Christina Gates Joins Team Virteffic

That is why we are delighted to welcome Christina Gates, Senior Governance and Secretarial Officer, to Team Virteffic.

With a career spanning banking, trust administration, contentious trust work, litigation funding, fund services, corporate governance and Board-level responsibilities, Christina brings valuable experience from different sides of the Boardroom to our governance team.

But joining Virteffic was about more than the next role.

For Christina, it was an opportunity to continue working in an industry she knows well, while finding greater flexibility, exploring new areas of governance and working again with people she already knew and trusted.

A Career Built Across Financial Services and Governance

Christina’s career began in banking before she moved into the trust industry, where she spent almost two decades developing experience across trust administration, compliance, governance and complex client matters.

Over time, Christina became particularly involved in contentious trust situations, remediation projects and sensitive client structures, developing experience in navigating challenging situations with professionalism and care.

Her career later took her into the specialist finance sector, where she spent ten years working for a leading litigation funder.

During that time, Christina played a key role in establishing and managing its Jersey head office. Her responsibilities included corporate administration, asset management and Board governance, alongside working closely with corporate and fund service providers across different jurisdictions.

The role gave Christina valuable insight into professional services from the client’s perspective, as well as practical experience of the work required to support Boards, directors and complex organisational structures.

Most recently, Christina worked as a director within a Jersey fund services business, further developing her experience of regulated environments, corporate governance and Board decision-making.

Bringing a Boardroom Perspective

One of the strengths Christina brings to Virteffic is practical Board experience.

Having worked as an executive director, as well as in corporate administration and governance roles, Christina understands both the responsibilities sitting around the Board table and the work required behind the scenes to support effective governance.

She also brings Institute of Directors qualifications alongside her practical experience.

This provides Christina with a clear understanding of the challenges Boards face, the importance of effective governance and the practical realities of decision-making.

That experience aligns closely with Virteffic’s work across Board and Committee support, governance advisory services and Board Effectiveness Reviews.

Good governance support is not simply about completing the administration surrounding a meeting.

Experienced governance professionals understand the wider context, the responsibilities of the Board and the importance of providing clear, practical and dependable support.

For Christina, joining Virteffic provides an opportunity to apply that experience in new ways while continuing to develop professionally.

Why Virteffic

For Christina, the decision to join Virteffic was about far more than simply changing jobs.

After building a successful career spanning three decades across banking, trust administration, specialist finance and funds, Christina found herself reflecting on what she wanted from the next chapter of her professional life.

Alongside her career, Christina had also experienced an important change in her personal life, becoming a mum to her daughter, Hope.

Like many experienced professionals, Christina wanted to continue doing meaningful, challenging and rewarding work while also having the flexibility to be present for the moments that matter outside work.

As Christina explains:

“I reached a point where professionally something had to change in order for me to continue getting joy from both my work and my family life.”

Rather than stepping away from the industry she enjoyed, Christina wanted to find an environment where she could continue contributing her experience, keep developing professionally and remain closely involved in governance and Board work, while creating a better balance for her family’s needs.

Virteffic offered that opportunity.

Having previously worked with Tess Price and Claudette Taylor, Christina was already familiar with the professionalism, values and people-first approach behind the business.

She had also followed Virteffic’s development for a number of years, watching the business expand its work across governance support, Board Effectiveness Reviews, professional training and strategic Board support.

“Knowing what I know about Tess and Claudette, and having followed Virteffic for years, I already knew it was a fantastic business. I’ve loved seeing the direction it has taken and the focus on governance, Board effectiveness and training.”

For Christina, the combination of professional challenge, flexibility, continuous learning and the opportunity to work alongside experienced governance professionals made Virteffic a natural fit for the next stage of her career.

“What really appealed to me was being able to continue doing the work I enjoy, continue developing professionally and continue contributing, while also having the flexibility I need as a mum. Finding an environment where I could do both was incredibly important.”

First Impressions of Virteffic

Although Christina had followed Virteffic’s journey from a distance, joining the business provided a new perspective.

One of the things that impressed Christina most during the first few weeks was the calibre and diversity of the organisations that trust Virteffic to support their governance activities.

“Before joining, I thought I had a good understanding of the type of organisations Virteffic worked with. What has genuinely surprised me is the calibre of clients and the level of trust they place in the team. These are first-class organisations, and it has been incredibly impressive learning more about the work Virteffic delivers and the clients we support.”

For Christina, this reflects the quality of the relationships Virteffic has built and the reputation the team has developed across the Channel Islands and beyond.

Looking Ahead

As Christina settles further into the team, she is particularly looking forward to working directly with clients, supporting Board and Committee meetings and contributing to Board Effectiveness Reviews.

Christina is also interested in becoming involved with the Virteffic Academy and supporting the delivery of governance training and professional development initiatives.

Having spent much of her career learning, mentoring and supporting others, she is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experience through training, workshops and client support.

Welcome to Team Virteffic, Christina

Christina brings extensive governance knowledge, practical Boardroom experience and an understanding of professional services from different sides of the client relationship.

We are delighted to have Christina as part of Team Virteffic and look forward to seeing her experience, knowledge and judgement contribute to our work with clients.

Welcome to Team Virteffic, Christina.