The roles of estate & hospitality managers (EHMs) and lifestyle managers (LMs) are steadily gaining recognition as occupations under family offices, a business model emerging on the African continent.
A family office is essentially a company, often family-owned, that manages a family’s wealth and other family-related matters. It is also often regarded as a private wealth management firm that caters to the unique needs of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, offering personalised services beyond traditional financial institutions.
The firm is usually designed to oversee various aspects of a wealthy family’s life, including financial management, property administration, investments, philanthropy, personal security, and lifestyle curation; and is driven by a rising number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) globally, including Nigeria.
Why it matters
Despite their widespread success internationally, a PwC report notes that family offices remain an underexplored opportunity for Nigeria’s affluent families.
According to a KPMG report, they operate as an asset holding structure like a trust, or a trusted advisor such as a lawyer or accountant becoming directly employed by the family to help manage things.
Others are, a director or other employee of the family business being asked to help with the family’s personal assets, stand- alone entity employing a team of investment professionals and other specialists, or a member of the family taking full time responsibility for managing the family’s assets.
Some examples of family offices in Nigeria are the TY Danjuma Office, Heirs Holding, Tengen Family Office, and Heirs Holding Office.
Raphael Mayor Patrick, a Nigeria-based hospitality consultant and managing director of Greipr, emphasises the importance of recognising roles within family offices within Nigeria’s hospitality industry.
According to him, the sector must pivot from traditional hospitality roles, rooted in hotels, resorts, and restaurants, to accommodate the bespoke demands of private estates and personal service ecosystems.
These roles demand a mindset attuned to luxury, a strong grasp of confidentiality, an understanding of estate management, and the emotional intelligence to operate discreetly in high-net-worth environments.
Lifestyle manager (LM)
The lifestyle manager is not just a personal assistant; but the architect of a high net-worth individual’s (HNI) personal experience. They anticipate needs, curate travel and wellness experiences, oversee event planning, manage luxury purchases, and ensure every detail of the client’s life runs smoothly with discretion and sophistication. It is hospitality at the highest, most personalized level.
Estate and hospitality manager (EHM)
Estate and hospitality managers (EHM)oversees all physical assets, residences, vacation homes, private jets, yachts, while maintaining world-class hospitality service standards akin to the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons.
They manage personal staff, maintenance schedules, renovations, security, and vendors, and ensure that each property operates like a perfectly tuned luxury resort. Simply put, LM manages the experience, EHM manages the infrastructure.
Both roles demand a rare blend of operational expertise, discretion, attention to detail, and the kind of guest-first thinking ingrained in true hospitality professionals.
