GENEVA, June 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Swiss banking group SYZ announces the appointment of Katia Coudray as CEO of SYZ Asset Management, the institutional asset management division of the SYZ Group, which manages the OYSTER Funds range amongst other mandates. As CEO, she will also be a member of the Group's Executive Committee. After joining SYZ in 2011 as Head of Product Development, Katia Coudray was subsequently Head of Investment at SYZ Asset Management. In addition, Florent Guy-Ducrot is joining SYZ Asset Management as Head of Business Development, replacing Xavier Guillon.
Before joining SYZ in 2011, Katia Coudray worked for ten years at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in Geneva, where she was a member of the Asset Management Executive Committee and a member of the committee in charge of defining the group's investments. In the past 20 years, she has held positions notably in portfolio management, financial analysis and fund manager selection. Since she joined the SYZ Group, she has made a significant contribution to growing OYSTER Funds' assets, which have increased by around CHF 1.5 billion (Euros 1.4 billion) thanks to the launch of new strategies. Since she was appointed Head of Investment, she has succeeded in attracting new talents to join SYZ Asset Management, such as Michael Clements and Claire Manson from Franklin Templeton to manage the OYSTER European equity funds.
"Katia Coudray's appointment is an important step in the development of our institutional asset management division. Her long experience in asset management and the variety of positions she has held in the course of her career provide an assurance of success. I am convinced that she will be able to achieve the targets that we have set ourselves," said the SYZ Group CEO, Eric Syz.
Florent Guy-Ducrot will join SYZ Asset Management on 1 September 2015 as Head of Business Development. With 18 years' experience in finance, he has, in particular, held the position of Head of Sales & Distribution in various large asset management companies, notably including HSBC and Crédit Agricole (now Amundi), with the task of defining the marketing and sales strategy for international clients, including in Asia. During his career, he has held positions that have enabled him to cover all client segments, while maintaining close contact with the sales force. A member of the Executive Committee of SYZ Asset Management, Florent Guy-Ducrot will have a key role in implementing the Group's growth strategy.
"Florent Guy-Ducrot has in-depth experience in the asset management industry and I am delighted to have recruited this talent to SYZ Asset Management. He was especially attracted to our entrepreneurial model and our actively managed investment style," said Katia Coudray, CEO of SYZ Asset Management.
About SYZ Group
The Swiss banking group SYZ, founded in Geneva in 1996, has established itself as a respected player in the financial sector, thanks to an original concept and a proven track record over several years. Focused exclusively on wealth management, SYZ has a staff of 440 and CHF 29 billion (EUR 28 billion) in assets under management. In addition to the Bank's head office in Geneva, the group also has Swiss establishments in Zurich, Lugano and Locarno, and foreign operations in Milan, Madrid, London, Edinburgh, Luxembourg, Brussels, Paris, Dubai, Nassau and Hong Kong. Its business is based on two complementary pillars: upmarket private banking and institutional asset management, via discretionary portfolios and investment funds.
About SYZ Asset Management [1]
SYZ Asset Management is the institutional asset management division of the SYZ Group. It provides conventional and alternative investment solutions for institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurance companies, investment firms and investment funds. SYZ Asset Management meets the highest standards of institutional asset management and client service, thanks to its in-house resources in economic research and financial analysis, and in portfolio management and risk management.
About OYSTER Funds
OYSTER is the family of UCITS investment funds developed by SYZ Asset Management, designed to meet the specific needs of a professional clientele. Clearly focused on high-performance active management, this Luxembourg "SICAV" (mutual fund) comprises around 30 sub-funds authorised for distribution in and from Switzerland and is currently registered and distributed in various countries in Europe and Asia, via an extensive distribution network. In order to satisfy this discerning and demanding clientele, SYZ Asset Management entrusts the management of its OYSTER Funds to in-house and outside fund managers. Several strategies have received recognition in the form of various international awards.
[1] Any reference to SYZ Asset Management (SYZ AM) in this document, should be construed as being a reference to any one or more of the legal entities, listed below, dependent on the particular jurisdiction in which the document is published, subject to the investment products and services referred to herein being available to potential investors or categories of investors in such jurisdictions.
SYZ Asset Management ( Luxembourg) SA, SYZ Asset Management ( Suisse) SA, SYZ Asset Management (Asia) Limited, SYZ & CO Asset Management LLP, SYZ (France) SAS
Press release - New CEO SYZ Asset Management: http://hugin.info/166509/R/1927387/691815.pdf
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