Wealthy French people based in London are focusing on their careers, businesses and family matters, and are not overly concerned about Brexit, according to Robert Jeffree, who has been roped in by Banque Transatlantique as its Chief Investment Officer and will be based in its branch in London.
Banque Transatlantique, part of leading French banking group Crédit Mutuel-CM11, is an international French private bank which has a long tradition in Private Wealth Management, having catered to wealthy French nationals living overseas since 1881. The bank has earned the trust and confidence of its clients through the specificity of its services and expertise, which involves looking after families, entrepreneurs, French citizens living abroad and foreigners living in France and major foundations. Banque Transatlantique is present in 12 cities worldwide, from the West Coast of the United States to Asia.
Robert will be responsible for developing a new discretionary and advisory wealth management offering that will complete the bank’s private banking service in the United Kingdom.
This development comes a year after the successful launch of Banque Transatlantique’s UK banking services. These services have seen a growing demand from the bank’s core French non-domiciled clients, as well as from an increasing number of British nationals with interests, such as property and business, in France.
Launching in January 2018, the wealth management service will offer clients access to a range of portfolios constructed using regulated third-party funds. Investors will gain access to a broad and diversified range of risk premia derived from global equities, government bonds, credit and alternative asset classes and strategies. Rotation of investment style and factor exposures will be used to add value on a tactical basis. Fund selection will be a truly independent process, managed in London, with the focus being on liquidity, transparency and cost efficiency.
Robert says, “Between now and launch in January, I’m taking time to meet with our banking clients to properly understand their investment needs. We have no legacy issues to deal with; we can design our investment offering in the best way to meet the client’s objectives and the new regulatory framework. People often ask me about our client’s attitude to Brexit; the outcome is clearly uncertain but what I hear is that our clients enjoy living in London and the UK and are too busy focusing on their careers, businesses and family matters to be overly concerned.”
Robert has over 20 years’ experience in investment management. His previous role was as Chief Investment Officer of C. Hoare & Co. He started his career at HSBC Asset Management, before moving to McKinsey’s European Asset Management practice and then to New Star where he was manager of the Asia portfolio.
Gwenolé Le Blevennec, General Manager of Banque Transatlantique London branch, said, “His considerable experience will enable us to grow a wealth management offering to serve the investment needs of our clients. Banque Transatlantique continues to invest in the development of its UK operations, as we remain optimistic about the City’s post-Brexit prospects, and as a French bank are committed to growing our presence in the UK.”