Understanding the Unique and Often Sensitive Needs of High-Value People and Families — From Two Decades of Discreet, Global Support.

Working with affluent families has been at the heart of my career for more than two decades, and it’s a space I’ve come to value deeply. I began in personal and family security, where trust, judgement, and discretion were non-negotiable. But over the years, something interesting happened. These families started relying on me for far more than physical protection. I became a trusted advisor, a problem-solver, and in many cases, the person they could count on when everything else around them was moving quickly.

What drew me to this world wasn’t the scale of responsibility—it was the depth of the relationships. I’ve supported well-known celebrities, high-profile executives, and public-facing figures, and while those roles had their place, the environment was very different. There is an intensity to fame: constant visibility, intrusive attention, and the reality of dealing with paparazzi and people who don’t always have good intentions. I was effective in that world, but I didn’t find it fulfilling.

Working with private families was different. Many of them, despite significant wealth, don’t seek attention. They value privacy. They value normality. And they value having someone they trust to help them navigate a world that, at their level, is far more complicated than it appears. The risks they face are real—sometimes more complex than those in the public eye—but far less understood. That’s where my experience became genuinely valuable: helping them understand the landscape around them, and supporting them in a way that brings calm, clarity, and structure.

And that support almost never revolves around visible security.

Most families don’t want a protective presence shadowing them throughout the day. They prefer a quieter approach—structured protocols, trusted staff, discreet oversight, and the confidence that someone is thinking several steps ahead. Modern security is not about bodyguards at the door; it’s about good information, good systems, and good people. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive, and about building a support structure that blends intelligence with discretion.

But this isn’t really an article about security.

It’s about understanding people.

Every family is different. Their expectations, their values, the way they communicate, the way they define privacy—it all varies. What remains constant is the need for a partner who understands them not as clients, but as individuals. Someone who doesn’t need every detail explained. Someone who notices the nuance in what they’re asking for. That’s what we’ve built at Ascot Privé.

We’re not a “service provider.”

We’re the people who sit with the family, understand the dynamics, and know how to support them without ever making noise.

Too many providers see wealthy families as transactions. They chase opportunities, overpromise, overcharge, and underdeliver. I’ve seen it happen repeatedly. Families hire a private chef, only to discover they weren’t vetted. They bring in a villa rental broker and end up exposed. They trust a contractor at a holiday home who turns out to be unreliable. At a certain point, these families don’t just want help—they want someone who truly cares about protecting their world.

That’s where we come in.

We’ve become the link between families and the people around them. We verify, vet, and ensure that the services they rely on actually match the quality they expect. Sometimes that means sourcing the right driver in Paris. Other times, it means overseeing contractors at a Caribbean residence. Often, it means coordinating international travel in a way that aligns with the family’s privacy standards and expectations. Our goal is always the same: remove friction, and replace it with trust.

One family I supported early in my career stands out. They had two young children and growing concerns across their home, travel, and staffing. What started as a security review quickly became something far more integrated. Before long, I was overseeing their East Coast residence, travel schedules, and staff alignment. They were members of a high-end lifestyle service at the time, but within months, they realised that what I delivered—quietly, carefully, and consistently—covered everything they actually needed.

That experience became the seed for what is now Ascot Privé. A company built not on volume, but on value. Not on marketing, but on experience. Not on transactions, but on trust.

And as our company has grown, so has our understanding of what families truly need. Many have multiple properties across continents. Each residence has staff, vendors, contracts, and systems—but often very little oversight. Who vetted the staff? Who has access to alarms, cameras, and personal documents? Who ensured the contractors walking through the home were trustworthy?

These are the questions that matter.

Because when it comes to wealth, the assets themselves matter less than the people entrusted to protect and manage them.

That’s what we bring: quiet capability, steady support, and the experience to understand what really matters.

Our process has always been straightforward—assess, plan, provide. It ensures every family receives tailored support that fits their lifestyle, rather than the other way around. If something isn’t within our scope, we’ll say so. When it is, we see it through from start to finish.

Because in this world, trust isn’t built through promises.

It’s built through behaviour.

When we say we’ll do something, we do it.

Not for a contract—but for the family behind it.

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Glen Burton

Chief Executive Officer

For confidential inquiries or to learn more about how Ascot Privé can support you, your family, or your organisation, please contact:

globaldesk@ascotprive.com

New York: (+1) 646 499 3680

Abu Dhabi: (+971) 52 726 4101

Ascot Privé is a global advisory firm built around four integrated pillars — Risk Consulting & Advisory, Protective Support & Integration, Training & Readiness, and Stress Testing & Assessments. We deliver discreet, expert led support across residence, travel, and business, and remain trusted for our oversight at high-level events worldwide.