Management change at Vontobel Geneva – services for private banking clients from Middle East to be provided from Geneva in future

 

Vontobel has been operating in the Geneva financial centre and in the French-speaking region of Switzerland since 1993 and successfully serves private and institutional clients from Switzerland as well as selected target markets. In summer 2013, Lionel Pilloud will be appointed the new Head of the Geneva branch – marking the transition to the next generation in the local management team. He will succeed Jean-Pierre de Glutz, who will begin his well-earned retirement. In future, the Geneva branch will also serve as a central hub for the Middle East region in particular and will thus continue to grow in importance.

 

Vontobel has named Lionel Pilloud as the new Head of its Geneva branch – marking the transition to the next generation in the local management team. This is an internal appointment: Pilloud, aged 43, has spent the last 12 years managing the Advisory business for French-speaking Switzerland within the Financial Products division. Georg Schubiger, Head of Private Banking, stated: "Lionel Pilloud has an in-depth knowledge of our areas of expertise as well as our service and advisory approach, and he understands the high expectations of our clients. He will implement and further develop our Group-wide activities in our Swiss home market as well as the cross-border initiative in the Private Banking business unit in the French-speaking region. I am delighted that we have been able to appoint such a worthy successor to Jean-Pierre de Glutz, who will begin his well-earned retirement in July 2013. On behalf of the Group Executive Management, I wish to thank Jean-Pierre de Glutz for his exceptional service over the past four years."

 

Roger Studer, Head of Investment Banking, added: "Lionel Pilloud has made a significant contribution towards the successful positioning of Vontobel as a provider of structured products in the French-speaking region of Switzerland in recent years. I would like to thank him for his great commitment and to wish him every success in his new role." The management of the Advisory team in Geneva will now be assumed by Pilloud's former deputy, Frédéric Rouiller – thus ensuring continuity and the successful further development of these activities.

 

Services for private banking clients from Middle East to be provided from Geneva in future

The Geneva financial centre is a key location for Vontobel as part of its defined home market strategy. It is also important as a central hub for selected cross-border activities in locations such as the Middle East. Georg Schubiger explained: "Our first priority is to ensure that we systematically focus on our clients. We are therefore also implementing our proven cross-border approach in Geneva – especially for wealthy private clients from the Middle East who traditionally have strong ties with the financial centre in the French-speaking region of Switzerland – and we are exiting the onshore business in Dubai. This measure will enable us to concentrate even more intensively on individual client needs, service quality and investment expertise." Zeno Staub, CEO of Vontobel, added: "We are implementing the necessary steps to put our Private Banking business unit back on a growth path. I am convinced that the direction we are taking will produce the targeted results and I have every confidence that our colleagues in Geneva, who are doing an excellent job, will continue to display the same high level of commitment in the future."

 

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