People Moves
Pictet To Move Up To 100 Roles Out Of Switzerland
The Swiss bank is moving some roles outside the Alpine state.
Pictet, the Swiss
private bank which recently reported full-year results, is moving
up to 100 middle- and back-office jobs out of the Alpine state,
most of which go to Luxembourg, with others to other
jurisdictions, over the next five years, this publication
understands.
The moves affect Pictet Asset Services, not the wealth management
side of the business. There are no redundancies as part of the
change and persons affected who wish to stay in Switzerland are
being offered roles in other parts of the group.
Such a shift happens at a time when banks are coping with rising
regulatory costs and looking to target jurisdictions with higher
revenue growth. Bigger rivals such as Credit Suisse, for example,
are targeting the Asia region in particular.
The venerable Swiss bank, which moved from an unlimited liability
ownership structure more than two years’ ago, employs around
3,900 people. Its largest office is in Geneva and it also has a
presence in regions such as Asia.
The bank declined to comment on the matter.
Pictet, as reported earlier this week, has appointed a senior
private banker to cover Southeast Asian markets. Grace Barki
joined the bank this week as managing director, senior private
banker, covering Southeast Asian markets.
A week ago, the bank reported that its consolidated net profit
fell 2 per cent to SFr452 million ($464 million) over the course
of 2015 despite a rise in assets under management. In its
unaudited figures for the full year, Pictet reported a SFr2
billion increase in assets under management or custody to SFr437
billion at the end of 2015.
The group has been busy hiring within its asset and wealth
management divisions. Most recently, Niall Quinn joined Pictet
Asset Management as global head of institutional business
(excluding Japan), while in December, Pictet Wealth Management
hired JP Morgan's Cesar Perez Ruiz as its new chief investment
officer.
On the departure side of the ledger, Pictet has seen the
departure of Yves Bonzon, a partner and chief investment officer
of its wealth business. He has since joined Julius Baer.