This week’s overview of people transfers and appointments includes updates from European fund and asset management association Efama, Astorg, EY Luxembourg, LuxReal, and Sygnum Bank.
Efama gets all-female board leadership team
Micaela Forelli, CEO Europe at M&G Investments in Luxembourg, has been appointed vice-president of Efama, the Brussels-based trade body announced after its annual general meeting in Malta on 20 June. Forelli brings nearly two decades of experience at M&G, having previously led the firm’s global financial institutions and European distribution business. Before joining M&G, she was sales director at Fidelity International.
The Efama presidency will now be an all-female leadership team for the first time in the association’s history. Samantha Ricciardi, CEO of Santander Asset Management, takes over as president for a two-year term until June 2027. Ricciardi, who succeeded BNP Paribas AM CEO Sandro Pierri, has held senior roles at Blackrock, Schroders and Citi in her 25-year international career.
Ricciardi said she embraces the presidency “with enthusiasm and a deep sense of responsibility” at what she described as a pivotal moment for Europe. She called for decisive action to create “a true Capital Markets and Savings and Investments Union” and a cultural shift to restore investor trust and participation in European capital markets.
Efama director general Tanguy van de Werve praised outgoing leaders Pierri and Massimo Greco of J.P. Morgan AM for their leadership during a period of economic and political transition. Efama members also elected a new board of directors for the 2025–2027 term. Luxembourg is represented in Efama by ALFI and its CEO Serge Weyland.
Astorg appoints Triebel to lead mid-cap strategy
Astorg has named Jérôme Triebel as partner and head of France and Benelux for its mid-cap fund, further expanding the fund’s senior leadership across core European markets. Based in Paris, Triebel will take up the role on 7 July 2025, relocating from London alongside two colleagues to reinforce Astorg’s local presence. His appointment aims to strengthen ties between the mid-cap and flagship funds and support the firm’s focus on backing specialised B2B businesses in healthcare, technology, and business services.
Triebel joins from Sagard, where he spent a decade leading mid-market investments across multiple sectors, including healthcare and business services. He previously worked at McKinsey and Deutsche Bank, and is a graduate of HEC Paris and École Normale Supérieure. Astorg’s mid-cap team, launched in 2020, now counts 20 professionals and has deployed nearly 60 percent of its 1.3 billion euro fund across six European companies.
Alban Aubrée takes the helm at EY Luxembourg
Alban Aubrée will become EY Luxembourg’s new country managing partner on 1 July 2025, succeeding Olivier Coekelbergs, who moves into a regional role as Managed Services Leader for Financial Services in EY Europe West.
Aubrée joined EY in 2002, became partner in 2015, and has served as CFO and COO since 2020. He specialises in private equity and has over 20 years of experience in auditing and operational leadership within the firm.
Coekelbergs, who joined EY in 2004 and led the firm’s private equity practice before becoming country managing partner in 2020, oversaw a period of strong growth. Under his leadership, the Luxembourg office doubled in size, surpassed 2,000 employees, and approached 500 million dollars in revenue. In his new role, he will focus on expanding managed services across the region.
LuxReal renews and expands advisory board
LuxReal, Luxembourg’s real estate association, has appointed five members to its advisory board for a term of up to two years, effective 12 June. Viviane Rouarch and Mohamed Isarti join the board after six years of service on the LuxReal Executive Board. Jean-François Trapp (president), Emmanuelle Ramponi (vice president), and Christoph N. Kossmann have all renewed their mandates.
Gabriela Payer named Chair at Sygnum Bank
Gabriela Maria Payer has been officially appointed Chairwoman of the Board at Sygnum Bank, following her interim leadership since September 2024 and the departure of Luka Müller for health reasons.
A former senior executive at UBS with board roles at Helvetia Insurance Group and Sphaira Innovation, Payer steps in as the digital asset bank experiences rapid growth, recently reaching unicorn status with a 58 million dollar raise and surpassing 4.5 billion dollar in assets under custody.
Her appointment coincides with an expanded board that now includes Pia Tischhauser (ex-BCG), Vinod Kumar (ex-CEO Vodafone Business), and J. Christopher Giancarlo, former CFTC Chair, as Senior Policy Advisor. Sygnum, with offices in Zurich, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, continues to strengthen its position in regulated digital asset banking.
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