A J.P. Morgan wealth veteran is teaming up with a former UBS heavyweight on an independent advisory to super-rich clientele, finews.com has learned.
Cindy Eicher and Philip Higson (pictured below) are founding partners of Carlyon, a Swiss-based independent advisor for ultra-high net worth individuals as well as family offices, the two told finews.com on Tuesday.
While Higson is already active, Eicher will join from March 1. They most recently worked together at Quintet in Switzerland, which folded last October. The duo are both veterans of the wealth management industry in Switzerland and internationally, respectively.
«In working with ultra-high net worth clients, there is a strong demand having access to exclusive investment opportunities and secondly they need credit facilities that go beyond standard solution like mortgages or Lombard loans,» Eicher, who is Swiss and Italian, told finews.com.
Seeking Advice Niche
Eicher was J.P. Morgan's head of private banking in Zurich until 2020, while Higson helped launch UBS’ global family office effort in 2010 and was a vice-chairman at the Swiss giant until 2017. They are seeking an advice niche where major wealth managers are increasingly seeking standardization.
Based in Zurich, Carlyon's services include evaluating credit facilities from different providers, securing access to unlisted deals, and providing an independent eye on investments.
«The common theme in all three verticals is doing the homework, getting paid for it, and providing an outcome that is better value in terms of price, quality, and effectiveness,» said Higson, who is British. «We want to be transparent and lower-cost.»
Partnering With Banks
They have secured Thomas Siegenthaler, a former UBS managing director in private banking, as an affiliated specialist for credit solutions. Now independent himself, Siegenthaler was most recently Quintet's group-wide credit chief.
Carlyon will not manage any assets itself, and work with banks for execution of the services it is offering. «Banks are our partners. We enable them to execute complex cases in a highly regulated framework,» Eicher said.
