De Ferrari, whose children range in age from 9 to 18, never went back to Goldman, instead spending his 20s founding several firms. One coordinates art exhibitions and events (he helps to manage his family’s foundation and art museum in Milan), another sold sunglasses in duty-free areas and shopping malls. He also worked for consulting firms Deloitte and McKinsey as well as for Swiss food giant Nestlé.
Aloof «Numbers Guy»
In 2002, he joined Credit Suisse, where he rose through the ranks of the European wealth operation before heading for Singapore six years ago. His appointment to the top job in Asian wealth in 2012 was a surprise: he lacked exposure to Asia, and represented a classic «external» manager with no client book of his own.
He stood out mainly as an analytical «numbers guy» who planned in five-year increments. He was viewed as aloof by the rank and file, largely because he was never spotted «walking the floor».
De Ferrari is going to stand out at AMP too: the Australian wealth manager sells products like superannuations (pension savings schemes), insurance, home loans, and other basic retail banking services. De Ferrari has spent the past six years courting Asia's highly-leveraged super-rich tycoons.
«Eat What You Produce»
He knows something of the Australian wealth market: he hunkered down and kept Credit Suisse in as rivals like UBS exited in recent years.
AMP knew to sweeten the move for him: de Ferrari stands to earn as much as A$17.7 million ($13 million) over the next three years under a new pay scheme if he can turn around the battered wealth manager.
De Ferrari said last year that a stint at Nestle «taught me that you cannot produce food you’re unhappy eating yourself.» AMP is about to get a taste of Swiss cooking.
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