When a business owner decides to sell, it often marks the first time the entrepreneur engages a private bank. Decades of capital tied to the enterprise can make the transition sudden and complex.
The European branch of a Geneva‑founded banking group has built its business model around this pivotal moment. Its chief executive explains that the bank partners with entrepreneurs before a sale closes, coordinating internal advisory teams and external partners to structure assets and plan succession ahead of the transfer.
Unlike conventional private banks, the platform operates as a large family office while retaining the full infrastructure of a regulated bank. Clients receive relationship managers and investment specialists, and the service model prioritizes long‑term engagement over transactional volume.
Offices in Luxembourg, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and London support the firm’s operations. Luxembourg serves as the booking center and regulatory hub, while each location adapts the group’s investment approach to local tax and regulatory conditions. The overall portfolio direction remains set at the group level.
The multi‑jurisdictional presence benefits owners with cross‑border interests, allowing the firm to apply local knowledge without imposing a one‑size‑fits‑all solution. A French owner selling a family company faces different succession rules than a Spanish counterpart, and the bank’s local expertise addresses those differences.
The firm’s private‑asset strategy reflects a long history of capital allocation to private markets. It offers semi‑liquid evergreen strategies that provide access to leading private‑equity managers, as well as direct co‑investments through club deals.
Each opportunity is vetted for portfolio fit, regulatory compatibility, and tax treatment before presentation to clients with the appropriate risk profile. These products are offered selectively, aligning with a relationship‑based model rather than mass distribution.
The firm’s two‑century legacy shapes its approach to succession planning,
