 subject to continued employment up to this date. The fixed 
amount awarded being £313k will be expensed over the three year vesting period.

During March 2021, the Group will notify eligible Directors of their intention to grant shares as part of the annual bonus award for performance during the 
financial year ended 31 December 2020 (“DBSP3”). The number of shares awarded will be determined at the grant date in April 2021. The DBSP3 awards vest on 
1 January 2023 subject to continued employment up to this date. The fixed amount awarded being £364k 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.

45,809

72,717

(10,184)

108,342

2020
£’000

137

313

(39)

411

No.

–

49,756

(3,947)

45,809

2019
£’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:

No.

25,913

82,280

(6,086)

102,107

2020
£’000

95

328

(25)

398

No.

3,668

22,245

–

25,913

2019
£’000

15

80

–

95

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Awarded

Exercised

Outstanding at the end of the year

166

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED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

2020
£’000

630

242

210

1,082

2019
£’000

382

146

166

694

37.   Contingencies 
The Group operates in a number of jurisdictions and enjoys a close working relationship with all of its regulators. It is not unusual for the Group to find 
itself in discussion with regulators in relation to past events. With any such discussions there is inherent uncertainty in the ultimate outcome but the Board 
currently does not believe that any such current discussions are likely to result in an outcome that would have a material impact upon the Group.

38. 

Foreign Currency

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.

167

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172 
39.  Related Party Transactions
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

Post-employment and other long-term benefits

Share-based payments

Total payments

2020
£’000

2,199

130

625

2019
£’000

2,371

124

383

2,954

2,878

39.2.  Other Related Party Transactions
Loans receivable from employees, associates and other related undertakings are disclosed in note 15.

The Group’s associate, KIG (see note 32), has provided £838k of services to Group entities during the year (2019: £712k). The Group has an interest in 
Harmonate (see note 32); the Group has provided £273k of services to it during the year (2019: £nil).

39.3.  Ultimate Controlling Party
JTC PLC is the ultimate controlling party of the Group.

Events Occurring After the Reporting Period

40. 
There have been a number of subsequent events from 31 December 2020 to the date of issue of these consolidated financial statements. They are as follows:

Acquisition of INDOS Financial Limited (“INDOS”)

(a) 
On 11 February 2021, JTC entered into an agreement with INDOS, a specialist provider of depositary and other high value services for alternative investment 
funds, to purchase 100% of its share capital for a maximum consideration of £12.5m. The initial consideration is £11m which will be settled in cash of £10m 
and JTC equity of £1m. A further £1.5m contingent consideration is available on the achievement of performance targets. This represents an important 
strategic acquisition, adding complementary capabilities and technical expertise to JTC’s increasingly sophisticated fund services offering.

(b)  Acquisition of RBC CEES Limited (“RBC CEES”)
On 10 December 2020, the Group announced the acquisition of RBC CEES from RBC Holdings (Channel Islands), part of RBC Wealth Management. RBC CEES 
is a market leading employee benefits platform with an internationally diverse blue-chip corporate client base. The consideration comprised of £20m in cash 
funded from existing facilities and this was paid on 6 April 2021, following the grant of shareholder and regulatory approvals. The acquisition is complementary 
to JTC’s existing corporate and trustee services and significantly enhances the Group’s employee benefits offering.

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.

168

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDINVESTOR RELATIONS
INFORMATION

ADVISERS
FINANCIAL ADVISERS
Numis Securities Limited
The London Stock Exchange Building 
10 Paternoster Square 
London 
EC4M 7LT
Email mail@numis.com
Call +44 20 7260 1000

Berenberg
60 Threadneedle Street
London 
EC2R 8HP
Email JTC@berenberg.com
Call +44 20 3207 7800

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

COMPANY
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

BANKERS
The Royal Bank of Scotland International Limited
71 Bath Street 
St Helier
Jersey
JE4 8PJ
Call +44 1534 285200

169

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172GLOSSARY

DEFINED TERMS
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

CRO
Chief Risk Officer 

CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility

A2B
Advance to Buy programme 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)

DBSP
Deferred Bonus Share Plan

EBIT
Profit before interest and tax

AGM
Annual General Meeting

AML 
Anti-Money Laundering

APM
Alternative Performance Measures

ANSON REGISTRARS
Anson  Registrars  Limited  and  Anson  Registrars 
(UK) Limited

AUA
Assets under Administration

AUFISCO
Aufisco B.V. and Oak Tree Management B.V.

AUM
Assets under Management

AVNBW
Annualised value of new business won

BCP
Business continuity planning

BOARD
The Board of JTC PLC

EBITDA
Profit from operating activities before depreciation, 
amortisation, interest and tax

EBT
Employee Benefit Trust

EBT12
Jersey Trust Company Employee Benefit Trust 2012

ECL
Expected credit losses

EDGE
Internally developed client portal for private clients 
and part of the JTC Private Office proposition

E4A
‘Equity for All’ – JTC’s programme to promote wide 
employee share ownership in the Company 

EIP
JTC PLC Employee Incentive Plan

EPS
Earnings Per Share

ESG
Environmental, Social and Governance

CASH CONVERSION
The  ratio  of  net  cash  from  operating  activities 
compared with EBITDA

ESTAC
Internally developed platform acquired from NESF 
which leverages end-to-end integrated software to 
automate fund administration

EU
The European Union

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

EURIBOR
Euro Interbank Offered Rate

EXEQUTIVE
Exequtive Partners S.A.

FCA
Financial Conduct Authority 

FRC
Financial Reporting Council

CCO
Chief Commercial Officer

CEO
Chief Executive Officer 

CFO
Chief Financial Officer 

CFT
Combating the Financing of Terrorism

CGU
Cash-generating unit

COMPANY
JTC PLC 

COVID-19 or COVID
The global pandemic caused by Covid-19

CPD
Continuing Professional Development

170

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FTSE
Financial Times Stock Exchange

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

GDC
Group Development Committee

GDP
Gross domestic product

GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) on 
data protection and privacy for all individuals within 
the European Union and the European Economic Area

GHB 
Group Holdings Board 

GROUP
The Company and its subsidiaries

HARMONATE
Harmonate Corp.

HNW or HNWI
High net worth or High net worth individual

IASB
International Accounting Standards Board

ICS
Institutional Client Services 

IFRS
International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  as 
adopted by the European Union

INDOS
INDOS Financial Limited

IPO
Initial Public Offering

ISAE 3402 
Assurance standard developed by the International 
Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and supported 
by the International Federation of Accountants 

ISC
Issued share capital

LION
‘Leaders In Our Name’ – JTC’s in-house management 
development programme 

LSE
London Stock Exchange 

LTIP
Long-Term Incentive Plan

LTM
Last twelve months

LVW
Lifetime Value Won is 10 times annualised value of 
work won minus value of attrition in past year

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.

NACT
New Amsterdam Cititrust B.V.

NED
Non-Executive Director

NESF
NES Financial Corp

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

NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS
These  represent  specific  items  of  income  or 
expenditure that are not of an operational nature 
and  do  not  represent  the  underlying  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

NPV
Net present value

KIG
Kensington International Group Pte. Ltd

LIBOR
The London Interbank 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

OECD
O r ga nis atio n  fo r  Eco n o mic  Co - o p e r atio n 
and Development

O4A
‘Ownership for All’ – the evolution of JTC’s shared 
ownership programme for all employees post IPO

171

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ���������������������������������������P.105–P.172GLOSSARY CONTINUED

PCS
Private Client Services

TA
Transfer agency 

PDMR
Person Discharging Managerial Responsibility

TCFD
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

PII
Professional Indemnity Insurance

PLC EBT
JTC PLC Employee Benefit Trust

PRO-FORMA
Taking into account a full year’s trading

PSP
Performance Share Plan

PWC
PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP

RBC CEES
RBC Cees Limited

RECOMMENDATION FOR SIGNING or 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

RFP
Request for proposal

SANNE PRIVATE CLIENTS
Sanne’s Private Client’s business in Jersey

SASB
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board

SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals

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

SID
Senior Independent Director

SME
Small and medium sized enterprise

TSR
Total Shareholder Return

UHNW or UHNWI
Ultra high net worth or Ultra high net worth individual

UNDERLYING BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Profit for the year is adjusted for non-underlying 
items, 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 
then divided by the weighted average number of 
Ordinary shares

UNDERLYING EBITDA
EBITDA  excluding  specific  items  of  income  or 
expenditure that are not of an operational nature 
and do not represent the underlying operating results

UNDERLYING EBITDA MARGIN
Underlying EBITDA divided by revenue, and expressed 
as a percentage

UNDERLYING GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit (being revenue less direct staff and other 
direct costs) excluding specific items of income or 
expenditure that are not of an operational nature and 
do not represent the underlying operating results

UNDERLYING GROSS PROFIT MARGIN
Underlying  gross  profit  divided  by  revenue,  and 
expressed as a percentage

UNDERLYING PROFIT FOR THE YEAR
Profit for the year excluding specific items of income 
or expenditure that are not of an operational nature 
and do not represent the underlying operating results

USD or $
The lawful currency of the United States

172

JTC ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020Consultancy, design and production
www.luminous.co.uk

Design and production

www.luminous.co.uk

JTC PLC 

JTC House 
28 Esplanade 
St Helier 
Jersey 
JE2 3QA

Channel Islands

jtcgroup.com

2

0

2

0

A

N

N

U

A

L

R

E

P

O

R

T

|

J

T

C

P

L

C

S

T

A

N

D

I

N

G

T

O

G

E

T

H

E

R