Citywealth Leaders List interview: 60 seconds with Anthony Whatling, Alvarez & Marsal Tax

Date: 12 Feb 2025

Karen Jones

This week’s 60-second piece is dedicated to Anthony Whatling, Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal Tax.

Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role.

I am a Managing Director in the Private Capital tax team at Alvarez & Marsal in London.   My role involves advising private clients on all aspects of their personal tax affairs.   My client base consists of international ultra-high net worth individuals, family offices,  business owners and financial services executives.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day.  Before my very first day as a professional, I wondered how people could possibly fill an 8-hour working day. Many years later I have come to accept that 8 hours is never enough.   Typically I will start my day by catching a bus from home with my oldest son to make sure he leaves the house on time, and getting to my desk by 8am.   I normally start each day with a clear plan of what I want to achieve, but almost certainly something urgent will come up.   My day job involves staying in touch with my clients and team, solving problems and expecting the unexpected.   

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

Unsurprisingly, we have had a number of requests from clients about the non-dom changes or the changes to inheritance tax rules in the past few months.   One particular instruction was from a family-owned business whose owners were deeply concerned about the restrictions to business relief given the age and profile of the shareholders.   Being able to add value in cases like this is so rewarding for the team.

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

For my clients, the biggest challenge today is probably uncertainty.   We have fundamental changes to the tax rules that we know are coming (such as the non-dom changes, and restrictions to IHT reliefs).  A key part of our role is to help guide our clients through uncertainty  – helping them understand how their business, assets and families might be impacted, and then working with them to see whether they should be taking any appropriate steps in response.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

In terms of my career progression, being appointed Head of Department in one of my previous firms was definitely a high point.  It was a great honour to be asked to take on a senior leadership position.  

In terms of client projects, I have been lucky to work alongside some fascinating high-profile clients.  Spending time with inspirational, successful people is a real privilege.   However, the specific client projects that I am proudest of are the ones that really stretched me because they were so different to my normal job.  One that always stands out is when I spent three months leading a project team where our client was a private bank.   We had to work on the client site the whole time, and my team had a mix of very different specialisms.  The project was a success and I learned so many new skills during that time. 

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

There are so many attributes that a good leader needs.   You need to be compassionate, empathetic, a good communicator.  But to my mind, if you are not authentic and genuinely passionate about what you are doing, it is very difficult to bring the team with you.  

Who do you most admire and why?

I have thought about this question a lot.   I have had some great bosses through my career, and I have tried to learn from each of their key strengths as I have developed throughout my career.   But, in terms of the person who constantly amazes me and who makes me want to be better every day, then it is my wife.

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

Actually, I have just returned from the A&M Global Tax MD offsite in Orlando.  A great few days to connect and collaborate with my colleagues from our various offices across the world.

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

I would like to think I would be an adventurer. Possibly a professional ultra-runner travelling through the wilderness, living off the land.  However, my sensible nature and aversion to risk means I would most likely have become an auditor.

How do you relax after a long day?

I spend time with my children and I like to unwind by exercising when I can. I also have a weakness for bad TV, murder mysteries and quiz nights.

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