IMI has named Jeffrey Henseler the winner of the IMI Person of the Year Award for 2025.
The IMI Person of the Year award is given to an investment migration practitioner who:
- broke new ground in the market;
- displayed remarkable achievements;
- materially advanced the industry’s interests; and
- otherwise made a notable and positive contribution to the community.
IMI Pro members nominate candidates from which IMI’s editorial board, in consultation with our senior advisors and IMI Official Partner company heads, select a winner.
IMI Person of the Year 2025: Jeffrey Henseler
Jeffrey Henseler has opened the door to a new era in investment migration. It is an era in which multiple citizenship moves from being an exclusive privilege of the wealthy to becoming accessible to the global middle class.
As we have often argued, governments tend to treat their citizens better when people have the freedom to choose their allegiance. Jeffrey’s tireless effort has set in motion a domino effect that could make that freedom a reality for millions.
His achievement is all the more remarkable given his age. At just thirty, he has already done more to reshape the investment-migration industry than many accomplish in a lifetime.
Together with his team, Jeffrey spearheaded the first citizenship-by-investment program priced below US $100,000 in more than three decades. Adjusted for inflation, it is likely the most affordable formal CBI program in the industry’s history. Breaking the psychological US $100,000 barrier is a milestone that could blaze a trail for others to follow.
Lowering the cost of CBI is the single most important step in making multiple citizenship accessible to far more people. The wider that access becomes, the freer the world can be.
The new São Tomé & Príncipe CIP is also innovative in its structure:
- It is the first program to have a citizenship-by-investment unit operated by the private sector, which promises faster processing, greater efficiency, and closer responsiveness to market feedback.
- Its CIU is located in Dubai, the de facto capital of the investment-migration industry, radically reducing the distance between investors, their advisers, and the program’s authorities.
- This model demonstrates that a CIU can be based where the clients are, rather than where the passport is issued, and it is likely to inspire other countries to consider similar setups in key source markets.
Jeffrey Henseler has shown that innovation in investment migration is not limited to the programs themselves but can also extend to how those programs are administered.
Philippe May, Founder and CEO of EC Holdings, praised Henseler’s accomplishment, especially as a Swiss national: “His achievements are remarkable from an industry perspective, no doubt. But what I like to tell you is that they’re probably even more remarkable from a Swiss perspective.”
May explained that “Switzerland does not create a lot of entrepreneurs. It creates a lot of heirs and managers and concierge, but not business leaders, not entrepreneurs, not really startups.”
He noted that there are “very few bright minds, farsighted people who have the courage to go and set up their own business and do it successfully.”
“From that angle, the success, the achievements of Jeffrey are truly outstanding, and I’m no longer Swiss, but I’m glad we have a young Swiss man like this, and I hope we have many more in the industry.”
Hakan Cortelek, Founder and CEO of Beyond Global Partners, praised Henseler’s drive and growth: “He actually learned from every one of us, and he also taught us along the way. So, for that, I want to congratulate him.”
Eric G. Major, Founder and CEO of Latitude Residency & Citizenship, said he is “so happy” for what Henseler has accomplished, and that “it’s a hell of an achievement.”
Major emphasized the speed of Henseler’s success: “When you told me today that it took you roughly 18 months from the moment you first interacted to getting this to market, I was so jealous. I mean, some of these things take decades sometimes to get into the light. So well done. You’ve obviously put in a lot of effort.”
Major says Henseler has “got that Swiss determination, precision, hard work, and focus. I’m really not surprised to see you here. And I wish you all the best.”
Stephen Barnes, Founder and Managing Director of Hong Kong Visa Centre, emphasized the rarity of Henseler’s accomplishment: “Congratulations on the much-deserved reward. The thing to remember about this is that there are so very few professionals in this space that are actually capable of pulling something like this off.”
Barnes, who also managed to design a CBI program in Sierra Leon, acknowledged Henseler’s quick rise: “You know, I’ve been at the game for 32, 33 years, and it took me 30 years to finally arrive at a point where my talent was recognised to be invited to participate in the design of a program. You’re half my age. That’s a major, major accomplishment, and you should feel very proud of yourself for that.”
Barnes concluded by praising Henseler’s character: “I think also the fact is that you are an individual of integrity. It’s clear that the 18 months that it took you to navigate the process were normal for these types of program, but you were going to get there in the end because of who you are.”
