Onur Sümer, Managing Partner of GSC International, outlines how his personal priorities shape his professional outlook and explains the rapid changes affecting the investment‑migration sector.
Weekend focus
- Prioritises family time with his wife and daughter after a week of extensive travel.
- Enjoys good food, wine, cigars, and occasional short trips to reset his perspective.
Business goals for the year
- Global expansion – deepen GSC International’s presence and partnerships across Europe, the Middle East, Canada, and Asia.
- Strengthen investment‑migration services – evolve from processing residence or citizenship applications to acting as a long‑term strategic legal partner for internationally mobile families, entrepreneurs, and investors.
- Maintain boutique character while scaling – preserve personal relationships, accessibility, and trust as the firm grows internationally.
Current biggest concern
- Regulatory volatility – investment migration is increasingly intertwined with compliance, banking, tax, source‑of‑funds scrutiny, and geopolitical factors.
- Professional firms must not only keep pace with changes but also anticipate them to ensure advice remains sound across multiple jurisdictions.
Industry shift observed
- The market is moving away from the traditional “second‑passport” model.
- Clients now view residence and citizenship as components of broader strategies that include mobility, tax planning, asset protection, succession, education, and international business.
- Governments, banks, and regulators are applying heightened scrutiny, favouring multidisciplinary professional firms over purely transactional migration providers.
Reflections on firm development
- Missed timing: Sümer wishes the firm had internationalised earlier, establishing structured presences and recruiting international professionals sooner. He notes that relationships, reputation, and institutional knowledge require long‑term investment, and an earlier start would have generated significant compounding value.
- Proudest moments: Long‑term client relationships that extend beyond the original application, including referrals of the next generation, signal the firm’s success as a trusted counsel rather than just a service provider.
Five‑year outlook
- GSC International aims to become a fully integrated international boutique with strong teams in several strategic jurisdictions, focusing on entrepreneurs, investors, and globally mobile families.
- Sümer expects to spend more time on strategy, relationships, and complex cross‑border matters while delegating day‑to‑day operations to the next generation of his team, ultimately allowing him to “protect his weekends a little better.”
Source article: www.imidaily.com
