Lombard Odier celebrates 20 years in Belgium and opens an office in Antwerp

Lombard Odier, the private bank and wealth manager of choice for business owners and their families, is this year celebrating 20 years of presence in Brussels. As part of its growth strategy, and to further improve its proximity to clients, the Bank has decided to expand its operations in Belgium by opening an office in Antwerp, Flanders in late June 2024.

Lombard Odier supports entrepreneurs and their families from generation to generation with a comprehensive and tailored approach to wealth management, wealth planning and asset management. We build strong, lasting relationships with our clients, based on expertise, trust and care, and provide bespoke solutions in order to preserve and grow their wealth over the long term. Our unique partnership governance model and independence enable us to remain fully focussed on our clients.

Marking 20 years in Belgium

Lombard Odier opened its office in Brussels on 1 January 2004, with the aim of pursuing European expansion through a presence in the Belgian capital, and improving its proximity to its clientele of entrepreneurs and families. The Brussels office was initially staffed by a team of just six, headed by Carl Verbrugge, whose skills and experience enabled the private banking business to grow rapidly. Patrick Dequae was also present from the opening in 2004 and was another key contributor to the office’s success. He took over its management in 2010 as it consolidated its position and increased its reach. Today, both Carl Verbrugge and Patrick Dequae are Capital Partners, contributing in their respective areas to the development of the Firm’s Belgian franchise. The office is now managed by Geoffroy Vermeire, Lombard Odier’s Managing Director in Belgium, and employs 30 people.

The Brussels office remains at its original address on Avenue Louise, the most prestigious street in the Belgian capital. It has played a decisive role in the development of the Group’s activities in Europe and the creation in 2011 of Lombard Odier (Europe) SA, the umbrella structure for private banking based in Luxembourg. Since then, the Brussels office – like those in Paris, London, Luxembourg, Madrid and Milan – has been a branch of the Bank exclusively dedicated to serving clients, with all administrative and support work carried out in Luxembourg. 

A new office in Antwerp

The objective of this new office is to enable Lombard Odier’s bankers to become even closer to their Flemish clients, and to provide them with local access to the Group’s global expertise in wealth management.

Ideally situated at Uitbreidingstraat 72 in Berchem, a district of Antwerp, Lombard Odier’s new office will welcome clients from the end of June in an elegant and discreet setting, before its official inauguration in September. This representative office is attached to the main office in Brussels and will be led by Steve Gheuens and his team, reporting to Geoffroy Vermeire.

Geoffroy Vermeire, Lombard Odier’s Managing Director in Belgium, comments: “In line with our development strategy, opening a representative office in the largest city in Flanders will enable us to offer local support with high added value for our clients. This new office will draw on the success of our Brussels office as we celebrate 20 years of presence in Belgium, representing continuity, solidity, longevity and growth for our clients in this market.”

Denis Pittet, Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group, adds: “Opening our new Antwerp office is a major step forward for the Group’s growth in Belgium and in Europe more widely. Antwerp is an important and prosperous business hub that has seen an upsurge in demand for tailored and high-end wealth services. We are confident that our new Flanders office harbours considerable growth potential.”