27/03/2025
30 Years of Service – A Journey Through Time: Q&A with Sarah Honey, Senior Trust Officer at Summit Trust Guernsey
Celebrating 30 years of service in any organisation is a remarkable achievement, filled with memorable moments and profound changes. Sarah Honey, Senior Trust Officer at Summit Trust Guernsey, celebrates this incredible milestone on 27th March 2025. We take a look back with Sarah at how things have evolved over the years, from the early days of company operations to the dynamic, fast-paced fiduciary environment of today.
Q: How has the company changed or evolved since you started 30 years ago?
“Summit Trust Guernsey, as it is known today started off as Goethe Management with around 12 members of staff. After merging with local trust company Aquitaine in 2013, Goethe took the name of Aquitaine Trust and after a few years, Aquitaine went on to acquire Guernsey-based Federal Trust Company in May 2021. A further collaboration took place in September 2021 when Aquitaine and Geneva-based Summit Trust International SA joined forces under the banner of Summit Group. Aquitaine changed its name at the end of 2024 to Summit Trust Guernsey in order to align and integrate with the Summit Group brand. That pretty much brings us to where we are today. So, I have been through a merger, an acquisition and a re-brand – it’s been an interesting journey!”
Q: How has your role changed since you first joined?
“When I first joined the company, I started off in the secretarial department, carrying out basic secretarial work, handling company filings, annual returns and sending out accounts for signature. I used to do a lot of the work on an electronic typewriter – I would spend hours typing up annual returns which is unthinkable now. As email didn’t exist, we used fax machines and the telephone a lot more too! Back then, many Guernsey-based fiduciaries had directors who were based in Sark, a small island in the Channel Islands which is only reachable by boat. I had to produce the documents for signing, take them down to the harbour and put them on the Sark ferry for the directors to sign and return by ferry. Surprisingly, the turnaround was quite efficient and often took only a couple of days. However if anything was especially urgent, a colleague would travel to Sark on the ferry, hand the document to the director for signature and then come back to Guernsey on the ferry! I have such special memories of this era but of course things are much more efficient these days!”
Q: Has your client base changed over the years?
“Yes, our client base has changed enormously – when I joined, we had mainly Swiss and Italian clients, largely influenced by the company’s ownership under a Luxembourg bank. There were lots of Italian and French speakers in the office and it was quite fun to hear my colleagues chatting away in different languages. Today, our clients come from all over the world, and we administer more complex and sophisticated structures.”
Q: What is your most memorable moment?
“There have been lots over the years, but the most memorable moment was an all-expenses-paid trip to Luxembourg quite soon after I joined in 1995. We flew over to Luxembourg on a private jet and were taken to an event hosted in a massive aircraft hangar featuring circus acts and entertainment. The company paid for new staff members to attend this celebration with colleagues from other branches – it was a very special trip.”
Q: How has the pace of working life changed since you joined?
“One of the most notable transformations has been the acceleration of work pace. In the early days, correspondence was largely conducted through letters, with responses taking a few days to arrive, but nowadays there is a need to respond with immediacy. It was always busy even back then and deadlines have always existed, but nowadays, with instant communication, the environment has become much more fast-paced and dynamic.”
Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement during your time here?
“For me, it’s not about one major milestone, but rather the accumulation of small successes along the way. Even after 30 years, learning remains a continuous process. Each day brings a new challenge, a new piece of knowledge, or a new situation. For someone who has remained in a senior trust officer role for many years, I get a lot of satisfaction from increasing confidence in my daily responsibilities, completing a complex task, understanding a difficult process and building long-standing relationships with my clients – these achievements are important to me.”
Q: What has kept you motivated about your work over the years?
“Apart from needing to pay off the mortgage (!), I’ve always enjoyed learning and have got satisfaction from adapting to new processes and overcoming obstacles and complexities. Part of my role requires me to carry out research and I really enjoy this kind of investigatory work. I also have a really good team around me; we help and support each other on a daily basis.”
Q: Are there any particular challenges you’ve faced that have shaped your career?
“There have been many challenges along the way, and adapting to change has been one of the most significant parts of my working life. Whether it was adjusting to new regulations, learning new operating systems, or working with different teams over the years, change has been constant. Even something as simple as integrating new colleagues into the workplace after a merger requires adaptability and resilience. I suppose all of these things have played a role in shaping my professional growth.”
Q: What’s the best part of working for Summit Trust Guernsey?
“I enjoy the workplace culture at Summit Trust Guernsey – colleagues here are friendly, helpful and caring and there is a really nice vibe in the office. When dealing with the inevitable personal struggles we all face in our lives, working in a supportive and flexible environment is a huge help. Quite a few of my colleagues have been working for the company for a good few years and I have forged long-standing friendships with them. I also still meet up regularly with some colleagues who have left the company.”
Q: What do you hope for the future of the company?
“I just hope the company continues to grow in a controlled manner – we have an excellent reputation in the fiduciary sector and hopefully I will still be able to work for Summit Trust Guernsey in another 10 years or more!”
Looking to the future
As we look back on 30 years of dedication, growth, and change, it’s clear that this journey has been about more than just work—it’s been about people, relationships, and resilience. The evolution of the company, the challenges overcome, and the memories made all contribute to a legacy of commitment and excellence. With a strong foundation, a supportive team, and a culture of adaptability, the future holds even more possibilities for Summit Trust Guernsey and the wider Summit Group companies.