Decalia Asset Management extended its reach to Zurich recently, covering all of Switzerland with its asset management portfolio. The firm sees huge potential in several niches of the business, a partner told finews.com.

Alfredo Piacentini, the former co-owner of Bank Syz, surprised banking observers three years ago by defecting to Decalia Asset Management as its main shareholder and CEO.

The Geneva-based firm has grown rapidly since then and today employs 35 people and manages assets of about 2.2 billion – more than double of what the company had under management when Piacentini joined.

In the past year, Decalia decided to open up shop in Zurich and installed Claudia Eftimie as head of the Swiss-German market. After the move, the company now covers all major regions of Switzerland.

No Fund Supermarket

And apart from private banking, Decalia in future will focus more on asset management, Decalia partner Xavier Guillon (pictured above) told finews.com.

Guillon worked for 14 years at Brown Brothers Harriman in London and New York, before joining Bank Syz ten years ago, where he developed Oyster Funds' portfolio and sat in top management. He moved to Decalia as head of asset management two years ago.

«We are not a fund supermarket, but a specialized provider which offers a value added to the mainly institutional clients, Guillon told finews.com.

Active Investment Strategy

Decalia employs an active investment strategy to use market inefficiencies, without relying on specific benchmarks. The company also focuses on the interaction between different investment categories like stocks, bonds and funds. The aggregation of these investment ideas leads to a so-called multi-asset-fund with an aim of achieving an absolute return.

The company will also put a focus on consumer trends. Ideas include what Guillon calls the sharing economy, with companies such as Airbnb, Uber and Netflix, and sustainable investments.

Hybrid Capital Products

A further potential growth market will emerge from the changing banking sector in Europe. Decalia has an agreement with U.K.-based Three Hills Capital, which specializes in corporate financing, developing hybrid capital products for institutional investors.

Last but not least, the company also has an interest in the Irish real estate market, where it cooperates with Lotus Investment Group. The country seems to have put behind remnants of the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 and demand for property is rising – with banks remaining extremely reticent.

Guillon is upbeat that the specialty focus of Decalia will yield attractive returns for institutional investors at a time of very low interest rates.