EXPERIENCE

Nick Joseph

Founder

After more than 25 years as a Cayman Island’s lawyer specialising in regulatory matters, including the provision of advice in respect of immigration and employment matters, and an emphasis on relocation, Nick is the Founder of Reside. Nick’s career as an Attorney-at-Law spanned two law firms.  In each case he formed and led the Cayman Business Teams specialising in assisting individuals already settled in these Islands, as well as those who choose to make the Cayman Islands the place to live and raise their families, and in which, and from which, to conduct business. He is well known and respected for his extensive knowledge of the workings of Cayman’s Immigration rules and regulations. A lifelong resident of the Cayman Islands and admitted Attorney-at-Law since 1997, Nick was educated in the Cayman Islands, United Kingdom, United States, and France.   He is passionate about Cayman, its culture and its people and is enthused by many of the remarkable people who choose to settle and to make the Islands their home for the benefit of themselves and those already here. Although Nick continues to be a lawyer, that role is separate and aside from his position with Reside. Nick is an Accredited Mediator and Notary Public.  He has served on a range of Government committees which include the Adoption Board, the Investors in People Committee, The Local Companies (Control) Law Review Committee and the Financial Services Subcommittee on Immigration. He has also sat as Technical Advisor to the Immigration Review Team, and as the Deputy Chairman of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee in 2014 when the minimum wage was first introduced to the Cayman Islands. Nick has also served as a Member of Council of the Caymanian Bar Association, as well as Treasurer and Secretary of that organisation for multiple terms. Nick is a guest lecturer at the Truman Bodden Law School assisting with the education and qualification of law school graduates seeking to pass the Professional Practice Course toward qualification as a Cayman Islands Attorney-at-Law. He frequently leads seminars for the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce and The Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals helping to equip business persons and HR professionals with the knowledge and understanding necessary to navigate aspects of Cayman’s nuanced regulatory regime.

Diana Joseph

Chief Operating Officer

Diana holds the role of Chief Operating Officer for Reside and has been instrumental in the design of its systems. She has a background in logistics and operations and has worked in both the legal and financial service sectors before establishing her own business. Originally from the UK, Diana worked in asset and property management in the City of London. After spending some time in Los Angeles, Diana moved to the Cayman Islands in 1996 and spent several years as Clerk to the late Pierre LaMontagne, QC. Following his passing, Diana assumed a role with a leading global accountancy firm where amongst other projects she worked with an international team coordinating multi-jurisdictional litigation and related discovery. For more than 15 years Diana has traded as Prism, providing business administration, project and property management services for a small and discrete number of both local and international clients, drawing on her many years of experience working on the periphery of the property and development industries. Since 2012, she has served on the Board of Directors of Jasmine, (a leading local charity providing palliative and hospice care) and is a current Vice Chair. She has served in other capacities since moving to the Islands and her roles have included several years sitting as a member of the Planning Appeals Tribunal.

Kendra Okonski

Assistant Manager

Kendra Okonski is the Assistant Manager at Reside Cayman, a role that entails recruitment, training and supervision of staff, alongside bespoke design and development of technical systems suited to Reside’s services. Kendra is an experienced communications professional, specialising in economics and public policy. Her career has spanned more than two decades working collaboratively with public policy experts and think tanks, as well as with the global news media and opinion formers. Prior to joining Reside, she worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Cayman Islands Government’s Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development. Leaning on an array of diverse technical skills, she founded the 345Robotics Foundation and actively works as a volunteer STEM/robotics educator for young people. She currently is completing a Master’s Degree in Blockchain and Digital Currency, and is the author/editor of numerous scholarly articles and books.

Sidehan Vallecillo

Administrative Assistant

Sidehan Vallecillo is our Administrative Assistant and is an integral part of the Reside team. Sidehan works collaboratively with other members of our organisation to support clients, manage the office and liaise with external agencies, including, in particular, the Office of the Deputy Governor and the Department of WORC. Sidehan facilitates all manner of administrative functions and assists in the preparation and submission of a wide range of applications. Sidehan previously worked in both the Financial Services sector and in the Development industry and brings her experience in HR and Customer Service to us. She has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.

Tara Hopwood

Client Liaison

Tara was born in Cayman and like so many of her generation, pursued opportunities in the financial services sector. With a start in banking and corporate management, she moved into private client and trusts in 2001 – and excelled, becoming a director and head of client services of a leading Trust Company, based in Geneva. Tara’s passion for client service, discretion and expertise in dealing with complex structures, often including operating businesses and charitable trusts, resulted in her nomination as Trust Officer of the year in 2018. Her experience includes vehicles with UK exposure, and the administration of generational wealth. She has been repeatedly recognised as one of the world’s best private client professionals, as a member of the London-based Citywealth Leader’s List, and a “Top 200 Powerwoman” (with her recognition coming within the highly competitive Swiss market). Tara is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, is fluent in French, and passionate about Cayman. Her role with Reside enables her to proudly connect the right people, with the right place.