Vontobel has appointed Jean-Louis Nakamura to lead the firm’s CHF 15bn (£13.2bn) sustainable equities boutique as former boss Hans Speich heads towards retirement
Nakamura will report to Christel Rendu de Lint, deputy head of investments at Vontobel, and replace Speich, who departs the firm after 16 years.
The sustainable equities boutique, which has 35 investment professionals based in Zurich, Milan and Hong Kong, offers solutions in sustainable emerging market equities, Swiss equities, as well as impact and thematic investing.
Nakamura had previously been at Lombard Odier where over a 14 year period, he held numerous positions including deputy global CIO in Geneva and more recently was chief investing officer Asia Pacific and chief executive office of the firm in Hong Kong.
He started his career in the public sector, including roles as senior economist at the French Treasury and deputy financial counsellor at the European Union Council between 1995 and 2003.
From 2003 to 2008, he was CEO and CIO of the Civil Service Pension Fund and the French Pension Reserve Fund, where he was responsible for strategic and tactical asset allocation.
Regarding Speich’s departure, Rendu de Lint said, “Hans Speich was instrumental in developing our sustainable equity boutique and helped shape our investment-led culture. We thank him for his dedication and leadership.”
He added, “I look forward to working with Jean-Louis. His strong investment background and experience in managing investment teams will help us to further develop the boutique at a time when sustainable investing is entering a new and exciting phase, in which investors look for innovative and transparent solutions.”
Nakamura added, “I am thrilled to join Vontobel, whose strong investment culture and portfolio management discipline helps investors to achieve their long-term financial objectives.”
