28 - Network State Conference 2026 - Rory McDaid on Building Optionality for a Global Future

We're in a room today filled with individuals who very much epitomize thinking beyond borders. You're all part of a international network and a global community. But when we strip that back, how many of you on an individual basis can consider yourself to be truly global? How many of us are still linked to one individual country? One individual country that gives all of our rights, all of our access, and any benefits that we may bring. Only one country. We diversify all aspects of our life. We diversify our investments, our wealth, our businesses. We diversify the technology that we rely on. We also consider risk mitigation and decentralization. However, why, when it comes to securing your family's future, do we put so much into one jurisdiction? Globally mobile families are seeking a strategy of optionality. And within that optionality, there are six categories. Families want to to be able to live in multiple jurisdictions. They want to live in different cities, different countries, and different regions. And that's real mobility. They They want to get their children access to the best schools globally. Security. We're living in volatile times. If something goes wrong, where can I go next? Around wealth. How can I be in a position to structure my wealth globally to put it in the strongest possible position? And from a legacy perspective, how can I ensure that I'm passing on opportunities to the next generation? To achieve real optionality, it takes a multi-jurisdictional strategy. Or what we would refer to as a sovereign portfolio. I wanted to share an example of a client that we recently worked with in order to achieve this. First of all, they obtained a Singapore permanent residency through the Global Investor Program. Everyone who's based in Singapore will know the benefits that that brings. And that was the real Asia anchor for that family. They also obtained a UAE Golden Visa. Giving them full access to a global business hub and a strategically relevant region in the Gulf for the family. Then comes the legacy. Austrian citizenship. Providing a premium EU citizenship layer. And then finally, geographic diversification in the shape of Panamanian residency. This isn't a random collection of various options. These Each of these tangents are playing a very purposeful role in the overall strategy of that family. Ensuring they have flexibility, optionality, and are ultimately leaving the next generation with plenty of opportunities. I also wanted to share some findings from the business side. Where are our clients coming from? Demographically, US citizens are our number one clients, accounting for more than 30% of our client base. Onboarding of US citizens more than doubled from 2024 to 2025. India as a country is still where we get the majority of our inquiries coming from. In terms of growth areas geographically, Western Europe has been particularly interesting. A lot of political, economic, and social concerns in both France and Germany. France had a political debate about a citizenship-based taxation. Germany putting restrictions around the flow of capital via exit taxes. All of these are drivers and wake-up calls for high-net-worth families to ensure that they have to have options in place. The UAE, of course. All of the instability that we've seen in the Middle East over the past 12 months or so is a resulting in a drive to look at alternative options. One thing that I do want to emphasize is that this is not a relocation strategy. Families aren't jumping on the next flight and leaving their current country of residence. It's very much a planning strategy, ensuring that they have options, they have bases, and if certain scenarios do arise where they do have to relocate, they're able to do that. You might ask, what are those options? These are the 40 or so countries in which we can help with the process. To be very honest, each country has its own pros and cons. This isn't a cookie cutter approach. We sit down with families at the first stage. We discuss their requirements, their background, their family, their plans, why they're considering this, their long-term goals, and then we can put a strategy in place that meets the requirements of that client. Thanks a lot, folks. Enjoy the rest of the conference.