Döhle Corporate and Trust Services Ltd is the result of the merger of Vantage Corporate Services Ltd and Corsiom Corporate Services, which have joined forces with the Peter Döhle group – with which both already had been affiliated, albeit separately – “to create an international brand with…multi-jurisdictional reach”, the companies said in a joint statement announcing the merger.
The newly-formed company aims to specialise in managing corporate and trust structures on behalf of multi-national corporations, high net worth individuals and their advisers, with a clientele “weighted toward” but not limited to “a maritime and luxury asset proposition”, according to its website.
Other areas of expertise include commercial property structuring and investment management.
Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG is a privately-held, Hamburg-based shipping company headed up by Jochen Döhle, the son of the company’s founder, and Christoph, his cousin. The two share 53rd place on the most recent annual ranking of the "100 most influential people" in the global shipping industry compiled by Lloyds List, the shipping industry journal. According to Lloyds, Peter Döhle runs a fleet of more than 400 vessels, "including containerships, bulk carriers and multi-purpose vessels", and it "may very well be the largest tramp owner in Germany".
The merger between Vantage Corporate Services and Corsiom Corporate Services took place over the past three months, during which an unspecified number of new employees joined the company, the statement announcing the merger said.
On the Isle of Man, Döhle Corporate and Trust Services is located in the Fort Anne area of Douglas.
Company director Paul Swindale said the merger and rebrand had “combined the different skill sets of Vantage and Corsiom to form a stronger, more sophisticated offering”.
Growth in maritime services industry
The merger and rebranding of the two corporate services providers under the branding of the Peter Döhle Group comes as the Isle of Man is looking to boost its presence in the specialist area of yacht registration and related shipping industry. Last month, the government announced that the island’s ship registry would be able to begin accommodating vessels with ownership structures in Monaco or Switzerland, following legislative changes approved by Tynwald.
"This is a strategic move in terms of superyachts, which was brought about in answer to requests by the yacht industry on the Isle of Man, which sees great potential for new business opportunities in these changes," the government said in a statement.
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