A Single Family Office (SFO) is a private organisation established to manage the financial, operational and personal affairs of one ultra-high-net-worth family. It is funded by that family alone, answers only to them and integrates investment management, tax, property, philanthropy, governance and household operations under a single reporting line.
In-house investment management across public and private markets
Tax planning, structuring and cross-jurisdictional compliance
Trust, legal and governance coordination with external counsel
Property, estate and household operations oversight
Philanthropic strategy and grant administration
Next-generation education and family governance
Consolidated reporting to the Principal and family members
Single Family Offices are established by ultra-high-net-worth Principals and families whose wealth, complexity and appetite for integrated control justify dedicated infrastructure. Common triggers are a liquidity event, an inheritance, a move into direct investing, or the decision to bring oversight of tax, property and philanthropy under one roof rather than across external advisers.
An SFO is led by a Family Office Director or CEO, with a CIO, CFO, Chief of Staff, Director of Operations and an administrative team scaled to the family's needs. Reporting runs directly to the Principal or a family council under a defined governance charter. Compensation across every seat is benchmarked in the Family Office Salary Guide 2026.
An SFO serves one family exclusively: every policy, hire and investment decision is calibrated to them. A Multi-Family Office serves several families under one firm, pooling investment, tax and reporting infrastructure to deliver institutional discipline at lower cost, at the expense of bespoke control. The decision between the two structures is a trade-off between control and cost.
Engage Oplu when the family is building or rebuilding the office and needs senior hires across investment, operational and administrative functions. The first hire matters most: it sets governance, tone and future hiring. Our Family Office practice scopes each seat against the family's strategy before search and runs retained processes for every senior appointment.
Managing Director
For employers
Building or staffing a single family office?
Oplu recruits the senior team around principals, from first hire to full office.
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