Handover at Forum Finance
Geneva, 28th September 2022 – Geneva-based independent asset manager The Forum Finance Group SA has announced the appointment of Hippolyte de Weck as CEO as of 1st October 2022. He replaces Etienne Gounod, who becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors. This change of generation at the head of the company is part of the governance system that Forum Finance put in place many years ago to organise the gradual retirement of managing partners from the age of 65. While many independent asset management companies will not be able to obtain their FINMA licence before the end of December, Forum Finance offers a solid entrepreneurial framework to wealth managers looking for a structure that will allow them to continue to carry out their activities.
Hippolyte de Weck joined Forum Finance as a managing partner in 2011. Prior to that, he worked within the UBS Group for 17 years, holding various positions in the areas of bond issuance, risk management and private wealth management in Frankfurt, Zurich and Geneva. He succeeds Etienne Gounod as CEO, who is stepping down from the Executive Committee to become Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Etienne Gounod explained: “Our internal governance rules stipulate that at the age of 65 managing partners gradually retire to make room for the next generation. After 13 years as CEO and 19 years as managing partner, it is time for me to hand over the operational management of Forum Finance and focus on the long-term strategy of the company as Chairman of the Board.”
A solid structure and governance
With 28 years of steady growth, Forum Finance has proven its durability. Its robust and transparent governance ensures the integrity of its leadership and allows it to welcome new partners to ensure its continuity. With CHF 2 billion under management, it has sufficient resources to finance its future growth. This solidity is further underlined by its FINMA CISA licence, which allows it to extend its range of services to the management of investment funds and pension products. Finally, registered with the SEC, Forum Finance can also look after American clients.
Offering a compelling solution to wealth managers wishing to continue their activities
In view of the regulatory upheaval that the Swiss independent asset management industry will experience in the coming months, Forum Finance intends to play an active role in the upcoming restructuring process, in particular by offering a credible framework for wealth managers whose company will not obtain the FINMA licence, mandatory from 1st January 2023.
Hippolyte de Weck, CEO, added: “The warnings and figures published by FINMA in August clearly indicate that hundreds of Swiss asset management companies will not obtain this prized licence in time. Our size, the structure we have already put in place, our development prospects and the possibilities we offer to access our equity make Forum Finance a particularly convincing solution for wealth managers looking for a new environment in which to continue their activities.”
For additional information, please contact:
Egon Vorfeld
The Forum Finance Group SA
T: +41 (0)22 552 83 00
E: vorfeld@ffgg.com
ffgg.com
Ricardo Payro
Payro Communication Sàrl
T: +41 (0)79 460 57 74
E: :rp@payro.ch
payro.ch
About Forum Finance
Founded in 1994 in Geneva, Forum Finance offers private banking and asset management services to a high-end global clientele. It has 25+ employees who manage and supervise more than CHF 2 billion in assets. The company is regulated and supervised by the FINMA under the CISA licence and is registered with the SEC as investment adviser.