Julius Baer switches head gatekeepers

Swiss private bank Julius Baer has appointed a new head product selector for Asia to succeed Kenneth Ho, who is moving into a role focused on strategic projects.

Luigi Vignola will start on December 1 as head of investment solutions group (ISG) in Asia, in addition to his current role as Asia head of markets. He will remain in Singapore and assume the responsibilities of Ho, current head of ISG Asia and deputy head of global ISG.

Hong Kong-based Ho will focus on “selected projects of strategic importance”, said Julius Baer, but it declined to give further details or specify his new title.

It is understood that the role could focus on client development and investment-related projects.

Ho has been with Julius Baer since 2006, having joined from Credit Suisse.

Vignola will report to Burkhard Varnholt, global head of ISG and chief investment officer, in addition to his current reporting lines to Meier and Peter Gerlach, global head of markets. Based in Singapore, he joined Julius Baer in 2009 from Deutsche Bank.

ISG is the division that provides investment solutions to clients, comprising research, portfolio management, fund solutions and wealth and tax planning.

The markets division covers execution of client transactions, servicing direct-access clients and originating structured products.

Julius Baer had SFr385 billion ($398 billion) in assets under management globally as at the end of this October, of which Asia accounts for about 20%. The bank has around 1,000 staff in the region.