Sector

Nicolas Mackel, currently serving as the ceo of Luxembourg for Finance, is preparing to assume a new role as Luxembourg’s permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels. 

According to Luxemburger Wort and RTL, Mackel’s transition from the financial sector to a diplomatic post is expected to occur in September, marking his return to the international diplomatic arena.

Tokenisation is the next step for the asset management industry. So says not only Larry Fink, Blackrock’s CEO, but also Jeroen van Oerle, manager of Lombard Odier’s fintech strategy. He sees the potential impact mainly in private markets.

Switzerland is preparing to step up competition with Luxembourg as a fund domicile for alternative investment funds. The industry, however, is not convinced that the Swiss alternative can fully match the international success of Luxembourg Raifs.

From next month, the Swiss will allow management companies to create a new type of fund known as L-QIF that will compete with the successful regime for Reserved Alternative Investment Funds, or Raifs, first made possible in the Grand Duchy in 2016.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent move to mandate increased disclosure of fees and other costs by private equity funds has sparked a legal battle with the PE industry. Lawyers representing both the SEC and the PE industry engaged in a heated argument in a US federal court in New Orleans.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2023 continued to demand significant recoveries from financial institutions, although investment advisers were less frequently targeted. The year also witnessed the introduction of fines related to WhatsApp use and a record payout to whistleblowers.

While Wall Street is pulling out all the stops to curb ‘Basel III Endgame’, private lenders are in pole position for implementation of the banking rules. The price at which US big banks can borrow money will be skillfully undercut by private credit funds, but critics in the banking sector denounce the lack of effective supervision of the ‘non-bank’ lenders.  

This week’s overview of transfers, appointments, promotions and other people news includes updates from M&G, Oraxys, Kroll, Crestbridge and Julius Baer.

Kelly Hébert

Kelly Hébert (photo) has been appointed as head of France at M&G Investments, in parallel to her role as head of Belgium and Luxembourg. She replaces Brice Anger, who has decided to leave M&G after a 16-year career with the company.

Digital investment channels are no longer just the domain of the young or tech-savvy, but are increasingly being embraced by a broader demographic of retail investors. These insights come from a comprehensive survey commissioned by Amundi, Europe’s largest asset manager.

The European Commission expects to provide more clarity on the proposed supervisory standards for Eltifs, Europe’s new long-term investment funds, in the coming weeks, an EU official said on Tuesday.

In response to questions by Investment Officer, the official confirmed the Commission is currently considering the draft regulatory and technical standards under the updated regime for Eltif funds. The standards, known as ‘RTS’, were proposed a month ago by the European Securities and Markets Authority, Esma.

The trade association representing Europe’s fund and asset management sector has urged the executive body of the European Union to ensure that the correct technical standards are introduced. These standards are regarded as vital for the success of the new regime for European Long Term Investment Funds, known as Eltif 2.0.