Our Team

Director & Head of Research

Ashish is a member of the investment team at W8 Wealth, in collaboration with VaR Capital (where he is also Co-Founder & Head of Research ). Ashish was previously at Barclays, where he spent eight years in the Wealth Management business. He advised Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) clients and also Family Offices on wealth management corporate and investment banking. Prior to Barclays, he spent time at Jefferies, in the Debt Capital Markets business. Ashish holds a Masters in Law, LLM (International Law) from the University of Edinburgh and a MA (Economics and International Relations) from the University of St Andrews. Ashish is a CFA (Chartered Financial Advisor).

Client Liaison

Bimpe Nkontchou oversees client relationship management at W8 Advisory, as well as providing in-house legal, tax and real estate advisory support for clients.  She is a dually qualified lawyer, with over 30 years’ collective experience in England & Wales and in Nigeria respectively.  She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987 and qualified as a Solicitor in the UK in 1997.

She was previously founder and managing partner of Addie & Co. Solicitors in London, with a specialist private client department, which advised affluent African entrepreneurs on asset and wealth management issues for 16 years. She is a qualified Trust & Estate Adviser, an accredited Family Business Adviser and also holds a diploma in International Trust Management. She recently became a Member of the English Bar and a member of the Honourable Order of the Middle Temple. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments (C.I.S.I.)

Her work includes advising affluent African business owners on important issues surrounding asset and wealth management and family business succession planning.  She offers essential advice on the value of sound corporate and family governance to support the growth and continuity of the founding owner’s vision and legacy.

Director & Chief Investment Officer

Vikash leads the investment team at W8 Wealth as Chief Investment Officer which he runs alongside his important role at VaR Capital (where he is co-founder and Principal). His long career in banking included a role at Barclays Wealth, where he was part of the Key Client and Family Office team within the UK Private Bank. In addition to his focus on traditional Wealth Management, Vikash also facilitated access to the full gamut of the private bank’s capabilities, including: Corporate Banking and Investment Banking. Vikash was a member of the Investment Committee of the UK private bank, with review and final approval for investment products within the UK and European businesses.

Prior to Barclays, Vikash was at Booz & Company, providing Corporate and M&A Advisory services to some of the World’s leading financial institutions. Vikash holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon, USA and Bachelor in Engineering from Bangalore University. Vikash is a member of Board of Spirit of 2012, a not-for-profit organisation set up to keep the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics alive.

Client Liaison

Helen Ellis-Smith manages client relationships at W8 Advisory, as well as liaising with various corporate and trust services administrators and private banks on behalf of our clients. She has over 10 years’ experience supporting entrepreneurs and single-family offices, including providing oversight of their family holding vehicles, giving key input on governance, communications and managing a diverse portfolio of non-financial assets across multiple jurisdictions. Helen has a background in financial services and a keen interest in succession planning and philanthropy. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments, as well as the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP).