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Mercator Focus: Q1 2025 Foreword
As Mercator® by Citco (Mercator) closes the first quarter of 2025, the complexity of global entity management continues to challenge multinational organizations in unprecedented ways. From evolving Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) regulations to new Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting requirements, and from intricate jurisdictional compliance variations to transformative technological innovations, the landscape demands ever-greater sophistication in our approach to corporate governance.
In this issue of Mercator Focus, we explore these challenges through several crucial lenses. Our first article, stemming from my recent discussion on Legal 500’s Corporate Conversations podcast, delves into the intricacies of UBO compliance and its growing significance for multinationals.
We also examine the crucial role of Compliance Health Checks in establishing and maintaining robust compliance management, answering the essential questions of who should conduct them, what they should cover, why they matter, and when they should be performed. Our analysis on Croatia’s evolving ESG landscape explores the local impact of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, with particular focus on the implications of February’s new ‘Omnibus Proposals’. Completing this issue, our spotlight on Qatar offers insights on operating in one of the world’s most complex and costly jurisdictions for entity management, exploring key considerations and practical solutions for establishing and maintaining entities in this unique market.
The articles shared in this edition also reflect our ongoing dialogue with peers and industry leaders. From my recent interview with Delano Magazine on the evolving global landscape of entity management, to Chris Butler’s (Head of Operations of Mercator) exploration of trust and transparency within subsidiary governance, drawing on insights from experts at bp, GSK, and the AVEVA Group Limited, we continue to welcome and facilitate important conversations about the future of our industry.
As ever, we remain committed to providing innovative solutions that turn compliance challenges into opportunities for operational excellence. Through structured feedback and direct partnerships, we are continuously refining our solutions and technology to address growing client needs. This commitment is highlighted in our Q&A with the Van Oord’s in-house legal team, whose input proved instrumental in developing Entica®’s Ownership Chart module.
As the global entity management landscape continues to evolve, this edition of Mercator Focus aims to provide you with actionable insights and strategic perspectives. As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to continuing our partnership together.
Kariem Abdellatif
Head of Mercator by Citco, Citco C&T Holdings (Luxembourg) S.à.r.l
