Quintet picks Vontobel executive as successor
Luxembourg-headquartered Quintet Private Bank has announced that Thomas Heinzl (photo) will succeed Chris Allen as Group CEO in the second quarter of 2026. Allen, a HSBC veteran who joined the Luxembourg-based bank in July 2022, will step down at the end of March. During his three-year tenure he steered Quintet back to profitability and reinforced the firm’s foundations for long-term growth.
Heinzl, 55, currently serves as chief financial officer and chief risk officer at Bank Vontobel in Switzerland, where he has been a member of the executive committee since 2020. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer at UBS Asset Management and COO for UBS’s Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. Earlier in his career, he spent over a decade at McKinsey & Company, advising global financial institutions.
Allen was appointed CEO of Quintet in May 2022, following executive leadership roles at HSBC Global Private Banking and JP Morgan. His decision to leave marks the end of a critical transition phase for Quintet, the private bank said. Allen plans to “embark on a new chapter in his professional journey,” Quintet said.
UBS names Sonja Laud as head of AM EMEA
UBS Asset Management has appointed Sonja Laud and Barry Gill as co-heads of its newly expanded investments business, which now combines direct public and private markets capabilities. The unit oversees more than 1,800 billion dollars in invested assets and forms a central part of UBS’s strategy to integrate global real assets with its traditional and alternative investment teams under one platform.
Laud, most recently global chief investment officer at Legal & General Investment Management, will join UBS on 1 July 2026 and will be based in London. She will report to Aleksandar Ivanovic, president of asset management, and will also take on the role of head of asset management EMEA, reporting to Beatriz Martin in her capacity as president UBS EMEA. Gill, who has been with UBS for 30 years and currently leads its traditional and hedge fund capabilities, will continue to be based in New York.
AMF president to join ESMA board
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced the appointment of Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani, president of French supervisor AMF, and Christopher P. Buttigieg of Malta’s MFSA to its Management Board, starting 1 January 2026. The appointments follow a vote by the Board of Supervisors on 10 December. Armi Taipale of Finland’s FIN-FSA was reappointed for a second term.
Barbat-Layani and Buttigieg succeed Greece’s Vasiliki Lazarakou and the Netherlands’ Jos Heuvelman, whose mandates expire at the end of 2025. The changes come as part of the regular rotation of members on the 10-person board, which oversees the implementation of ESMA’s strategic direction and work program.
The full board will include representatives from Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Malta and the ESMA executive, with the European Commission attending as a non-voting member. The Management Board is chaired by Verena Ross, with Natasha Cazenave and Vojtěch Belling also participating in non-voting capacities.
Flossbach von Storch expands management board
Christian Schlosser and Tobias Hirsch will join the executive board of Flossbach von Storch as of 1 January 2026, subject to regulatory approval by Germany’s Bafin. Their appointment completes the board, which now includes representatives for both sales and IT.
Schlosser has been with the Cologne-based asset manager since 2014 and was named partner in 2023. Since 2025, he has led the wholesale division in Germany and abroad. Hirsch joined in March to lead IT, data and cybersecurity, after previous roles at Bain & Company and Accenture. They join current board members Till Schmidt, Tobias Schafföner and Marcus Stollenwerk.
FE fundinfo appoints CFO & COO
FE fundinfo has named Ahsan Raza as chief financial officer and chief operating officer to help lead its next phase of growth. Based between Luxembourg and London, Raza brings extensive experience in investment banking and fintech, having previously served as CFO and deputy CEO at Calastone, where he played a key role in scaling the business and supporting its acquisition by SS&C. Prior to that, he led fintech M&A and coverage for EMEA at Barclays, following earlier roles at Rothschild and EY.
As a member of the executive leadership team, Raza will report directly to CEO Liam Healy and oversee finance, corporate strategy, business operations and FE Investments.
New role to share? Tell us at editor@investmentofficer.com.