Acquarius Trust Company Limited has been accredited as a STEP Employer Partner, recognising the firm’s commitment to professional learning, development and high standards within Gibraltar’s trust and corporate services sector.
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The accreditation follows a review by STEP, the global professional body for practitioners advising families across generations. Its Employer Partnership Programme recognises organisations that demonstrate a structured commitment to learning and development, professional standards and the continued growth of their people.
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For Acquarius, the accreditation reflects an approach that has long sat at the centre of the firm’s work. Professional development is not treated as a standalone exercise, but as part of the way the firm manages fiduciary responsibility, client service and operational oversight.
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Founded in 1998, Acquarius provides private client and corporate services from Gibraltar, including trust and company administration, accounting, payroll and fiduciary services. The firm’s work often involves long-term structures, sensitive client arrangements and close collaboration with professional advisers. In that context, the knowledge, judgement and professional development of the team are essential.
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STEP’s assessment highlighted Acquarius’ values-led approach to learning and development, with professional learning embedded into the firm’s fiduciary practice, ethical culture and risk management framework. The review also recognised the firm’s senior oversight, its alignment with STEP’s professional values and its commitment to continuing professional development.
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Acquarius’ Learning & Development Policy supports employees through funded professional qualifications, including STEP, paid study and exam leave and structured CPD requirements. Managers also play an active role in supporting development through regular one-to-one conversations, performance discussions and competency frameworks.
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This matters because trust and corporate services rely on more than technical processes. They require informed judgement and an ability to apply professional knowledge to real client circumstances. A strong learning culture helps ensure that individuals continue to build the capability and confidence needed to support complex, long-term arrangements.
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The assessment also noted Acquarius’ emphasis on employee ownership of learning, practical application to live client work, transparent career pathways and a supportive onboarding environment. These are important features of a professional services firm where knowledge needs to be developed, shared and applied consistently across the team.
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Quote from Gareth Cross, Chief Operating Officer:

“We are very proud to have been accredited as a STEP Employer Partner. For us, this recognition is about more than training. It reflects the standards we want to uphold as a firm and the responsibility we have to invest properly in our people. In our sector, professional development directly supports the quality of advice, administration and oversight that clients and advisers rely on. This accreditation gives external recognition to something we have worked hard to embed across Acquarius.”
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Acquarius’ accreditation also strengthens its wider relationship with STEP and the professional community. As an Employer Partner, the firm joins a network of organisations focused on improving learning and development across the trust and estate profession. This provides access to further resources, insight and opportunities for collaboration.
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The accreditation comes at an important point in Acquarius’ development. As an independent, senior-led Gibraltar firm, Acquarius continues to focus on well-governed structures, long-term relationships and practical support for advisers. Professional learning plays a central role in that approach, helping the team maintain the standards expected in a highly regulated and relationship-led environment.
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For Acquarius, joining the STEP Employer Partnership Programme is therefore both a recognition of progress and a commitment to keep investing in the professional capability of its people. That investment supports the firm’s ability to serve clients with care and continuity, while contributing to the strength of Gibraltar’s professional services sector.

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