The WealthBriefing Swiss EAM Awards 2024 - Acclaim

ACCLAIM

RECOGNISING LEADERS AC ROSS THE GLOBAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY THROUGH THE WealthBriefing AWARDS PROGRAMME March 2024

The Fourth Annual WealthBriefing Swiss External Asset Management (EAM) Awards For Excellence 2024

Why Wealth Managers are the Ultimate Private Market Matchmakers (in partnership with Hywin Wealth & VP Bank)

This report tackles both the supply and demand for private market opportunities in both the Asia-Pacific region and globally, a topic which will continue to be hugely important for the wealth management industry as H/UHNWs seek enhanced returns and diversification in a challenging investment environment and billions of “dry powder” await deployment.

External Asset Managers in Asia - New Directions for Rapidly-Expanding Sector (in partnership with UBS)

Our second annual report examining the growth of Asia’s EAM sector, covering both the powerhouses of Singapore and Hong Kong, and emerging markets like Thailand and the Philippines. This study looks at the growth prospects for independent advisors in the round as they seek to tap the region’s booming wealth and growing client acceptance of the EAM model.

Family Office Focus: An Update of the Industry's Efficiency in Accounting and Investment Analysis (in partnership with FundCount)

A deep dive into the key technological and operational challenges facing family offices in their accounting and investment analysis activities. Based on surveys and interviews

among family offices managing over $72 billion in assets, this is an invaluable benchmarking tool for the sector which presents fascinating insights into future developments from a range of industry experts.

Applying

Artificial Intelligence in Wealth Management - Compelling Use Cases

Across the Client Life Cycle

(in partnership with Finantix & EY)

This comprehensive report identifies elements of the institution and advisor’s workloads that are ripe for AI amelioration, and points the way for firms seeking to maximise the competitive advantages offered by new technologies. AI experts and senior industry executives enrich each chapter, answering crucial questions on risk, KYC/ AML, compliance, portfolio management and more.

Decoding The Digital Landscape for UHNWIs

(in partnership with Jersey Finance)

This report explores the digitalisation of - and digital assets in - Jersey’s wealth management sector. It explores the shifting sands - both economic and regulatory - on which the digital sector rests.

Winning Women in MENA

(in partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank)

This ground breaking new research examines the growth of female

entrepreneurship in the region. More specifically it looks at how women are driving family office strategy as well as the relationship between MENA’s UHNW female clients and the wealth management industry.

Technology & Operations Trends in Wealth Management 2023

(in partnership with SS&C Advent)

This succinct yet wide-ranging report shines a light on both macro and micro trends, beginning with industry growth sentiment and ending on operating model evolution, taking in every key area of development in between. It brings together datapoints and candid comments senior executives at leading consultancies across the world’s major wealth markets to create an invaluable peer benchmarking tool.

Technology Traps Wealth Managers

Must Avoid 2023

(in partnership with EY)

With EY providing the overview, this report draws on the front-line experience of many of the technology sector’s biggest names, in recognition of the fact that they are the ones going in to solve wealth managers’ most pressing problems and have typically seen the ramifications of firms’ choices play out numerous times – not to mention in various contexts globally.

Foreword

TOM BURROUGHES Group Editor, WealthBriefing

The annual WealthBriefing Swiss External Asset Management Awards, in their fourth year, now form a key part of the world’s wealth management schedule.

The EAM sector contains a wide variety of categories, demonstrating vigour and entrepreneurial flair. It is important to salute the people who make all this happen.

A crux of the programme is the judging process. The judges are chosen for their independence, experience, and diligence. The organisers thank them for their diligence in drawing up the list of winners, and for their advice in how to improve the awards. A list of the judges can be found on the WealthBriefing website. We know from past awards how valued the awards are, and the rigour of the judging process means winning an award is a great achievement.

Awards are a great chance for winners to explain why they think they won, how they intend to remain at the forefront of the industry, and their views about challenges and opportunities.

Such a programme is also a good way for firms to promote brands and raise and sustain morale among their colleagues. Awards are, to a degree, a sign of how hard work pays off. They’re also a chance for businesses to swap ideas, view cases of best practice, and see what inspires their peers.

Awards are ultimately about the people who drive change and sustain excellence. These awards honour those qualities.

OVERVIEW OF THE SWISS EXTERNAL ASSET MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY

Since new regulations on EAMs took full force at the start of 2023, this large and diverse sector has had to adapt.

A number of small, sub-scale EAMs have merged with others, or gone out of the sector. What’s taken shape is, one hopes, more robust, better able to deliver what clients want and do so in compliant ways.

An eye-catching quality is the range of EAM categories and specialities, such as around private markets, digital assets, business catering to those seeking US exposure, or those linked to other regions.

A variety of banks, such as LGT, Lombard Odier and Barclays, for example, serve EAMs and related entities such as family offices; there are also legal, accounting, technology and consultancy businesses working in tandem with EAMs. Managers know they must outsource functions that are too costly to do in-house – rising regulatory and client demands are likely to accelerate this trend.

EAMs are often founded by people seeking to break away from large banks and become more independent. It’s therefore logical that the awards also cover the executive search and talent management fields. Talent is central to this Swiss industry. These awards honour the personal qualities that drive the sector forward.

The Judging Panel

Our global awards program is built on the independence of our judges. For the WealthBriefing External Asset Management (EAM) Awards, the judges were invited from partners in the custodian banks, technology companies and other service providers. Each judge signed an NDA to ensure that all the information they received in the submissions is kept in the strictest of confidence.

STEPHAN AEPLI Head of Independent Asset Managers

REYL & Cie

PIERRE DUPONT Managing Partner WIZE by TeamWork

NADIA BARGETZI

Deputy Head of Wealth Management

Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (Suisse) SA

ALAIN ESSEIVA CEO and Co-Founder Alpadis Group

HARRIET DAVIS Private Banker, MultiFamily Office and External Asset Management Team Barclays Private Bank, Switzerland

IAN EWART Chairman Acin Ltd

RICARDO GUTH Branch Manager CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SA

LAURENT PELLET Limited Partner, Global Head of EAM Lombard Odier

PIUS STUCKI CEO and Founder Etops AG

HASSEN JAUFEERALLY Senior Relationship Manager

The Mauritius Commercial Bank

MATHIEU SAINT-CYR Managing Director & Head of Asset Management

Tameo Investment Fund Solutions

GARY TIERNAN CEO Various

ANNE LIEBGOTT Founder & Managing Director AW+SWITZERLAND

RAY SOUDAH Chairman and Founding Partner MilleniumAssociates

FRÉDÉRIC TOSELLI Head of EAMs, Commercial and Affluent Banking Union Bancaire Privee

WINNER: INVICO Asset Management AG

WINNER: Telomere Capital

WINNER: Carmine Cammarota, Prometeia (Left)

WINNER: Sygnum Bank AG

WINNER: WIZE By TeamWork

WINNER: Wecan Group

WINNER: AlphaSwiss Partners

Offering Tangible Value For Clients

1Bobby Console Verma CEO and Co-Founder 1fs Wealth

fs Wealth is an innovative UK WealthTech company which has been featured prominently in the press for our excellence in delivering technology solutions. Our highly secure digital platform enables wealth owners to consolidate assets, control risk, manage ownership and analyse performance of their complex portfolios and family assets through the efficient use of data and technology.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part in it in the next five years?

"I see wealth management being significantly disrupted in the next 5 years through the intelligent use of technology."

If you hark back to what happened in banking at the start of the fintech revolution, I see that exact model being replicated within wealth management. Disruptive technology and data practices are bringing in efficiencies and insights, as part of a tectonic plate shift for the industry in a very positive way.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

We are a deep tech company at heart coupled with an extensive knowledge of financial products, so fusing those two components and then layering in creativity is the key to both our current success and our future success.

What makes your firm successful in your chosen field?

I feel you need to break a company down into its component parts to answer that question:

Firstly, it's having 'big picture' vision and strategic direction, which is dictated by our C-Suite. Without a very good senior management

• Client Reporting

• Philanthropy Offering Winner

team you will fail to keep up with the changes in the market you service. There's an old adage ‘you can’t see the wood for the trees’ with people often getting stuck ‘down in the weeds’ and losing sight of the bigger picture, which can waste both time and money. You need to be able to see the macro-opportunities and risks whilst also being detail oriented.

Secondly, it's about the quality of the team - without a simply amazing team you will struggle. You then need to be able to attract high quality talent on an ongoing basis. It's about finding people who will be a great fit for the culture of the company - without that, the team will not work in harmony which is essential.

Thirdly, it's about the product itself. As a company, we are constantly polling the user base from a functionality perspective - the goal being to optimise the product market fit, as we constantly strive for perfection.

Lastly, we are sticklers for good governance which helps drive efficiency across the whole company. We are proud to maintain a very high bar in this respect and to be ISO27001 compliant, along with holding many other certifications.

Where in the world do you operate - Are you mainly domestic or international?

We are international and currently operate across the UK, Europe, the Gulf region and the U.S.

What position would you like your firm to hold in its sector in 5 years time?

We have already built a reputation for providing a best in class solution that is constantly being refined, but I feel our real edge is in being creative and then following through on that creativity with an outstanding product and functionality, which provides a high return on investment.

American And Canadian Clients Are Very Welcome At Alpen Partners | Alpen Partners International

What contributed to your firm's success and winning formula?

Alpen Partners | Alpen Partners International, an independent Swiss wealth management boutique founded by Pierre Gabris, stands as a beacon of success and innovation in the field of financial advisory and global wealth management. We take pride in our ability to cater to the unique needs of American and Canadian clients, a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and compliance with local regulations.

In 2023, Alpen Partners achieved a significant milestone by obtaining the Canada License as a Portfolio Manager throughout Canada, which is complemented by our registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States as an Investment Advisor through Alpen Partners International. These regulatory achievements serve as the foundation for our ability to serve North American clients in a compliant manner, navigating their specific reporting and tax obligations in a timely manner. We have also extended our services to include citizenship and residence planning with regard to Switzerland and other preferred destinations around the world.

Our success is fueled by a team of experienced Partners serving our US and Canadian clients with comprehensive expertise and dedication. With offices strategically located in Zurich, Geneva, Lugano, and Bäch/Wollerau (headquarters), our commitment to delivering exceptional service permeates all aspects of our operations, from our hardworking Portfolio Management team to our award-winning Private Client Services team and supporting staff.

How did your colleagues contribute to your success?

Central to our success is the dedication of our Partners and team, whose years of experience working with North American clients

Pierre

Gabris Founder

Alpen Partners | Alpen Partners International

Winner

• Servicing North American Clients

have forged personal and enduring relationships. Partners travel to the US and Canada regularly to meet with clients and prospects on a very personal one-to-one level while also expanding their networks abroad. Unlike larger institutions where clients may feel like mere numbers, at Alpen Partners | Alpen Partners International, each client - many new to the global investingreceives personalised attention and guidance every step of the way.

What's your strategy to stay competitive and ahead?

Looking ahead, our strategy remains focused on investing in a highly qualified team and embracing regulatory obligations with transparency. By offering bespoke wealth management solutions tailored to our clients' evolving needs and staying ahead of industry trends, we ensure our competitiveness and ability to deliver exceptional service. For example, we also have a special desk for successful entertainers and professional athletes, which have special needs regarding their present and future financial well-being. In a fast-growing and challenging region, such as North America, we remain committed to exceeding our clients' expectations and helping them navigate the global landscape of wealth management and lifestyle choices.

What does receiving this award mean to you and your team?

Recognising these accomplishments cultivates a sense of pride and unity, underscoring that triumph is a collaborative endeavor driven by the dedication, skills, and teamwork of each member. Such recognition serves as a catalyst for our ongoing pursuit of excellence, acknowledging that our combined endeavors profoundly shape the success and standing of our organisation. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Judging Panel of the WealthBriefing Swiss EAM Awards for Excellence 2024 for honoring us with this prestigious award.

Embracing The Challenges To Succeed

Yann Labry CEO AlphaSwiss Partners

What was the winning formula of your firm/you that explains why you won?

Our proximity and long-standing relationships with our clients are the key elements. We embrace a changing and dynamic environment while always keeping our clients at the center of our attention.

This has been our key to success since the creation of AlphaSwiss ten years ago. Our service to clients and to their families goes beyond the basic professional mandate.

"The extra mile, the added value and caring for our clients as they were part of our own family has always been part of the company’s DNA."

Each request remains unique, whether financial or non-financial. We embrace the challenges and focus on finding solutions.

Our people are key elements of our success and service. A strong team spirit, sharing the same vision and setting mutual goals form the core successfully servicing our clients and families.

AlphaSwiss Partners always seeks excellence and never leaves a stone unturned to find more innovative and appropriate solutions for our clients and to get improve as an Independent Assets Manager & Multi-Family Office.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

With our open architecture, everyone contributes his/her own added value while sharing the company’s DNA. From the investment team to the relationship managers, the support, the compliance, the management or the administration –each group makes a

difference.

We always focus on getting the best out of one another’s individual strengths to shape the larger work of the team. Each of us takes part of sharing the

know-how, vision and identity of the company, whether it’s to our clients or any third party.

What sort of challenges did you surmount to reach this level and how have you been able to succeed in such fast-moving circumstances?

Markets have been difficult in many respects, so the ability to generate Alpha in difficult circumstances is certainly key.

"Clients expect results. Performance is always the bottom line. It is the most important metric. Having the vision, talent, and tools in place to deliver performance is crucial."

Who inspires you, either inside or outside your organisation?

We are inspired by excellence at all levels and in various fields. Whether it is in the field of sports, innovation, education, or any other human endeavour, we find inspiration in those persons who have pushed limits and defined new levels of achievement.

We see how the bar is raised and ask ourselves what we need to do to be regarded as Number One in our field.

How do you hope your firm will benefit from getting this award?

We value an independent, external review of the work that we do and believe that such exercises reinforce the solid foundation of trust that we have built up with clients over the years.

Alpina Capital - A Holistic Investment Approach

Alpina Capital AG

Alpina Capital, a Swiss investment manager regulated by FINMA, is committed to creating value in the financial sector through precise, sustainable, and compliancefocused strategies. Client satisfaction is at the heart of our mission. With a proven track record in asset management, Alpina Capital aims to outperform the market through institutional approaches. Owning a Luxembourg fund management company (Super ManCo) allows us to expand our internal and external services, enhancing our competitiveness in the industry.

The team at Alpina Capital is distinguished by its strong entrepreneurial acumen and shares the vision of building a service company that effectively adds value to the financial industry and thus to you as a client. Solution-oriented work with the highest precision, focusing on sustainability, are core values that are evident in every interaction with the team.

As an investment manager in Switzerland, Alpina Capital offers holistic investment solutions while following a disciplined investment approach. As a FINMA-licensed asset manager of collective investment schemes, Alpina Capital adheres to the highest international compliance standards.

With comprehensive professional investment experience and a proven track record in fund management, Alpina Capital employs multiple institutional investment strategies such as active asset allocation, manager selection, and successful stock picking to outperform the market.

Client satisfaction is an integral part of Alpina Capital's DNA, and therefore the needs and investment objectives of clients form the very basis of portfolio construction. Our top-class investment experts individually enrich the portfolio with a selection of outstanding investment opportunities and structure it in an optimal vehicle.

With the acquisition of fund management in Luxembourg, Alpina Capital is opening a new chapter and is proud to provide clients access to a fully licensed Luxembourg fund management company.

Winner

• Assets Between CHF 500 Million

- 1 Billion AuM

• Sustainable Investments Program Team

• Thematic Investment Proposition or Strategy

By extending its offering with a range of highly competitive fund management services and a solutionoriented approach to business, Alpina Capital aims to add substantial value to the fund industry.

What was the winning formula of your firm/team that explains why you won?

Alpina Capital's winning formula is based on precise, sustainable, and compliance-focused strategies. The combination of the team's strong entrepreneurial skill, a disciplined investment approach, and the ability to utilize institutional investment strategies has enabled us to outperform the market and create real value for our clients.

Please describe how your colleagues have made a difference?

Our colleagues have made a difference through their commitment to solution-oriented work, the highest precision, and sustainability. Their ability to identify individual and outstanding investment opportunities and structure these in optimal investment vehicles has significantly strengthened our competitiveness.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and distinguish yourself from the competition?

To stay competitive, Alpina Capital will continue to rely on innovative investment strategies, uphold compliance standards, and expand our service by extending our offering, such as through the acquisition of fund management in Luxembourg. These steps allow us to continue offering our clients highly competitive services.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it in the next five years?

In the next five years, we see the wealth management industry and our part of it at the forefront of innovation, especially in the areas of sustainable investments and digital investment strategies.

Alpina Capital will continue to play a leading role by offering our clients forward-looking solutions while maximising the efficiency and sustainability of our investments.

Apricus Finance - Empowering Family Legacies

Founded in 1995, Apricus Finance is a family-owned independent asset manager delivering first class, discreet Asset Management & Family Office services to U/HNW individuals and families.

Thomas De Sausmarez, Head of Middle East and François Struye De Swielande, CEO & Shareholder Apricus Finance

Our family-focused philosophy enables us to beter understand the human, entrepreneurial and family factors that influence financial decision making and support our clients in their investment decisions according to their goals.

"Our expertise and experience enable us to provide effective support and advice to our customers across several generations."

How do you standout in the competitive world of Portiolio Management?

The challenges we are facing are around agility, technology and performance. Over time we have built an investment team averaging 25+ years of experience, which our clients count on to navigate through tough and challenging market conditions.

Equally, technology needs to be at the center of our processes, to support our investment platiorm and the state-of-the-art reporting that we deliver to our clients. Finally, performance is a day-to-day challenge which requires constant focus at all levels of the firm.

How do you adapt to evolving market conditions and investor preferences?

We combine long-term wealth protection with innovative and creative solutions. The keys to our success are a combination of our expertise, our market conscious approach and our strategic and thematic convictions, all coupled with a flexible, agile, and opportunistic investment DNA that takes into account our clients' goals.

• Servicing MENA Clients

• Portfolio Management Team Winner

What specific trends or developments in the Middle East market have contributed to our success in asset management?

We believe that there are three key aspects to this. Global developments in technology means immediate access to information, making it far easier to assess whether or not a wealth manager is delivering on meeting client needs.

This, coupled with the on-going process of wealth inheritance - by a very engaged and financially astute next generation - makes it imperative that an asset manager is transparent, that it delivers consistent investment performance and that it clearly demonstrates that client interests are front and centre of everything it does.

Lastly, The Middle East market remains founded on family businesses, just as we are at Apricus Finance.

"We believe our success on all three fronts has led us to being recognised with this award."

What do you think sets us apart from other Swiss asset management firms operating in the Middle East?

Firstly, I am sure that there are other excellent EAMs operating in the Middle East. We do not seek to compete head-on with such companies. We adhere to our company’s founding philosophy, vis à vis our clients and our approach to portiolio management. We believe that this ensures we continue to be highly relevant in the region.

Additionally, our relationship managers, investment experts and leadership each have 25 years + of invaluable experience working in wealth management. The Middle East has a history of successful entrepreneurial family businesses that both reflect and compliment our DNA: Families, with families, for families.

Access leading private market opportunities

We specialize in private market solutions and provide access to the best deals to achieve exceptional performance

Reach For The Stars In Private Markets With Goldbach Capital

What contributed to your firm's success and winning formula?

The success and winning formula of our firm lie in our strong focus on providing access to exciting private market opportunities. As a specialised team in private market investing, we have honed our expertise and focus solely on delivering exceptional performance through tailored private market solutions. Our commitment to excellence is evident in our rigorous selection process, where we identify and provide access to the best deals available. By prioritising quality over quantity, we ensure that our clients have access to opportunities that have the potential to generate substantial returns.

Furthermore, our success is rooted in our deep understanding of the private markets landscape and our ability to navigate its complexities with agility. Through extensive research, due diligence, and strategic partnerships, we position ourselves at the forefront of the private markets arena, consistently identifying opportunities that align with our clients' investment objectives and risk profiles. Our proactive approach to staying abreast of market trends and emerging opportunities enables us to stay ahead of the curve and deliver superior results for our clients. We offer comprehensive alternative investment solutions, encompassing direct investments, pooled offerings, and access to premium managers.

Additionally, our team's winning formula is underscored by our strong commitment to client satisfaction and trust. We prioritise building long-term relationships with our clients based on transparency, integrity, and personalised service. By taking the time to understand each client's unique needs, goals, and preferences, we tailor our private market solutions to align with their investment strategies and aspirations.

• Private Markets Offering Team Winner

Goldbach Capital

How did your colleagues contribute to your success?

Our team of eight is headed by Pierre Gabris. At our core, we are committed to investing our own capital and time into everything we do, aligning our interests with those of our clients. By investing our own resources, we have a strong commitment to our clients and their success. Our achievements are directly linked to theirs and we are motivated to work towards the same goals.

What's your strategy to stay competitive and ahead?

We are centered on a multi-faceted approach that prioritizes innovation, agility, and expertise. Firstly, we continuously invest in research and development to stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and investment opportunities. By leveraging advanced analytics and proprietary data-driven insights, we gain a competitive edge in identifying lucrative investment prospects and optimising portfolio performance. This proactive approach allows us to adapt swiftly to evolving market conditions and capitalise on new growth areas, ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve.

Secondly, we place a strong emphasis on cultivating strategic partnerships and collaborations with industry leaders, innovators, and subject matter experts. These partnerships enable us to access exclusive deal flow, specialised expertise, and unique investment opportunities that may not be readily available to others. By leveraging synergies and harnessing collective intelligence, we augment our capabilities and expand our reach, enhancing our competitive position in the market. Moreover, by fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within our organisation, we empower our team members to drive value creation and deliver superior results for our investors. Through these concerted efforts, we remain committed to maintaining our competitive edge and driving sustainable growth in the dynamic and ever-evolving private markets landscape.

Building Long-Term Relationships Through Trust

IMT Asset Management is a sophisticated asset and fund management company with an Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) license, based in Liechtenstein and founded in 1999 by an entrepreneurial family. It provides investment services for international family offices, entrepreneurs and private wealth owners. IMT Asset Management is part of the IMT Group. The Group offers comprehensive wealth management services, including trust and family office services, legal and tax advice.

In total, we manage assets of approximately CHF 2 bn. Two thirds of our assets are managed as liquid multi-asset class portfolios. The remaining one third is invested in private markets. Furthermore, we offer investment controlling and reporting services.

What was the winning formula of your firm/you that explains why you won?

We believe to be a very client-centric organisation. This allows us to gain our clients’ trust and to build very long-term relationships, which often last for various decades. The major building block is our firm’s philosophy, which we call “Spirit of Value Management”. The five pillars of our philosophy consist of: Independence, Transparency, Fairness, Discipline, and Sustainability. Our core strengths include our fund structuring capabilities, our ability to tailor portfolio strategies to the specific needs of our clients and our private markets expertise.

When it comes to our award-wining family office proposition, we would highlight our close collaboration with our IMT Group sister companies. We offer comprehensive Family Office Services, including asset structuring advice (trusts, foundations, companies, private label funds, etc.), corporate management services, development of family governance mechanisms, strategic structuring of family wealth, as well as reporting and accounting services.

Furthermore, we have many years of experience in setting up and managing Private Label Funds. We discovered the many advantages

of fund solutions early on. Today 85% of our assets under management are held by regulated investment funds, either UCITS or AIF.

We believe, that private markets are an important building block of the asset allocation for wealthy families. We manage a portfolio of CHF 550 m private markets investments. Our clients can benefit from this very rewarding and diversifying asset class. We leverage our global network with blue-chip and boutique private equity managers to get access to interesting funds as well as direct and co-investment deals. Furthermore, we are a shareholder in Frog Capital, a London-based boutique private equity manager, which focuses on technology-enabled growth capital in Europe.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

Our successes are the result of a concerted team effort. Every team member is valuable and contributes to the end result. We are extremely pleased with our strong investment team, our investment committees and our board of directors, including various external experts. Asset Management requires an open mind. We incorporate different external market views of leading research Furthermore, our portfolios are monitored and analysed constantly, which requires a great deal of discipline and persistency.

• Based in Liechtenstein

• Family Office Proposition

WEALTHBRIEFING - ALWAYS AT THE CENTRE OF YOUR 360° VIEW ON THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT LANDSCAPE

With 60,000 global subscribers, WealthBriefing is the world’s largest subscription news and thought-leadership network for the wealth management sector

Register for a free trial

Committed To Continuous Learning And Knowledge

What was the winning formula of you that explains why you won?

As a seasoned investment professional, I had the privilege to work in academia, with investment banks, global asset management companies, private banks, and in the last eight years with IMT Group, a wealth management boutique.

My responsibilities include research, client facing roles, and portfolio management. As president of the CFA Society Liechtenstein I stay committed to continuous learning and knowledge exchange with a local and global network of investment professionals.

The subjects I have been interested most recently include:

• How to make Strategic Asset Allocations robust, i.e., all-weather proof?

• The merits of private markets and what is important when managing private markets portfolios.

• Private Label Funds as a smart way to structure family wealth with a long-term and cross-generational investment horizon.

• What can we learn from US Endowments for private wealth management?

Who inspires you, either inside or outside your organisation?

I do not want to mention individuals, since too many people had an impact on my career, my achievements and the way I think.

It started during my time as assistant professor at the University of Mainz, where I had the privilege working with outstanding academic professionals.

"Throughout my career, I benefited enormously from very inspiring colleagues and peers in my various working environments."

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

The wealth management industry has already gone through a rapid transformation during the last 10-15 years. I believe that the next 10-15 years will be at least as challenging and transformational.

The environment for wealth managers is becoming increasingly complex, driven by various regulatory initiatives and more demanding international tax laws. Breath-taking technological advances, most notably artificial intelligence, will have far reaching consequences for our societies, businesses, and financial markets. In addition, seismic geo-political shifts are underway. The known duo-polar world has become multi-polar in recent years, which is tantamount to a more complex, unstable, and conflict-prone world.

We need to find solutions and help our clients with the greatest intergenerational wealth transfer ever seen. The baby boomer generation is leaving significant wealth to their heirs. The amount of assets to be transferred is estimated to be in excess of USD 84 trillion through to 2045. Beneficiaries of that wealth transfer will increasingly belong to Generation Z. Gen Z is growing to become the most populous generation on earth, accounting for more than one-third of the world’s population.

They were born between 1997 and 2012 and are the first digital native generation, which early on have been exposed to the internet and social media. This has shaped their attitudes and believe systems, which are radically different to those of the Millennials.

The challenges for the wealth management industry are enormous and will keep us busy. This will increasingly require us to stay open-minded and curious, to continue building strong teams, to incorporate new skill sets within our organisations, to drive digitalisation, and to use all available resources for our continuous learning efforts.

Dr. Thomas Trauth CEO and CIO

IMT Asset Management AG

• Thought Leadership Winner

Dedicated To Fulfilling Clients' Requirements

Achille Deodato CEO Indigita SA

• Overall IT Solution Provider Winner

What was the winning formula of your firm that explains why you won?

The winning formula of Indigita lies in its evolution into a comprehensive regulatory technology (RegTech) powerhouse. We offer a unique blend of integrated cross-border compliance and regulatory expertise, empowering financial enterprises worldwide to navigate compliance landscapes effortlessly.

Our suite of digital solutions – from SAQ-certified e-Learning trainings to web-based applications and APIs – offers cross-border compliance, risk management, product placement, and tax suitability solutions for banks and External Asset Managers (EAMs). This cutting-edge technology suite is backed by the industryleading expertise of BRP Bizzozero & Partners and BRP Tax SA. In addition, collaborations with esteemed partners like SIX, FE fundinfo, and Prometeia among others further enhance our ability to provide the most accurate and reliable data on the market.

Overall, this integrated approach has enabled us to establish a new standard in the industry, ensuring our success in attracting valuable clients and stakeholders.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

To remain competitive and stay ahead, we will continue prioritising the development of best-in-class digital cross-border compliance solutions for activities, product placement, and tax suitability, supporting banks and asset managers in offering top-tier service and the most suitable products to their clients.

Building upon our achievements in 2023, we have enhanced our capacity to provide private placement exemptions specific to various jurisdictions and asset classes. Thanks to our strategic partnership with FE fundinfo, we have expanded our capabilities to offer alternative fund share classes, enhancing portfolio suitability in alignment with product registration requirements.

Through our longstanding collaboration with SIX, we have further integrated

sanctioned securities into our inApp, tailored to meet client-specific requirements.

Additionally, thanks to our partnership with Prometeia, we have integrated ESG ratings for financial products into our solutions and offer a comprehensive SAQ-certified e-Learning program on ESG for financial professionals.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

I anticipate significant transformation within the wealth management industry, marked by increased automation, the emergence of integrated solutions through APIs, and a heightened emphasis on cybersecurity and privacy.

Additionally, ESG investing is expected to gain traction, while regulatory requirements will continue to evolve, necessitating ongoing adaptation and compliance. The integration of AI and machine learning technologies into RegTech solutions will drive efficiency and innovation in financial services. Indigita’s role in this evolving landscape will be integral.

We remain dedicated to providing digital solutions to empower financial intermediaries in navigating these challenges smoothly, ensuring compliance, and meeting the evolving needs of clients.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

Last year was remarkable in terms of partnerships and the release of new features. Our teams’ dedicated efforts have established Indigita’s market presence, showcasing our adeptness in fulfilling clients' requirements – ranging from large banking conglomerates, with thousands of employees, to small asset managers, with fewer than ten staff members.

Whether through continuous innovation in our product offerings or delivering exceptional client support – both technical and legal – each team member significantly contributes to advancing our mission of empowering financial intermediaries with seamless compliance solutions.

I NVICO A sse t Management A G

Kirchgasse 24, 8001 Zürich, Schweiz

Telefon: +41 44 267 99 47

info@invico-asset.ch, www.invico-asset.ch

Combining Tradition With Innovation In Asset Management

Since its establishment in 1995, INVICO Asset Management AG, an independent Swiss asset manager based in Zurich, has earned a reputation as a respected and trusted partner in the industry. Our firm specialises in delivering bespoke solutions for individual portfolios, serving a diverse clientele that includes families, institutions, and businesses. We pride ourselves on our personal service and the comprehensive expertise of our team.

"Our approach focuses on independence, transparency, flexibility, and expertise, enabling us to meet our clients' needs and objectives effectively."

What was the winning formula of your firm that explains why you won?

Our winning formula hinges on a combination of strategic independence, market agility, deep knowledge, and strong expertise. Our independence from external influences allows us to prioritise our clients' interests and align investments with their visions. Our agility and streamlined organisational structure enable quick decision-making, crucial in today's fast-paced market environment.

The depth of our knowledge and expertise, recognised by leading figures in the industry, allows us to provide valuable insights and advice to our clients. These factors, combined with our proactive approach to market changes and strategic affiliations with top-tier banks have established us as a key player in asset management.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

To remain competitive and ahead, we plan to continue investing in our core strengths – our team's expertise, our innovative service offerings, and our commitment to

understanding and meeting our clients' unique financial aspirations. We aim to keep leading the way in introducing groundbreaking investment initiatives like our Future Connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, Biotech, and GreenTech investment products. Maintaining our agility to swiftly adapt to market changes and client needs will also be crucial.

How do you hope your firm will benefit from getting this award?

Winning this award enhances our credibility and visibility in the wealth management sector, attracting discerning clients and top-tier talent. It serves as a recognition of our team's hard work and dedication, boosting morale and reaffirming our commitment to excellence. We anticipate this accolade will open new avenues for growth and partnership, further solidifying our market position.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

In the next five years, we see the wealth management industry evolving with a greater emphasis on sustainability, digitalisation, and personalised service. Technological advancements will play a pivotal role in shaping investment strategies and portfolio management.

We anticipate an increased demand for transparent, flexible, and tailored wealth management solutions.

"INVICO Asset Management AG aims to remain at the forefront of these trends, continuously integrating innovation with tradition to meet our clients' evolving needs and contribute to shaping the future of the industry." Bruno Schneller Managing Director

Investing With Talent –Selecting The Best Managers To Satisfy Each Client

F• Manager with International Offices outside of Switzerland

• Fund Selection/ Asset Allocation Offering Winner

Cédric Dingens

Head of Investment Solutions

& Institutional Clients

NS Partners SA

ounded in 1964, NS PARTNERS is now, after 60 years of success and CHF 11 Bn in client assets under management, one of the largest independent investment management groups in Switzerland and in Europe. NS PARTNERS is active in 3 highly complementary business lines: Wealth Management (with discretionary and advisory portfolio management for high-net-worth individuals and family offices), Asset Management (through a full range of investment solutions and funds for institutional investors and distributors), and a Management Company (ManCo) activity, providing fund engineering and dedicated fund management services. 100% executive-owned, NS PARTNERS has over 120 employees in 7 offices worldwide.

What was the winning formula that explains why your firm won?

Far from the current trend towards passive investments, our business model is based on the conviction that there are a few talented individuals who can make a difference.

In 1964, our founder Beat Notz, a truly independent and visionary mind, realised that, in order to deliver the best performance to his clients, he should not limit his scope to the expertise available in-house but rather select the best talents wherever they may be. This simple yet revolutionary idea – investing with exceptional fund managers who find alternative ways to deliver superior returns in all market conditions - met with great success and NS PARTNERS has grown over the past decades to become one of the leading independent asset managers in Switzerland.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

I believe that one of our strengths is our alignment of interests with our clients. 100% management-owned, we are fiercely

independent and free from any external pressure that would hinder our impartiality. We invest alongside our clients, thus ensuring that our interests are fully aligned.

In terms of manager selection, having a good network is essential. As one of the pioneers in this industry and after 60 years of experience, we have obviously established an extensive worldwide contact network. This gives you a privileged access to off-the-limelight managers and to funds otherwise unavailable or closed to new investors.

Another key success factor is our flexibility. Client-centric by nature, we know that a “one size fits all” approach really fits no one. And our agile structure makes us very responsive. Each client is different and unique, so we strive to provide a bespoke solution to his or her specific needs.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

This year, we celebrate our 60th anniversary. But rather than looking back with satisfaction, we prefer to look forward because that is where the challenges lie. We can do this with confidence, as we have the cards in our hands to continue to grow. Indeed, we have already experienced several generational changes among the partners and our governance has proven its resilience.

We also have the resources to invest in our digital transformation. Whether it's in data architecture, information security, business process automation, decision support, risk management or client interface, technological innovation is critical to the future growth of a management company like ours. Finally, our strong corporate culture and lean structure allow us to attract the best individuals, which is key to our future success.

WINNER:

WINNER:

WINNER:

WINNER:

Alpen Partners

Indigita SA

NS Partners

Alpina Capital AG

WINNER: Apricus Finance

WINNER: Apricus Finance

WINNER: 1fs Wealth

WINNER: MFM Mirante Fund Management SA

WINNER: Octogone Group

WINNER: Descartes Finance AG

Invested In Providing Exceptional Service To Our Clients

Established in Geneva in 1995, the Octogone group provides high-level personalised services and rigorous, tailor-made asset management. As independent wealth managers, we offer customised solutions to each client’s personal situation, guided by impartial and independent advice. The Octogone group manages the assets of families and institutions with discretionary as well as advisory mandates, through a network of international specialists, based in Europe, USA, Latin America and the Middle East. The company also provides services in the field of portfolio analysis.

What was the winning formula of your firm that explains why you won?

The Octogone Group prioritises maintaining a deep understanding of international markets and economic trends. Our international team comprises professionals with over 30 years of experience in asset allocation and fund selection, having previously held leadership roles in major and leading institutions. Their invaluable insights contribute to informed decision-making, reflecting extensive experience in successful portfolio management skilled and selection both traditional and alternative products. Our focus on building strong, long-term relationships with our clients has been pivotal. Understanding their unique financial goals and tailoring our services accordingly has not only fostered client trust but has also resulted in client referrals, contributing to the growth of our international client base.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

Our team consists of over 80 highly skilled and experienced professionals, hailing from 15 different nationalities and proficient in 10 languages. This diversity enables us to understand and cater to the diverse needs of our clientele, ensuring that we provide

Ivan Peruffo CEO Octogone Group

International Team Winner

•

personalized and attentive service at all times. Our unwavering dedication to client satisfaction has been key in cultivating a loyal clientele base. The human aspect is crucial; we are consistently striving to attract young talents to enhance our teams and facilitate a smooth generational transition.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

To ensure our continued competitiveness and leadership in the industry, we firstly are committed to investing in the ongoing education and integrity of our team members to keep them abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and regulatory changes. By staying ahead of the curve, we ensure that our team is equipped with the latest knowledge and skills necessary to provide exceptional service to our clients. Then, we continuously invest in and adopt cutting-edge financial technologies to enhance our service delivery and provide clients with innovative solutions. Finally, we are committed to expanding our global network to strengthen our presence in key markets. In addition to our existing operational hubs in Switzerland, Miami, Nassau, and Dubai, we have expanded our footprint by establishing an office in Panama in 2023. This expansion allows us to better serve clients in diverse geographical regions and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

How do you hope your firm will benefit from getting this award?

The award serves as a testament to our commitment to excellence, boosting our reputation within the industry and among potential clients. This recognition also will make us an attractive workplace for top talent, further strengthening our team and capabilities. This may also open doors to new business opportunities and collaborations, further expanding our reach and influence in the global wealth management landscape.

Tools & Analytics for Advisory

Empowering the front office through personalization, compliance & automation

BENEFITS

Improve efficiency & lower costs

Exceed client expectations

www.prometeia.com

Guarantee compliance

Consistent service quality standards

Our Digital Wealth Management R-Evolution

What was the winning formula of your firm/you that explains why you won?

Prometeia’s tools and analytics are uniquely positioned to provide clients with sophisticated, well-grounded solutions that closely match their individual needs and allow them to differentiate from their competitors where it matters most: at the touchpoints between the institution and its customers. Our wealth management and associated regulation expertise, built up in over 50 years, supports the digitalisation of the entire investment advisory process employing cutting-edge techniques and methodologies, like climate and transition risk engines, sustainable investment, generative AI, open finance, and cloud-native delivery.

More than 100 financial institutions take advantage of our modular, regulatorycompliant, sophisticated tools and analytics, leveraging them to serve clients better and more efficiently, supporting the management of more than CHF 2.5 trillion in assets. Prometeia’s solutions help financial intermediaries win, serve, and retain wealth management clients, helping them manage and thrive in this period of transition for the industry.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

Prometeia’s entrepreneurial-minded people represent our greatest asset and the key to our success. Our skilled, smart, and client-focused wealth specialists ensure the trust of our clients and guarantee that our innovative digital wealth management solutions continue to meet and exceed market standards. We are lucky to have such diverse and unique individuals that combine technical excellence with world-class creative talent. We believe in our people as they support the entire advisory process with innovative tools powered by leading-edge technology, including Generative AI.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

Innovation is firmly ingrained into Prometeia’s DNA, and this is supported by our substantial investments in research

and development which underlines the company’s commitment to lead the wealth management industry. Throughout the last year and into 2024, we have actively explored, tested, and introduced new tools powered by Generative AI, aiming to enhance advisor efficiency and optimise internal processes.

The successful integration of generative AI techniques into our products, including interactive financial knowledge and training, extracting market trends from investment research, investment configurations, and portfolio narration, just to name a few, ensure our clients can quickly adapt to, and capitalise on, a rapidly changing and challenging market environment. Artificial intelligence, and generative AI in particular, is playing a quickly increasing role in our digital wealth management platform and all its associated tools, analytics, and data, improving process efficiency and user experience. Prometeia has been taking on ambitious and bold projects which we expect to have a big impact on the market in the coming months and years.

How do you hope your firm will benefit from getting this award?

The recognition by WealthBriefing highlights the quality of our service and reinforces our main goal of consistently offering the best solutions for our client’s needs.

"Awards like

these

make a significant difference and provide a testament to our strategic growth plan, our purpose and vision, and push us to strive for excellence."

It gives us confidence that we do the right things in the right way and demonstrates our hard work, motivating us to continue to deliver best-in-class services.

Receiving this award will hopefully continue to strengthen our position in Switzerland and increase the number of financial institutions that consider us when updating their front-office systems, market data and analytics.

Carmine Cammarota

Country Head Switzerland Prometeia

•

Explore digital assets with complete trust

Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage.

We empower professional and institutional investors, External Asset Managers, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust.

Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and a portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenisation and B2B services.

We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance.

SYGNUM.COM

Investing Into Digital Assets With Complete Trust

What was the winning formula of your firm that explains why you won?

Sygnum was founded on the belief that the “future has heritage”. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance

Sygnum’s institutional-grade portfolio of regulated digital asset services includes secure custody, crypto trading, lending, staking, asset management and asset tokenisation. Traditional securities were integrated into our digital banking platform in 2023, further enhancing our ability to be a true one-stop solution for our clients. They enjoy convenient access to both digital and traditional asset classes, giving them the ability to diversify and flexibly construct multi-asset portfolios to suit their business needs.

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

Everyone at Sygnum plays a crucial role in delivering an exceptional service experience to our clients. My colleagues who also service clients – as well as those doing a diverse range of roles throughout Sygnum – strive to a make a difference every day. One of the key ingredients to making this happen is our team’s unique mix of backgrounds; ranging from traditional finance and banking to blockchain engineers, asset managers, venture capitalists and more. In this way, Sygnum combines the best of both crypto and traditional finance for the ultimate benefit of our clients.

Another key ingredient is the Sygnum values. These embody a culture of collaboration, client-centricity, seizing opportunities and having confidence without attitude. It is the mixture of values and clear purpose that motivates Sygnum every day to shape the industry of the future in positive ways.

Romano Marco Brotschi

Head of EAM & MFO, Executive Director Sygnum Bank AG

• Digital Assets Offering or Service Winner

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

Over the next five years, we envision the wealth management industry undergoing a significant transformation with digital assets and blockchain technology playing a pivotal role.

At Sygnum, we do not think of crypto as simply an asset class but rather of a constantly expanding asset universe. It is already offering a wide variety of investment opportunities, from direct investments into cryptocurrencies to yield generating products and private equity investments into early stage blockchain companies.

As regulatory clarity improves and infrastructure continues to expand, we are convinced that we will see increasing allocation of funds into digital assets, offering both the benefits of diversification as well as the opportunities to participate in the emerging digital asset megatrend.

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

As a pioneer in this space with an established track-record and secure, regulated platform, Sygnum is well positioned to benefit from the accelerating trend towards regulated service providers and the growing demand for institutional-grade access to the digital asset economy.

Leveraging our established relationships with leading EAMs & MFOs in local markets, we will stay competitive by continuing to expand our offerings both in terms of assets and geographies.

By staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, fostering strategic partnerships, ensuring regulatory compliance, and most importantly by staying close to our clients, we will also continue to lead the way in building trust and shaping Future Finance.

Our DNA is to take care of your future

With this goal of excellence, we have developed our own processes and technologies for analysis, performance and monitoring Wealth

Our awards 2024

Telomere Capital, a different way to conceptualize the profession of Wealth Manager. We strive to provide exceptional value to our customers across all our business lines with the highest degree of integrity, honesty, and professional conduct.

The Drive For Excellence At Telomere Capital Translates Into Successful Achievements

Telomere Capital SA

The idea of creating the company was born during discussions between the founders of Telomere, who met while working in the Private Banking division of a major Swiss bank. It was in 2015 that we decided to create an independent wealth management firm, with the ambition to build our projects around the «Spirit of Performance»: a different way of conceiving our profession as wealth managers; a strong credo that is now allowing us to exceed all our growth forecasts, and by a significant margin.

We provide private clients - such as individuals, families, executives, and entrepreneurs - with wealth management, investment advice, personalised financial planning, and family office services. Because each life situation is unique, we offer a comprehensive and tailored approach.

What is the winning formula for your Firm that explains why you won?

We have solid and recognised experience thanks to the expertise we have gained in prestigious banking institutions, but it's our attitude and approach that really makes the difference. Client first.

"Client service is not just a set of procedures; it’s a way of life that permeates every aspect of our work."

It is reflected in each client request and in every process, we put into action. Consistently, our goal remains the same: client satisfaction. We offer to our clients the Telomere’s extra mile. We provide a service, work, or assistance that goes beyond normal expectations, offering exceptional service or doing more than what is typically required to fully satisfy our clients.

• Growth Strategy

• Innovative Use of Technology

• Swiss Domestic Team Winner

Please describe how your colleagues made a difference?

At Telomere, we firmly believe that measuring the success of a business or team goes beyond the bottom line to include customer and employee satisfaction. Team spirit is a fundamental component of our success. True team spirit and cohesion within a group is created when each member enjoys working together and collaborates harmoniously to achieve common goals.

Appreciation, independence, and knowledge-sharing all help to ensure that results are valued and that team members are engaged and motivated. Allowing room for initiative and responsibility is essential to developing group cohesion.

Every member of Telomere should be proud to belong to the group, be aware of their place within the team, and understand the role they play in its performance. The values communicated to the outside world are embedded in Telomere’s DNA. Sharing the same values consistently enhances employee satisfaction. This has a direct impact on the quality of our work.

How do you hope your Firm will benefit from getting this Award?

The awards we've won are a testament to the breadth of skills within our team, offering assurance to our clients, peers, and partners. Each award has been achieved through a collaborative effort, and we take great pride in our collective success. By emphasizing our commitment to excellence, we intend to use these accolades to reinforce the confidence of our existing and potential clients.

While we value recognition, our ultimate satisfaction lies in the satisfaction of our clients. These awards provide confidence in our methods and further validate our approach to business.

A Collaborative Culture Is The Winning Formula

WEgon Vorfeld Managing Partner

The Forum Finance Group

e are celebrating our 30th anniversary so it is particularly rewarding to receive the four WealthBriefing accolades for 2024. The firm has evolved over the years and become a leading EAM in the Swiss market. With assets under management close to CHF2bn and 25 employees we rank among the top 3% of actors in the Swiss market.

What was the winning formula of your firm that explains why you won the awards?

Winning not one but four awards is absolutely wonderful. We are very grateful to the independent panel of judges for their diligent work and could not be more delighted. These awards are a real testament to our consistent investment and planning for the company over many years. Our winning formula might be us constantly asking ourselves how we can best serve our clients and incentivise our employees.

We have done so by engendering a highly collaborative and equitable culture at Forum Finance – something so very different from a cost-sharing or platform model. This however requires a generous spirit among our partners and employees, where everyone is incentivised and keen for the company as a whole to do well. The effects of this collaborative culture are very much felt by our clients and provides much better outcomes for everyone.

Please describe how your new CIO made a difference?

Cyrille Urfer joined us nearly a year ago when our then CIO of 15 years retired. He comes with an unmatched experience as CIO

Winner

• Servicing LATAM Clients

• Wealth Planning Team

• Next Generation Program

• Chief Investment Officer (CIO)

I believe, having been the CIO at two Middle East Sovereign Wealth Funds and a Geneva based bank prior to joining us. Cyrille’s institutional and international experience has allowed us to solidify and professionalise our investment strategies and the implementation thereof. We have already seen the real impact of his work at Forum Finance. We are therefore particularly delighted to have received the 2024 best EAM CIO award.

What sort of challenges did you surmount to reach this level and how have you been able to succeed in such fast-moving circumstances?

Finding the right people to partner with remains a real challenge, but we have been fortunate to find like-minded people at all levels: people who are keen to sign up to our culture. One has to create and demonstrate growth opportunities for everyone so that they can identify with the company and imagine their future development within it. We have many success stories at Forum Finance and that really excites all of us to work and stick even closer together.

The new regulatory environment is going to be a real challenge for very many EAMs. It will prove too costly and time-consuming for them. We made all the necessary changes and investments many years ago with for example our FINMA and SEC licences since 2015 and 2016, respectively.

We are therefore primed to welcome relationship managers from EAMs and banks alike. These coming years should provide us with a real opportunity to grow as a result.

Wealth Data Box

Automated data feeds with 125+ banks globally

Automated data aggregation, cleaning and reconciliation: 99.7% accuracy

Automated data integration

Wealth App

Centralized cloud-native platform for wealth management and family offices

Intuitive, easy to use, customizable and modular PMS, CRM, compliance, order management, client portal and invoicing, reporting

Wealth AI

"Chat with your data" powered by cuttingedge neuro-symbolic AI technology

Advanced portfolio analytics

AI search engine and embedded AI tools

WealthArc Redefines Compliance For External Asset Managers

What was the winning formula of your firm/you that explains why you won?

WealthArc was founded with the mission to unlock potential of wealth data and support financial advisors in their wealth creation. Since day one we designed an intuitive, easy-to-use and customisable Wealth App for managing investments and clients, at the same time providing outstanding quality of data from our Wealth Data Box engine. We carefully listen to the needs of our clients. In 2021 most of them were concerned about the upcoming FinSA/FinIA regulations. The main concern was additional workload they have to bear to stay compliant. We realised very early it is our obligation to support our clients in this journey and automate daily compliance activities. We have therefore invested massively into FinSa / FinIa compliance modules in our Wealth App (Client Classification, Portfolio Risk Assessment, Investor Risk Profiling, Digital Onboarding…) to help our clients to reduce those new constraints and save time and money.

What sort of challenges did you surmount to reach this level and how have you been able to succeed in such fast-moving circumstances?

We put the interest of our clients in the first place. This rule guides us and allows us to overcome any challenges along the way. For example: automation of FinSA / FinIA compliance was the most difficult module to deliver because of the lack of existing standards. All other functionalities were based on a set of best practices applied by our clients. In case of FinSA / FinIA we had to understand regulations, interpret them and translate into system functionalities. Therefore, we engaged with reliable partners and experts such as PwC, to help us along the way. It allowed us avoid some of the common pitfalls.

Radomir Mastalerz CEO

WealthArc AG

Winner

• Compliance Solution

What are you going to do to remain competitive and stay ahead?

The accolade we received is a result of the work we did over the past 2 years with regard to automating compliance activities for External Asset Managers. The future for WealthArc is becoming a wealth data management company. Through our innovative technology we want to unlock potential of wealth data for our clients and help them to create their wealth. We follow the Swiss Gold Standard in data quality – must factor for all of our clients. With a highly intuitive Wealth App application and an effective automated reconciliation process delivered by our Wealth Data Box we have broken the wealth data complexity. We already aggregate investment accounts from over 125 custodian banks globally.

Where do you see the wealth management industry and your part of it going in the next five years?

Wealth management will be growing as total wealth in the world is growing. Wealth is more and more distributed, thus democratisation of wealth management will also progress. Automated data feeds and processing, high quality of data and AI solutions will have a big impact on the whole industry. The current solutions in AI, for example 'Chat with your data' often use LLMs and have limitations because of AI hallucinations and an inability to deal with numbers. Certainly, racing in developing the most AI advanced and accurate wealth management services already started and WealthArc has a strong poll position here. I believe in hybrid formula for wealth management, where software performs all the repetitive administrative work, whereas financial advisor can focus on high-value tasks: building relationships with clients as well making smart investment decisions.

Great Support That Makes A Business Stronger

What sets you apart from your peers this year and why?

WIZE by TeamWork, the all-in-one Wealth & Asset Management solution, is one of the fastest growing WealthTech companies in Switzerland dedicated to external asset managers, family offices, private banks, fund managers, pension funds and securities traders.

Part of the TeamWork Group, a 1,000+ employees Swiss company founded in 1999 and fully owned by its top management, we offer a unique 100 per cent web-integrated SaaS secured Cloud or on-premises platform including:

• Portfolio management system with model portfolios and rebalancing/ hedging capabilities; private equity module; risk and performance management (MWR/TWR, contribution/ attribution);

• Order management system including FIX Straight Through Processing connectivity with 20+ trading rooms;

• CRM System with KYC and documents lifecycle management;

• Compliance System with AML; MiFID II and LSFin/FIDLEG/FinSA pre-trade checking; risk profiling & monitoring; full audit trail;

• Reporting system with white labelled customised multi-assets consolidated reports;

• Invoicing system including automatic fees calculation and controlling; profitability measurement; and

• Multi-custodian connectivity: 200+ automatic feeds; API connectivity;

• e-banking / Mobile App.

In Geneva, Zurich, Singapore, Luxembourg and Montreal, our team of 45 professionals aims at delivering best in class support and back-office business process outsourcing (BPO) services thanks to our extensive banking operations expertise gained by most of us in different banks and/or family offices.

Trusted by over 100 clients representing 125+ billion AuM and 3,000+ users in 22 different countries, we allow clients to

focus on their business while taking advantage of the platform’s power and scalability for an attractive all-in-one monthly fee.

Our focus: intuitive user experience, rich & performing functionalities, easy and transparent pricing. We therefore think all these elements set us apart from our peers and make us an outstanding 12 years old fintech.

How have your colleagues contributed towards the success of your organisation?

WIZE by TeamWork is first of all a fantastic success story based on people.

WIZE is born out of the meeting in 2010 between Philippe Rey-Gorrez – the founder of the TeamWork Group - and Cédric Baiker, an expert in IT banking solutions who had driven the development of the swiss “Newbanking” core banking package from 1996 to 2010.

Realising that the market solutions dedicated to private banking and external asset managers (EAM) were abnormally expensive, not sufficiently functional, and mainly based on legacy technologies, it was clear that in a context of increasing regulation and financial transparency, there would be a growing need for the EAM community to rely on more sophisticated, functional and secure solutions that would enable them to respond efficiently to their business challenges and constraints.

Cedric had spotted a gap and a really growing need for EAMs and Philippe decided to invest in this team of 4 since he believed in them.

The development therefore started in 2010 from a white sheet with the latest available technologies and with absolutely no legacy. After two years and a huge investment in R&D, the first customer was signed in 2012. Since then, the WIZE by TeamWork team continuously grew to a team of 45 today and continued to be ahead of market trends, evolving constantly.

• Client Communications Winner

Pierre Dupont Managing Partner WIZE by TeamWork

Where experience combined with passion creates value

Swiss tradition

European roots

Eastern expertise

www.bil.ch

Private Banking | Lending | Corporate & Investment Banking

WINNER: DECALIA SA

WINNER: The Forum Finance Group

WINNER: Indigita SA

WINNER: Accuro

WINNER: IMT Asset Management (IMTA)

WINNER: AlphaSwiss

WINNER: Indigita SA

The Fourth Annual WealthBriefing Swiss EAM Awards For Excellence Winners 2024

engine.

The hummingbird is part of a powerful natural engine, essential for driving food production.

A key pollinator, it pollinates every kind of tree from avocado to banana.

We need real assets solutions that invest in the regeneration of the natural world so pollinators can thrive.

Creating stronger crops, more resilient supply chains and more investment opportunities.

Nature is worth investing in.

Find out more at LombardOdier.com

TEAM-BASED CATEGORIES

Investment Process Team

Portfolio Management Team

Client Service Team

Sustainable Investments Program Team

Swiss Domestic Team

ESG Engagement Team

Wealth Planning Team

Private Markets Offering Team

SWISS NATIONAL CATEGORIES (COMPANY)

WealthBriefing’s Exclusive Awards Supplement

These awards publications have been created to maximise the marketing potential for successful firms to tell their most critical markets of their achievements.

REGIONAL

Based in Liechtenstein

CATEGORIES (COMPANY)

Based in Vaud

Based in Geneva

Zurich

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES (COMPANY)

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

CORPORATE FINANCE

ASSET SERVICES

ASSET MANAGEMENT

SPECIALIST WEALTH MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES (COMPANY)

WINNER

Philanthropy Offering

WINNER

Family Office Proposition

Fund Selection/Asset Allocation Offering

WINNER Next Generation Program

WINNER

WINNER

Digital Assets Offering or Service

Thematic Investment Proposition or Strategy

WINNER

WINNER Thought Leadership

Female Executive LEADERSHIP-BASED CATEGORIES (INDIVIDUAL)

WINNER

DR. THOMAS TRAUTH NATACHA ONAWELHO-LOREN

WINNER

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

GIUSEPPE MIRANTE

WINNER

Chief Investment Officer (CIO)

CYRILLE URFER

Perpetual Global Adverse Media Monitoring

Private banks and wealth managers need 24/7 risk vigilance.

But with millions of news items from thousands of sources and in multiple languages generated daily, how can they be sure to receive need-to-know alerts rather than irrelevant noise?

smartKYC’s latest product, smartEYE, solves all of these problems.

Watches the world’s news and social media commentary in real-time, 24/7 to deliver precise risk alerts as soon as they are reported.

Carries out automated news analysis ensuring alerts are risk-classified according to your risk framework, are specific to your client, and contain new (rather than repeat) information.

Is truly multilingual so you can be as confident of your adverse media monitoring in languages such as Russian, Arabic or Chinese, as you are in English.

With smartEYE, private banks and wealth managers get risk-relevant, real-time alerts about their customers that allows them to act decisively and quickly. Compliance teams no longer have to wait for a periodic refresh cycle. Instead, they receive adverse media trigger events in the form of precise alerts, as that news breaks. smartEYE represents the ultimate solution for perpetual KYC risk monitoring. smartKYC proudly sponsors this awards ceremony and we congratulate all the winners!

Discover smartKYC’s latest product, smartEYE www.smartkyc.com/smarteye/

Proud sponsors of this awards ceremony

www.wealthbriefing.com / www.wealthbriefingasia.com / www.fwreport.com 2024

For more information: + 44 (0) 20 7148 0188 (UK Office)