Syz AM names CEO and head of funds

The Swiss banking group Syz has announced the appointment of Katia Coudray (pictured) as CEO of Syz Asset Management, the institutional asset management division of the Syz Group, which manages the Oyster funds range amongst other mandates.

As CEO, she will also be a member of the Group’s Executive Committee. After joining Syz in 2011 as head of Product Development, Coudray was subsequently head of Investment at Syz Asset Management. In addition, Florent Guy-Ducrot is joining the company as head of Business Development, replacing Xavier Guillon.

Before joining Syz in 2011, Coudray worked for ten years at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in Geneva, where she was a member of the Asset Management Executive Committee and a member of the committee in charge of defining the group’s investments. In the past 20 years, she has held positions notably in portfolio management, financial analysis and fund manager selection.

“Katia Coudray’s appointment is an important step in the development of our institutional asset management division. Her long experience in asset management and the variety of positions she has held in the course of her career provide an assurance of success. I am convinced that she will be able to achieve the targets that we have set ourselves,” said the Syz Group CEO, Eric Syz.

Florent Guy-Ducrot will join Syz Asset Management on 1 September 2015 as head of Business Development. With 18 years’ experience in finance, he has, in particular, held the position of head of Sales & Distribution in various large asset management companies, notably including HSBC and Crédit Agricole (now Amundi), with the task of defining the marketing and sales strategy for international clients, including in Asia.

During his career, he has held positions that have enabled him to cover all client segments, while maintaining close contact with the sales force. A member of the Executive Committee of Syz Asset Management, Guy-Ducrot will have a key role in implementing the Group’s growth strategy.

“Florent Guy-Ducrot has in-depth experience in the asset management industry and I am delighted to have recruited this talent to Syz Asset Management. He was especially attracted to our entrepreneurial model and our actively managed investment style,” said Coudray.