KPMG

KPMG has appointed Robert Ptaszynski as its head for the digital & innovation and managed services teams, based in firm's head office in Riyadh.
 
With extensive international experience in digital business transformation and building strategic alliances, he has grown to be a leading voice in the global technology advisory community.
 
Ptaszynski served as Head of Digital Global Industries and Geographical Lead for Accenture Digital Practice across Western Europe, cross-industry, with key account responsibility within financial services, manufacturing and communications. 
 
The majority of his professional qualifications, including from Harvard's Business School and Kellogg's faculty, were attained while building his practical expertise in software development, cloud migration, data & AI projects, customer experience transformation, and smart devices at global tech companies.
 
"Robert's deep knowledge of cutting-edge digital technology will support KPMG's diversified business requirements while driving business value. I have immense faith in his in-depth subject-matter expertise to build momentum and create futuristic operations for our clients," commented Islam Al Bayaa, Head of Advisory at KPMG in Saudi Arabia.  
 
Robert Ptaszynski stated: "I am incredibly excited to take on the role as KPMG strives to put purpose and innovation at the heart of the technology transformation agenda."

Julius Baer 

Julius Baer continues to expand in its home market Switzerland and has established a new submarket for Aargau and Solothurn to be headed up by Claude Luethi, who joined the Bank at the beginning of 2023. Also effective since 1 January 2023 is the appointment of Sepp Zellweger as head of Non-Profit Foundations in Switzerland.

Claude Luethi has more than 20 years of experience in private banking. He joins Julius Baer from Credit Suisse Switzerland, where he had held various specialist and management positions in private banking since 2002. For the last six years, he had been head of the Zurich North Region, Private Banking. 

Sepp Zellweger is an accomplished financial expert with many years of experience and an extensive network in the non-profit foundation business. Prior to Julius Baer, Sepp Zellweger had worked at Credit Suisse Switzerland in various positions since 1993, most recently as head of Partnerships, Foundations & Acquisitions for six years. 

Gilles Stuck, head of market Switzerland, Julius Baer, said: "I am very pleased that Claude Luethi and Sepp Zellweger will together with a team of proven relationship managers build and expand the Aargau and Solothurn market as well as our offering for non-profit foundations. They bring with them excellent track records and extensive experience.

"Both originally come from the top sports world and are used to delivering high performance. I am convinced that they will help us to serve our clients even better on a regional basis and to further develop our bespoke services in Switzerland."

Crestbridge

Marcelo Gazzi has been appointed a director within the Institutional Governance Services team at Crestbridge as part of the business's commitment to supporting quality oversight across its client base.

In his new role, Gazzi will play a key role in Crestbridge's Director Services team, supporting the evolution of the business' Governance Services proposition, which spans its Management Company, Director, Client Compliance, Depository, Trustee, Appointed Representative, and Operator business units.  

He will also champion Crestbridge's ongoing commitment to quality and service, drawing on Group technology and expertise to ensure clients, predominantly in the real estate and private equity space, continue to receive a cutting-edge suite of governance and oversight solutions tailored to their needs.

With over 15 years' experience in cross-border financial services, Marcelo started his career in the asset management sector in Brazil but has spent the past 12 years working for HSBC in both the UK and Jersey. 

Over that time, he has held roles predominantly in commercial and corporate banking, including in client onboarding, leveraged finance and hedge fund credit analysis, supporting the needs of multinationals and corporate service provider clients. Most recently he was wholesale chief administration officer for HSBC's UK non-ring-fenced bank and its Channel Islands and Isle of Man operation. He is a member of the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI).

Alex Le Quesne, group head of governance services at Crestbridge, said: "Providing robust, innovative governance support lies at the heart of our service proposition, as we continue to see the governance needs of clients across our private equity and real estate service lines become increasingly complex and sophisticated. It's a pleasure to welcome Marcelo to the team. His experience working within a dynamic, global corporate banking environment will further enhance our already experienced senior team as we continue to evolve and develop our governance services platform for clients."

Union Bancaire Privée

Union Bancaire Privée (UBP)  has recruited Christophe Gantenbein on 1 January 2023 as global head of private markets institutional solutions. 

Based in Zurich, he will be in charge of promoting UBP's private markets offering to answer institutional clients' needs including establishing new institutional strategic partnerships. He will work closely with Brice Thionnet, UBP's Global Head of Private Markets, and report directly to Nicolas Faller, Co-CEO of Asset Management and Head of Institutional Clients. 

He joins UBP after more than twelve years of service to Partners Group where he was a member of management in charge of Client Solutions for European institutional clients. Prior to joining Partners Group in 2010, he started his career in investment banking at Credit Suisse in 2005.

Nomura

Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management (NCRAM) has hired Meno Stroemer as head of emerging market corporate bond portfolio management.

Based in New York and joining from Fisch Asset Management, the new hire will bolster the firm's existing emerging market fixed income capabilities within both NCRAM and Nomura Asset Management. 

Stroemer and his team will work alongside Nomura's EM hard currency sovereign and EM local currency groups to offer all three disciplines of EM fixed income: Hard currency sovereign, local currency sovereign, and corporate. 

Prior to joining Nomura, Stroemer headed the portfolio management team and worked as lead portfolio manager of emerging market strategies at Fisch AM, where he spent eight years at the firm's Zurich office. 

He also previously worked for Morgan Stanley, where he built up the EM corporate trading desk and later transferred to their Global Capital Markets group to head the EM debt syndicate function globally. He also held roles at the credit desks at UBS and HSBC. 

The firm's EM hard currency sovereign and high yield corporate bond portfolios will continue to be run by the investment team led by Eric Torres in New York. 

Nomura AM also has a team in Frankfurt, led by Recai Gunesdogdu, which manages global and Asia-focused EM local currency strategies. 

Broadstone 

Chris Rice has become as head of Trustee Services at Broadstone, an independent pensions, employee benefits, and investments consultancy.

He has been at Broadstone for the past two years as a senior actuarial director in the Bristol office, bringing 15 years' of industry experience to the table. 

In his new role, he will lead Broadstone's dedicated Trustee offering as part of its wider Consulting and Actuarial division. The service will support Trustees with expert advice and proprietary technology to help them understand their choices and make confident decisions. 

Broadstone's Consulting and Actuarial division is a trusted adviser to over 350 Trustee Boards including their pension schemes and sponsors. 

Nigel Jones, head of consulting & actuarial at Broadstone, said: "Chris has been an integral member of our team for the past two years and was instrumental in the development of both our Sirius software and SM&RT Insure proposition. His sector expertise will be invaluable in directly addressing the needs of Trustees moving forward."

KGAL

Independent investment and asset manager KGAL has named Britta Roden as its head of research, as of 1 January 2023.
Roden has almost 20 years of professional experience and was most recently employed at Munchner Hypothekenbank after joining in 2018.

Andre Zucker, managing director of KGAL Investment Management said: "We have always attached great importance to our in-house research capability to make sustainably sound investment decisions on behalf of our clients. In particular, during volatile market phases, in-depth market knowledge is imperative."