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Meet Alexandre Meyer, our new Managing Partner
Our Partners were pleased to welcome Alexandre Meyer as a new Managing Partner at the start of 2024. During his 25 years with the Firm, he has played a key role in the success of Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), the Group’s asset management unit, where he has been Chief Operating Officer for a decade.
As you take up your new role as Managing Partner, what are your first impressions?
I feel both elated and proud. I am truly honoured by this appointment and very excited to take on this new challenge after a 25-year career within the Group. I also recognise the level of responsibility involved in becoming Managing Partner of a Firm that has more than 225 years of history and has proven itself able to adapt to constantly evolving economic, political and regulatory environments.
Read also: Evolution of the Lombard Odier Group’s Partnership
How do you view the past year?
My view is mixed. On the one hand, global tensions and geopolitical crises have increased. On the other, the macroeconomic situation has been complicated, with a marked rise in inflation and interest rates in developed countries.
When looking back over 2023, it’s impossible not to mention the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, which was a major loss for the Swiss financial centre. It illustrates, if proof were needed, the importance for all of Switzerland’s financial institutions of having a robust and efficient supervisory and internal control system that allows them to identify and actively manage the main risks to which they are exposed.
From a personal perspective, how was 2023 for you?
It was quite an unusual year, as I had the chance to take a three-month sabbatical to travel around the world with my wife and two daughters, aged 10 and 13. It was a privilege and a truly extraordinary experience, not only in terms of discovering different cultures and countries, but also in terms of our family life.
The opportunity to spend that time away after 25 years of working at Lombard Odier shows the extent to which human values are part of the Firm’s DNA. It was during that trip that I also received news of my appointment as Managing Partner, which made it all the better.
Read also: Lombard Odier appoints Serge Fehr as Head of the Swiss Domestic Region for Private Clients
What have been the most important stages of your career with Lombard Odier?
There are several, but those I would highlight include the time I specialised in investment funds in the late 1990s. I subsequently headed the Products department, which was responsible for structuring the sale of investment funds for the Group’s internal and external client base.
Then, in 2007, I was involved in launching our alternative management structure in New York, under the 1798 Global Partners brand. I also piloted the project of separating out the Group’s asset management activities in 2010 with the creation of the LOIM unit, in which our traditional and alternative management teams are now grouped together. Since 2014, I have been Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of LOIM.
What is your analysis of the recent development of this range of investment funds and the challenges facing the funds’ promoters and clients?
We have sought to develop our range of alternative management and private asset products over the past 10 years, through hedge funds, private equity and, more recently, real assets. This has primarily been a response to our clients, who are seeking new sources of return that are decorrelated from traditional markets, for instance through investments in private debt.
Sustainability is another area in which our range of funds has evolved considerably. Lombard Odier can legitimately consider itself to be a pioneer and a leader in this area. In 2023, we continued to invest heavily in our sustainable investment and research teams, as we are convinced that a transition of our economy is underway. The investment and return opportunities presented by this transition are of great importance to our clients, even if the performance of most sustainable funds in 2023 did not necessarily meet clients’ expectations.
These two examples are areas where we are seeking to develop new, innovative products that respond to our clients’ demands as well as to today’s rapidly evolving economic and financial environment.
What is your vision for Lombard Odier in 2024?
In the Swiss market, we clearly have a growth target. This is achievable with the integration of the new bankers who joined us in 2023 and the opening of new offices in Verbier and Zug.
However, we must also remember that the geopolitical environment will remain complicated in 2024. In terms of the economic outlook, we are not necessarily expecting the year to be any easier than 2023.
We are also going to continue to invest in our infrastructure and our technological platform in 2024. And we intend to launch new funds aimed at better protecting nature and biodiversity.
Lastly, 2024 will also be the year in which we take possession of our new Bellevue building, and 2025 should see us moving in. We very much look forward to being able to meet with our clients in our new home.
Important information
This document is issued by Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd or an entity of the Group (hereinafter “Lombard Odier”). It is not intended for distribution, publication, or use in any jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, or use would be unlawful, nor is it aimed at any person or entity to whom it would be unlawful to address such a document. This document was not prepared by the Financial Research Department of Lombard Odier.
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