03 October 2019
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Reyl Group has launched Asteria Investment Managers, an affiliate exclusively dedicated to social and environmental impact investing, to offer institutional investors access to a wide range of asset classes fully focused on this theme.
Asteria will have as a principal objective to offer institutional investors a comprehensive and coherent offering of impact products and strategies in order to provide much needed vectors through which capital can contribute meaningfully to a transition towards a more sustainable and equal society. It will provide access to a wide range of asset classes (thematic listed equities, sustainable bonds, alternative strategies, private debt and private equity), sharing a dual goal of financial returns and positive impact.
Asteria will allocate capital to companies that generate positive social and environmental benefits, looking to the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its frame of reference.
In July 2019, the Reyl Group recruited Katia Coudray as head of Impact Investing. Before contributing to Asteria's creation, she spent more than seven years with Banque SYZ as head of asset management, a member of the group's management committee, and head of the investment division. Prior to joining SYZ, she spent 11 years at Union Bancaire Privée as a member of the asset management division and the executive management team. This allowed her to develop and lead numerous departments such as multi-management, advisory, as well as the product innovation platform.
Coudray will be joined by three seasoned professionals in institutional management and impact investing: Guido Bolliger, head of investments and equity strategies; Natacha Guerdat, head of research; and Fabio Sofia, head of bond and private debt strategies. Together, this investment team will be responsible for establishing and managing future products. As part of the senior management team, Francesco Genovese, currently within the Reyl Group, will be responsible for the new company's commercial development.
Bolliger has more than 25 years of experience in managing and developing systematic investment strategies. In addition to his roles as chief investment architect and head of quantitative strategies at SYZ Asset Management before joining Asteria, he has also held various positions as head of investment and served as CEO of the Olympia Capital alternative investment fund.
Guerdat has devoted her entire career to responsible and sustainable investment, recognised as one of the sector's pioneers. She began her professional career as an ESG analyst at Lombard Odier and quickly moved towards sustainable portfolio management roles for nearly 10 years. She then dedicated her time to launching and developing the company Conser as a founding partner. She helped to develop the company's business through the implementation of sustainability analysis tools and processes. She is a founding member of Sustainable Finance Geneva (SFG) and Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF).
Sofia has devoted his career to developing and promoting impact strategies. He began at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and soon became a founding member of Symbiotics, a pioneer in microfinance, actively contributing to its development during his 13 years with the company in a variety of roles, including portfolio advisory. He is president of Sustainable Finance Geneva (SFG).
Sales and overall commercial development will be ensured by Francesco Genovese. Prior to joining the REYL Group in September 2018, he spent 17 years at Pictet & Cie, holding various commercial development roles within the asset management division. Thanks to his numerous responsibilities, he has forged an extensive network of institutional partnerships in Switzerland, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
