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Richard Johnston
Head of Tax and Operations at Wren House Infrastructure Management Limited
Professional Background
Richard Johnston boasts an extensive career in taxation and the structuring of real estate funds, characterized by his comprehensive understanding of international infrastructure investments. With years of experience in the field, he has developed a profound specialization in managing due diligence processes, significantly contributing to the viability of large-scale investment projects across various jurisdictions. As the current Head of Tax and Operations at Wren House Infrastructure Management Limited, Richard is at the forefront of steering critical financial strategies that impact institutional investments in infrastructure and real estate.
Prior to his role at Wren House, Richard held significant positions at prestigious firms including EY (Ernst & Young). During his tenure as Tax Director at EY, he honed his expertise in navigating complex tax legislation and corporate tax compliance, focusing particularly on the implications of BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) for institutional investors. His leadership in managing the tax affairs of investment managers has been instrumental in developing strategies that are compliant with current regulatory frameworks while maximizing business efficiency.
Richard’s career trajectory showcases a pattern of upward mobility through various high-impact roles, including Senior Tax Manager at EY and Tax Manager positions at firms such as CMS Cameron McKenna and Ernst & Young LLP. He started his journey as a Tax Assistant at both KPMG and Friends Provident, gradually building the expertise that would later define his career. His strategic insights into partnership tax issues have made him a valued advisor to legal firms operating in Europe and BRIC countries.
Education and Achievements
Richard Johnston's academic foundation was laid at the prestigious University of Oxford, where he studied Physics. This rigorous scientific training has undoubtedly contributed to his analytical approach to tackling complex tax scenarios and structuring investment solutions. Prior to his university education, Richard attended Bradford Grammar School, where he developed a strong educational grounding that has supported his career in finance and taxation.
His professional achievements are numerous, including the successful management of corporation tax compliance and resolution of HMRC inquiries, which have bolstered the financial integrity of the organizations he has been part of. Richard’s proactive approach to tax strategy, including FAS109 and IAS 12 deferred tax provisioning, underscores his ability to manage tax matters with a view toward future developments in tax laws and regulations.
Notable Expertise
Richard's areas of expertise are as diverse as they are specialized:
- Taxation and Structuring of Real Estate Funds: Richard is known for his adeptness at structuring tax-efficient frameworks for real estate investments, ensuring compliance with complex tax regulations while fostering growth opportunities for global investors.
- Due Diligence for International Investments: His experience in managing due diligence processes guarantees that investment decisions are informed by thorough tax analysis, particularly in the dynamic sectors of infrastructure and real estate.
- Managing Institutional Response to BEPS: Richard has taken a lead role in helping institutions adapt to evolving tax landscapes, particularly in response to regulatory changes stemming from BEPS initiatives. His understanding of these issues equips firms with strategies that safeguard against risks associated with international taxation.
- Comprehensive Tax Services: He provides an all-encompassing tax service that includes VAT, direct taxes, and employment taxes to large businesses, demonstrating his versatility and thorough knowledge in multiple tax domains.
tags':['Taxation','Real Estate Funds','International Investments','Due Diligence','Corporate Tax Compliance','HMRC Enquiries','Tax Strategies','BEPS Management','Investment Manager Tax Affairs','VAT Services','Direct Taxes','Employment Taxes','Tax Assistant Experience','Tax Structuring','Oxford University','Bradford Grammar School','Wren House Infrastructure','EY Tax Director','CMS Cameron McKenna'],
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
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Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
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User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.