Diversification into institutional investments opens doors for Swiss banking institution, Banque Cramer

Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com

In the banking and financial sectors, where fluctuating numbers are the norm, having a knowledgeable partner with a short command chain is a much-needed asset to successfully navigate the volatile environment. Understanding the importance of such an advantage, Swiss private bank Banque Cramer has put a premium on personalised touch and agile decision-making to offer highly tailored services that best suit its clients’ needs.

“We focus on the human side of banking, listening and getting to know our clients,” says CEO Christian Grütter. “One of the major advantages of being with a bank such as Banque Cramer is that key people are around to make decisions.”

An entrepreneur’s bank, Banque Cramer offers personalised portfolio management, investment advisory, wealth services, financing and investment products to private and professional clients consisting of high-net-worth individuals and families.

Banque Cramer even offers its clients cutting-edge tools to make banking easier. It has developed a free robo-adviser platform called primeSelector, a worldwide equity screening tool that enables clients to develop their own strategy, test it and track results in a virtual portfolio.

Traditionally a purely private bank, Banque Cramer has expanded its scope to offer niche services to institutional investors. Taking into account industry strategies such as smart beta and risk premia factor investing, Banque Cramer uses an open architecture approach to customise an investment portfolio to match the client’s risk profile. Banque Cramer’s diversification into institutional investing paves the way for the firm to gain more clients in Asia amid a growing demand for risk premia specialists.

Tracing its roots back to 1709 when Pierre Cramer de Brandis established Cramer & Cie as an asset management and brokerage firm, Banque Cramer continuously grows and evolves through acquisitions.

“Our responsiveness helps us capitalise on the best growth opportunities. We believe that it’s not control that makes you money, but a good investment,” Grütter says.

Outsourcing its securities back office activities and information technology (IT) platform development to financial services provider Avaloq played an integral role in Banque Cramer’s growth strategy. In working with Avaloq, Banque Cramer built an extensive IT know-how that enabled the bank to acquire two banks, complete systems migration, and triple in size in a span of nine months.

Aside from building traction for its institutional investment business in Asia, Banque Cramer aims to work with professional investors in establishing its brand. It also seeks partnerships with local companies that can help build strong relationships with family offices in the region.

Banque Cramer
www.banquecramer.ch