Markus Pfister to succeed Felix Lenhard as COO of Vontobel

The appointment of Markus Pfister means that a proven banking expert with deep knowledge of Vontobel’s business and clients is taking on this key role. He has more than 30 years of industry experience and joined Vontobel in 2004 as Head Financial Products Engineering & Development. After holding various positions within Vontobel, he took over as Head of the SS&T Center of Excellence in 2020 and became a member of the Executive Committee of Bank Vontobel.

“We are very pleased that we were able to appoint Markus Pfister as the new COO, Head Technology & Services, thus leveraging Vontobel’s own talent and reflecting the deep pool of outstanding experts within our company. Markus Pfister knows Vontobel and understands the needs of our clients, and we know him. Over the past few years, he has successfully led SS&T, even in difficult markets. Markus Pfister was one of the creators of our market-leading Multi Issuer Platform deritrade and he has thus repeatedly demonstrated how technology can be leveraged for the benefit of clients in an exemplary manner. Powerful and reliable state-of-the-art technology is today one of the key factors driving growth and success. Going forward, we will continue to invest in modern technology to deliver first-class client service and generate future growth,” stated Andreas E.F. Utermann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vontobel.

In May 2023, Felix Lenhard informed the Board of Directors of his wish to step down from his operational role as COO at the end of 2023. This will allow him, among other things, to devote more time to his family in the future. To ensure an orderly transition, Felix Lenhard will retain his ties to the company beyond that date. Felix Lenhard has successfully worked for Vontobel for more than 22 years, including 13 years as COO and a Member of the Executive Committee.

Vontobel was also able to appoint an internal candidate, Otto Huber, as the new Head of the SS&T Center of Excellence. Otto Huber has been Head of Treasury & Fixed Income Solutions since 2020. Prior to that, he spent almost 15 years at Credit Suisse, where his final position was as Global Head of Liquidity Risk Management. He later served as CFO of a start-up that was sold to a listed company in 2020. Since 2019, Otto Huber has also lectured in Corporate Finance at the University of St. Gallen. SS&T will continue to operate as an independent Center of Excellence and Otto Huber will report to Christel Rendu de Lint. In addition to her role as Head Investments, she will represent SS&T on the Executive Committee.

“Otto Huber was the natural choice to take over the management of SS&T. Given his vast professional experience, he brings with him all the expertise needed for this role and he knows Vontobel and our culture. This will ensure not only an effective but also a smooth transition when he takes over the reins from Markus Pfister. I look forward to working with Markus Pfister and Otto Huber in their respective new roles,” said Zeno Staub, CEO of Vontobel.

Markus Pfister and Otto Huber are due to begin their new roles on January 1, 2024. All changes will take effect on January 1.

The appointment of Markus Pfister as COO is subject to regulatory approval.

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Vontobel
At Vontobel, we actively shape the future. We create and pursue opportunities with determination. We master what we do – and we only do what we master. This is how we get our clients ahead. As a globally active investment manager with Swiss roots, we specialize in wealth management, active asset management and investment solutions. We harness the power of technology to deliver a high-quality, individual client experience and to deploy our investment expertise across multiple platforms and ecosystems. We empower our employees to take ownership of their work and bring opportunities to life. We do so based on the conviction that successful investing begins with the assumption of personal responsibility. We continuously scrutinize our achievements as we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients. The registered shares of the Vontobel Holding AG are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The Vontobel families' close ties to the company guarantee our entrepreneurial independence. We consider the resulting freedom as an obligation to also assume our social responsibility. As of March 31, 2023, Vontobel held CHF 268.0 billion of total client assets. Around the world and in our home market, we serve our clients from 27 locations.

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