In an ever-changing financial market, Guillaume d'Assier de Boisredon, Head of Pictet Trading & Sales (EU), shares the keys to his team's remarkable growth, with orders up 85% and headcount quadrupling since 2021. Find out how his strategic approach and commitment to excellence enable him to meet the challenges of a volatile environment.
Your team has seen an impressive increase in orders (+85%) and a quadrupling of headcount since 2021. How have you managed this rapid growth, and what are the keys to your success in such a volatile market?
Transaction volumes have indeed risen sharply. However, we've been able to cope by building up our team as we've grown. Luxembourg is an attractive country for many financial professionals, and Pictet is fortunate to be a sought-after company too. We have taken advantage of these factors to recruit exceptional staff, while taking care to maintain a balance between the most experienced and the youngest, who bring us their energy and drive.
.The bank has also equipped itself with high-performance systems that have enabled us to optimize our processes while reducing operational risks.
Volatility has become the norm in financial markets. How is your team adapting to this new reality, and what strategies are you putting in place to take advantage of increasing market fluctuations?
Pictet does not engage in proprietary trading. We execute our clients' orders without conflicts of interest and focus our efforts on accessing the largest possible sources of liquidity. Thanks to our long-standing market presence and extensive network of counterparties, we can meet the expectations of our private and institutional clients.
We also operate three other trading rooms within the Group: in Geneva, our headquarters, in Montreal and in Singapore. This global presence enables us to react quickly and locally at any time of day, to best manage market volatility.
Pictet Trading & Sales now covers all asset classes. Which market segments do you see as having the most growth potential over the next few years?
Our customers must not suffer from a lack of access to the tools they need to manage their portfolios effectively. We are therefore maintaining sustained activity in all asset classes. However, markets are cyclical, and some assets will certainly become more popular as interest rates begin to fall in Europe. Typically, real estate, whether as a direct investment or via funds, seems well positioned for a comeback.
As the newest department within the Pictet Group in Luxembourg, how do you ensure that your expertise is seamlessly integrated with the Group's other entities while maintaining your specialization?
Trading is the engine room of asset management. Whether for our private or institutional clients, impeccable access to the markets is paramount. We therefore play an active role in the sales and investment strategies of the other departments. However, we are only visible to professional clients who have direct access to our dealing room.
For others, trading is part of the value chain offered by Pictet, but the performance of our service is integrated into that of the portfolios.
Trading was at the heart of Pictet's founding as early as 1805. How do you continue this tradition today, while meeting the challenges of modern trading, marked by rapid technological change and increased regulation?
In 220 years of evolution, Pictet has expanded its offering from simple intermediary to asset manager. Our customers see us as a trusted partner over the long term, sometimes for generations. But this is not enough to remain a respected player in our sector. We must also continually invest in our working tools to remain competitive and professional.
The legislation governing finance in Europe demands controlled processes, perfect traceability and excellent risk management. The Pictet Group invests significant amounts each year to maintain and improve our IT assets. Our technical center in Luxembourg, Pictet Technologies, also contributes to this effort by producing tools that make us more efficient.
This post was translated from the original French.