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Where does Mirabaud want to expand?

We think we can do a lot where we are now. Our focus markets are Switzerland, the U.K., France, Spain, Belgium, parts of Latin America, and Dubai. There is a bigger probability that we open a new office in a market we work with, than opening something in Asia.

Why not in Asia – the fastest-growing wealth market?

I am not saying that we do not want to expand in Asia; we are rather focused on where we want to grow. We are currently too small to cover everything, but might revisit the Asia question in three or five years.

Can you tell me about what your younger clients are asking for?

You can’t make a rule out of one example, but a young woman told me philanthropy is very important to her. She wants to work with a bank which is doing the same with its money. This is becoming more and more important for our clients.

But Mirabaud isn’t a charitable organization.

The young generation wants to see a sense in what they’re doing and also what we are doing. They want to have everyone aligned.

«The competition we have in portfolio management is inspiring»

And I think this is one of the good things that we are doing: responsible and social investment is a growing part of our business.

Where do you draw your optimism for Mirabaud’s future from?

The future is great – difficult and probably complicated, but exciting. Our human size gives us the ability to adapt rapidly and thus have a solid position on the market. The competition we have in portfolio management is inspiring.

What about Mirabaud’s digital presence?

We have, for example, integrated a fintech, EdgeLab, for our advisory project. This tool has been co-developed with them to help private bankers, and it is working well.

«We have acquired twice in our history»

But while we need to evolve with fintechs, I also believe that we have to keep and emphasize the human aspect.

Where will Mirabaud grow the most in coming years?

Asset management will grow, even if it’s challenging, partly because we have excellent products including a recently launched private equity activity. Such a niche is excellent for synergies for private banking, where we also aim to grow.

Will you consider mergers and acquisitions to grow?

We have acquired twice in our history – Banque Jenni in Basel in 2004, and Venture Finanzas in Spain in 2011. If there is an opportunity, and it is a fantastic match for us, we will look and see if it is feasible or not.

Camille Vial studied numerical analysis and holds a degree in math from Switzerland's prestigious Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, or EPFL. She joined Swiss private bank Mirabaud in 2001, moving through various parts of the private bank controlled by her family and taking over portfolio management nine years ago.

As a managing partner, she is the seventh generation to run the bank. She also sits on the board of the Fédération des entreprises romandes and on the strategic committee of Sustainable Finance Geneva.