Citywealth Leaders List, 60 second interview – Rhea Rughani, Child & Child

Date: 04 Mar 2026

Karen Jones

This week’s 60 seconds Citywealth Leaders List interview is dedicated to Rhea Rughani, Partner and Head of Private Wealth at Child & Child.

Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role.

Much of my work involves helping international families navigate complex cross-border issues while ensuring their long-term objectives are preserved for future generations. I head up the Private Wealth team at Child & Child. I joined the firm in July 2022 and was appointed Partner in summer 2023. I advise high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices and entrepreneurs on UK estate and succession planning, trusts, tax structuring and lifetime wealth planning.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Lively and fast-paced. I usually start the day by reviewing my emails and setting out a trusted to-do list. The rest of the day tends to be a mixture of catching up with the team, advising clients and coordinating with other advisers. We work closely with other departments too, our Tax and Family teams especially. This will be followed by a speedy lunch before diving back into meetings and drafting. I like to meet my clients face-to-face whenever possible, either in our offices in the heart of London, or in a more relaxed setting.

Tell us about some recent, interesting client instructions/requests you have received.

Many of our clients face complexity around cross-border tax rules, differing succession regimes and evolving family dynamics. Our role is to map risk, align structures with the family’s values and governance, and coordinate advice across multiple jurisdictions. We also focus on ensuring documentation is clear, practical and future-proofed.

We recently assisted a family office by advising on overseas trust structures. This involved integrating a property purchase into the trust and restructuring the company portfolio. Our work included reviewing existing trust documents, providing tax advice on the implications, coordinating with overseas advisers, drafting supplemental documents, and preparing a will and Lasting Powers of Attorney for the client.

What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping your clients to overcome them?

A key challenge is uncertainty around tax changes and potential budget measures. Long-term UK residents in particular are navigating shifting rules and assessing how these may affect their personal and family wealth planning. We support clients by modelling different scenarios, reviewing existing structures and ensuring planning remains robust yet flexible as the landscape evolves. It is also important to keep pace with ongoing changes and regularly review clients’ objectives to ensure their planning continues to reflect their circumstances and long-term goals.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Completing the STEP Diploma whilst navigating the depths of life with a newborn baby. I completed my fourth and final exam (taxation of trusts and estates) whilst my baby was nine weeks old. It was a demanding period but incredibly rewarding to qualify as a trusts and estates practitioner.

What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?

Sound judgement, the ability to listen, clarity of communication and empathy. A strong leader also needs the courage to make timely decisions while empowering others to grow and succeed.

Who do you most admire and why?

I most admire leaders who combine intellectual rigour with humility, people who build strong teams, support those around them and lead with integrity. In professional services, those qualities are what ultimately create lasting success.

Where was the last place you travelled to for work or pleasure?

My most recent trip was to Val d’Isère for a quick ski break. There was no business conducted in the Alps, but I can safely say I returned more tired than when I left.

If you weren’t in this industry, what else might you be doing?

If I was not in law, I would probably be building a small hospitality brand, somewhere centred around great coffee, good wine and an excellent library. A place where people can slow down and enjoy conversation.

How do you relax after a long day?

A glass of red wine and my head buried deep into a crime novel. Failing that, it is in the kitchen baking something to go with a good cup of coffee.

If you could recommend one person in the private wealth industry who would it be, and what would you say about them? 

I would recommend Christine Lagarde. She has shown exceptional leadership across global financial institutions and has navigated complex economic challenges with clarity and resilience. I also admire her as a woman in positions of significant influence, demonstrating that strong, thoughtful leadership at the highest levels of finance and policy can help inspire the next generation of women leaders.

Subscribe to the Citywealth Weekly Newsletter to learn more about Private Wealth Management.

Read more:

Child & Child appoints Susie Barter as Head of Family Law

Future Leaders – Results Original | Citywealth | winners and results