On February 24, Elizabeth Heurtematte, Founding Partner at LOVILL, participated as a panelist in the event “Preserving Wealth Across Generations in an Evolving Geopolitical World,” organized by EFG International in Panama. The panel brought together senior wealth planning and trust specialists for a conversation on the legal, structural, and human dimensions of long-term wealth preservation for entrepreneurial and high-net-worth families.
A Geopolitical Lens on Wealth Planning
The event opened with a keynote by Marc Gustafson, former Chief of Intelligence at the CIA and former Head of the White House Situation Room. His presentation set the geopolitical context for the discussions that followed. In particular, it framed the broader environment in which families and advisors are making long-term decisions about wealth, structure, and continuity.
The Panel: Preserving Wealth Across Generations and NextGen
Elizabeth joined Evgenia Goti Koukoumaki, Global Head of Wealth Planning at EFG, and Julie Collins, Managing Director and Global Head of Trust Services at EFG Bank AG. The three panelists discussed some of the most pressing issues facing entrepreneurial and high-net-worth families today. Their conversation centered on the panel “Preserving Wealth Across Generations and NextGen.”
The conversation addressed issues that define the long-term continuity of family wealth: succession planning, the role of the next generation in family business leadership, and the importance of well-structured legal and governance frameworks. Participants explored how entrepreneurial families navigate the tension between preserving a legacy and preparing the generation that will carry it forward, a challenge that is as much about family alignment as it is about legal structure.
The discussion also touched on the role of family values and intergenerational governance as foundational elements of any sustainable wealth strategy. In an environment shaped by geopolitical uncertainty and increasing cross-border complexity, the families best positioned for continuity are those that have invested in both the legal architecture and the human relationships that hold it together.
Elizabeth Heurtematte leads LOVILL’s Corporate and M&A, Banking and Finance, and Global Wealth and Private Client practices. She advises multinational companies, family offices, and private clients across the financial, real estate, and investment sectors. Her perspective on generational wealth carries particular depth. She is herself a fifth-generation member of an entrepreneurial family. That firsthand experience brings a distinct understanding to the legal and governance challenges these families navigate.
Her participation in this forum reflects LOVILL’s ongoing engagement with the international community of wealth professionals operating in and through Panama.
We thank EFG International for the invitation and for creating a space where legal, financial, and human perspectives on wealth preservation come together in a meaningful way.
