The Julius Baer Group, whose most important operating company is Bank Julius Baer, has appointed Francis Hoefman as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and as a member of the Global Wealth Management Committee.

Hoefman will take up her new role on January 11, 2027, replacing Guido Ruoss, who will take on a new challenge outside the group after a total of 18 years with Julius Baer, according to the statement released on Monday.

According to the release, Hoefman brings more than 20 years of leadership experience at the intersection of human resources, corporate strategy and organizational transformation. For nearly 14 of those years, she worked for her most recent employer, Reckitt, a global British company with around 36,000 employees that produces cleaning products and other household goods. Most recently, she was responsible there for global talent development and leadership development, capability building in category management, and the HR agenda in research and development. In this role, Hoefman led a global HR organization with around 500 specialists.

Heinz and Mars

Before Reckitt, Hoefman held various HR positions at H.J. Heinz and Mars Inc. She began her career as director of VHPP, an association representing Philips executives.

CEO Stefan Bollinger on his bank’s new head of human resources: "We looked for the most suitable CHRO, regardless of industry or geographic origin. Francis Hoefman brings extensive experience as a global HR leader at a company known for building high-performing teams, fostering a growth mindset in a highly competitive environment, and cultivating an entrepreneurial culture of accountability, thereby achieving sustainable business success. She is a valuable addition to our leadership team and will help further develop our people strategy, unlock the full potential of our employees across the company, and position Julius Baer as an employer of choice for top talent."