COOs – Strategies to enhance the platform

Ralf has over 16 years of legal and compliance experience in the financial industry and holds a Master of Law from the University of Zurich. He kicked off his compliance career at Zürcher Kantonalbank and went on to perform various legal and compliance roles at Credit Suisse both in Switzerland and abroad.

Before rejoining EFG as Senior Managing Director, North Asia Head, Kees was a Managing Director at Hubbis. Kees Stoute IBFA, ran Sonam, a private banking training and consultancy firm, since 2012, during which time he also authored the book ‘Help, I’m Rich’ (John Wiley & Sons). Prior to that, he was the managing director of EFG Bank in South-east Asia. Kees has a distinguished career spanning the academic, IT & operations and private banking sectors, and has more than 20 years’ experience in Asia, most of the time spent in Singapore. From 2000 onwards Kees was in charge of the Private Bank of MeesPierson in Asia. MeesPierson was part of the Fortis Group, which acquired London-headquartered Dryden Wealth Management in 2005, of which Kees became global CEO and Chairman. After the integration of Dryden into Fortis, Kees moved on to the position of Managing Director of EFG Bank Singapore, where he remained in charge until March 2012. He left EFG Bank to set up and develop Sonam BV. He subsequently joined Hubbis as Managing Director in 2015. An experienced private banker, Kees served at MeesPierson from 1992 to 1996 as its regional head of IT. In 1996, he was promoted to the position of chief operating officer of Fortis / MeesPierson in Singapore. In this position, he became a member of the regional management team of MeesPierson Private Banking. In April 2000, he moved on to become managing director of the business line private banking and trust in Asia for MeesPierson and in 2002, he was (in addition) promoted to managing director of the legal entity MeesPierson Asia Ltd in Singapore. In 2011 Kees became one of the first in Singapore to be certified by the regulator in Singapore (IBF) as Financial Industry Certified Professional (FICP – Role Model 6), now called IBFA. In the same year, he was also invited to participate in the Private Banking Industry Group, a consultative forum which was established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to further strengthen the competency and market conduct standards of the private banking industry in Singapore. In 2012, Kees became the inaugural winner of the Hubbis Recognition of Excellence in Asian Wealth Management Award. In September 2015, Kees was given a certificate to denote his status as an ‘IBF Advanced Fellow’ for 2015. 

Jeffrey previously worked at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, UBS AG, Bank of Singapore, ANZ with senior roles in business risk management, business management, products, advisory, sales management and strategic planning. In BNP Paribas, Jeffrey demonstrated excellent leadership skills both in business acumen and ability to effectively develop and manage the global business risk management. From a regional business management perspective, he has also excelled in strategy thinking and develop global functional standards and operation framework. In UBS, Jeffrey was a director focused on all aspects of the business management within Investment Product and Services. He was nominated as the top business manager by absolute revenue amount the advisory services of UBS and was awarded with the CEO Asia Pacific Award in 2014 for the Best Partnership Awards of Banking Products APAC. He has also orchestrated and pioneer the development of platform solutions for Banking Products APAC. In Bank of Singapore, Jeffrey was instrumental to develop and cascading the Greater China’s strategy/mission statement and implement appropriate rewards and recognition and coaching to align personal, business and platform with company goals, including growth of asset under management and collaboration with OCBC. In Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Jeffrey was involved in business management role in Commercial Banking for Hong Kong. He also spearheaded the collaboration with Trade Finance, Cash Management and Global Markets to proliferate the RMB products liberalization to realize the Bank’s Greater China Strategy.

Yash Shah is a Partner at Synpulse. Being an expert in private banking and wealth management, he has been helping WMs in the region with their wealth transformation journeys and target operating models. He takes care of Synpulse's wealth business in Asia Pacific

Ralf has over 16 years of legal and compliance experience in the financial industry and holds a Master of Law from the University of Zurich. He kicked off his compliance career at Zürcher Kantonalbank and went on to perform various legal and compliance roles at Credit Suisse both in Switzerland and abroad.

Before rejoining EFG as Senior Managing Director, North Asia Head, Kees was a Managing Director at Hubbis. Kees Stoute IBFA, ran Sonam, a private banking training and consultancy firm, since 2012, during which time he also authored the book ‘Help, I’m Rich’ (John Wiley & Sons). Prior to that, he was the managing director of EFG Bank in South-east Asia. Kees has a distinguished career spanning the academic, IT & operations and private banking sectors, and has more than 20 years’ experience in Asia, most of the time spent in Singapore. From 2000 onwards Kees was in charge of the Private Bank of MeesPierson in Asia. MeesPierson was part of the Fortis Group, which acquired London-headquartered Dryden Wealth Management in 2005, of which Kees became global CEO and Chairman. After the integration of Dryden into Fortis, Kees moved on to the position of Managing Director of EFG Bank Singapore, where he remained in charge until March 2012. He left EFG Bank to set up and develop Sonam BV. He subsequently joined Hubbis as Managing Director in 2015. An experienced private banker, Kees served at MeesPierson from 1992 to 1996 as its regional head of IT. In 1996, he was promoted to the position of chief operating officer of Fortis / MeesPierson in Singapore. In this position, he became a member of the regional management team of MeesPierson Private Banking. In April 2000, he moved on to become managing director of the business line private banking and trust in Asia for MeesPierson and in 2002, he was (in addition) promoted to managing director of the legal entity MeesPierson Asia Ltd in Singapore. In 2011 Kees became one of the first in Singapore to be certified by the regulator in Singapore (IBF) as Financial Industry Certified Professional (FICP – Role Model 6), now called IBFA. In the same year, he was also invited to participate in the Private Banking Industry Group, a consultative forum which was established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to further strengthen the competency and market conduct standards of the private banking industry in Singapore. In 2012, Kees became the inaugural winner of the Hubbis Recognition of Excellence in Asian Wealth Management Award. In September 2015, Kees was given a certificate to denote his status as an ‘IBF Advanced Fellow’ for 2015. 

Jeffrey previously worked at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, UBS AG, Bank of Singapore, ANZ with senior roles in business risk management, business management, products, advisory, sales management and strategic planning. In BNP Paribas, Jeffrey demonstrated excellent leadership skills both in business acumen and ability to effectively develop and manage the global business risk management. From a regional business management perspective, he has also excelled in strategy thinking and develop global functional standards and operation framework. In UBS, Jeffrey was a director focused on all aspects of the business management within Investment Product and Services. He was nominated as the top business manager by absolute revenue amount the advisory services of UBS and was awarded with the CEO Asia Pacific Award in 2014 for the Best Partnership Awards of Banking Products APAC. He has also orchestrated and pioneer the development of platform solutions for Banking Products APAC. In Bank of Singapore, Jeffrey was instrumental to develop and cascading the Greater China’s strategy/mission statement and implement appropriate rewards and recognition and coaching to align personal, business and platform with company goals, including growth of asset under management and collaboration with OCBC. In Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Jeffrey was involved in business management role in Commercial Banking for Hong Kong. He also spearheaded the collaboration with Trade Finance, Cash Management and Global Markets to proliferate the RMB products liberalization to realize the Bank’s Greater China Strategy.

Yash Shah is a Partner at Synpulse. Being an expert in private banking and wealth management, he has been helping WMs in the region with their wealth transformation journeys and target operating models. He takes care of Synpulse's wealth business in Asia Pacific