Strategic Advisory
Principal-level counsel and institutional coordination for families, founders and privately controlled groups facing complexity, transition or consequential long-term change.
Most significant families and privately controlled groups already have capable executives, lawyers, bankers, investment managers, tax specialists and fiduciaries. The difficulty is rarely a shortage of advice. It is maintaining coherence across advice, structures, relationships and decisions that naturally cross professional boundaries.
Adamas does not replace management or specialist advisers. We help the principal define the objective, test whether technically sound recommendations serve the same long-term intention, coordinate the people responsible and preserve continuity of judgement as circumstances change.
Where a family already has capable specialists, this often means coordination across existing advisory relationships.
The aim is simple: better long-term decisions, fewer avoidable dependencies and a structure that remains intelligible under pressure.
Maintaining a broad view across family objectives, businesses, ownership structures, advisers and institutions.
Clarifying authority and preparing people and institutions for transitions that cannot be solved by documents alone.
Reviewing the purpose, governance and coordination of trusts, foundations, holding structures and fiduciary relationships, alongside independently appointed professional advisers.
Confidential challenge and reflection without a product, transaction or institutional agenda.
Discreet involvement where complexity, sensitivity or strategic importance requires a coordinating perspective.
Using experience and judgement to identify credible people and coordinate trusted relationships across jurisdictions.
How a mandate begins
Clarify the principal’s objectives, current pressures and definition of a good outcome.
See structures, relationships, responsibilities and decision rights as one system.
Examine coordination between advisers, banks, institutions and family governance.
Identify dependencies, gaps and the areas where independent involvement can add the most value.
Build institutional understanding and remain available through implementation and transition.
Some mandates remain a continuing external advisory relationship focused on high-level judgement, review and coordination. Others develop into a more deeply integrated principal-level or family-office role with broader governance coordination, responsiveness and institutional continuity.
In either form, the relationship is deliberately selective, discreet and long-term. Its scope evolves as trust, familiarity and practical requirements develop.
All engagements are conducted under strict confidentiality arrangements. Client names and private circumstances are not presented as credentials.
Authority behind the mandate
years across private banking, fiduciary work and family advisory
international families advised since 2005
perspectives: institutional, principal-side and independent counsel
Strategic Advisory is led by Alexander von der Vellen, whose career spans service as a British Army officer, senior private-banking roles at Barings, JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, principal-side family-office experience, and independent fiduciary and strategic advisory work since 2005.
Adamas is principal-led and works internationally through a partnership of independent senior advisers based in Prague, London, New York, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo. The Adamas intellectual property and platform are currently owned by an Andorran company, which is not an office.
Each adviser operates through an established independent practice, with their own office, team and professional responsibilities, while retaining the independence that gives their advice its value. Each adviser is responsible for ensuring that their own work complies with every licensing, conduct, disclosure and cross-border requirement applicable in the jurisdictions in which they act.
Across the partnership, individual advisers bring prior experience from leading international financial institutions across Europe, North America and Asia, combined with direct work for international families, founders and family offices.
Where a family’s circumstances cross disciplines or jurisdictions, the relevant partners may work together under the Adamas umbrella, coordinating their contribution around the principal’s objectives, a clear lead adviser and an agreed allocation of responsibility. This provides the breadth of an international firm without sacrificing specialist autonomy, personal responsibility or direct senior involvement.
Explore the firm and its experience or Alexander’s personal advisory philosophy.
The most useful first step is usually a private discussion about the decision, transition or complexity in front of you. No predetermined solution is assumed.
Research and evidence
Review current institutional and academic research on succession preparedness, NextGen readiness, governance and family continuity.
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