About Us
PROFESSIONAL WILL DRAFTING
DECEASED ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
Securing your legacy with absolute professionalism, care and efficiency.
Independent and with over 100 years of collective fiduciary experience, Appleton’s mission is to provide our clients, their dependants and beneficiaries with complete care, satisfaction and peace of mind.
At Appleton, we look after your family’s future. We are experts in drafting legally executable and tailored Wills combined with seamless and efficient deceased estate administration. Our highly qualified experts handle every detail, giving you and your beneficiaries total peace of mind.
As fiduciary specialists, Appleton has an unwavering dedication to compassionate care, operational efficiency and total compliance with the standards set by the Fiduciary Institute of South Africa (FISA).
South Africa’s premier independent Fiduciary Services Company
Who we are
Why Appleton
The Appleton Specialist Offering
Appleton Team
Executive Team and Board
Ian Kilbride
Chairman
Ian Kilbride LLB (Hons) is an experienced international businessman and the Chairman of Spirit Invest, the parent company of Cadiz. He brings to the Cadiz Board over thirty-five years of experience within financial services, working for both listed and unlisted companies and adding value variously as Chairman, Chief Executive and Non-Executive Director. Ian is an Honorary Professor at the Stellenbosch University Business School. www.iankilbride.com
Lauren Hean
Managing Director
FPSA®, Adv Dip Estate and Trusts. Lauren joined Appleton in 2016. She commenced her career in deceased estates at ABSA Trust in 2003, where she spent five years. She subsequently joined Maitland Trust in 2008 and thereafter Appleton. Widely regarded as an industry specialist, Lauren has extensive knowledge and experience in the estates field and takes great pride in what she does.
Tiaan Meyer
Financial Director
University of Stellenbosch in 2012 BAcc (Hons), CA (SA), Tiaan is Financial Director of Appleton and the Spirit Group of Companies. He started as an auditor where he gained valuable exposure across various industries from small investment firms to JSE-listed companies. Before joining Appleton, Tiaan spent five years at Woolworths in the Corporate Finance division, as Group Accountant in the Africa division growing the business across the continent.
Tim Hughes
Director
A Certified Director of the SA Institute of Directors, Tim is a graduate of the universities of Cape Town, Cambridge, Oxford and London. BA(Hons), MA(Cum Laude), MSt(Cum Laude), MSc(Cum Laude), PGDip, Cert. Dir.(SA), CMI(UK). He commenced his business career in the 1990s as an Executive Director of a JSE-listed financial services group. He later became the CEO of a UK listed entity and SA joint venture.
Ryan Magee
Chief Operations Officer
Ryan is a matriculant of Wynberg Boys’ High School. He is a University of Cape Town alumnus from where he holds multiple degrees, from an undergraduate BSocSci LOPHRM, a BSocSci Honours degree in Change Management and a Master’s degree (MSocSc) in Organisational Psychology. He has held a range of important managerial positions within the Group, leading to his promotion as Chief Operating Officer. With this depth and range of experience and understanding, Ryan is ideally positioned to lead operations with the Group.
Vannessa Nicholas
Head of Estate Administration
Vannessa holds a Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in Management, together with an Advanced Diploma in Estate and Trust Administration. She is a Fiduciary Practitioner of South Africa, holding the FPSA® designation and a member of FISA, reflecting her commitment to the highest professional standards within the fiduciary field. Her career commenced in the paralegal field where she developed a comprehensive grounding in legal processes, client engagement and attention to detail. This foundation led to her progress into specialisation in deceased estates administration, where she subsequently served for several years as an independent executor at FNB Trust Services (Pty) Ltd.
Endorsements
Hi Lauren, I would just like to thank you and your team for the fantastic job that you did in winding up my Dad’s estate. My mom, myself and the whole family all extend our heartfelt thanks. You certainly made this difficult time much easier for all of us. Kind Regards G
Hi Vannessa I would just also like to thank you and everyone involved in assisting me with this whole process. You guys were amazing and I will definitely refer you to anyone. Regards, L
Good morning, Vannessa, I just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done for us. You got everything done so quickly and professionally, and made it very stress free. You have been kind, helpful and professional and the funds paid out to me will change my life. Thank you so much, have a lovely day.🌸 Kind regards, Gillian
“Hi Lauren, we are back in Germany. We found a wonderful place close to beautiful Swedish Island for my parents (ashes). The whole family came together to say farewell to them. Thank you again for your fantastic help, we couldn’t have succeeded without you.”
Dear Lauren, Thank you for your help, constant feedback as well as patience in this matter throughout. Given the tough circumstances we had to deal with over the past 5 months, and listening to other peoples’ struggles with their estate executors, I commend you on keeping us in the loop as far as possible and trying to answer our (or rather my) 10 thousand questions in a professional and timeous manner. Bea
Dear Natasha, Thanks you to you and your colleagues for the outstanding level of service and integrity in the winding up of my late Mother’s estate. Deeply appreciated. Yours sincerely, Liz
