Team - Avalor Investment AG

AVALOR INVESTMENT AG

Our Team

  • Beat Schädler
    Beat Schädler
    Partner
  • Dr. Anja Römer
    Dr. Anja Römer
    Partner
  • Patrick von Koss
    Patrick von Koss
    Partner
  • Amaury Jordan
    Amaury Jordan
    Founder and Advisory Council
  • Andreas Lüber
    Andreas Lüber
    Partner
  • Reto Fehr
    Reto Fehr
    Partner
  • Stella Wolfsgruber
    Stella Wolfsgruber
    Partner
  • H. Christoph Balmer
    H. Christoph Balmer
    Partner
  • Andrea-Reto Müller
    Andrea-Reto Müller
    Partner
  • Carole Müller-Wildi
    Carole Müller-Wildi
    Partner
  • Juergen von Mach
    Juergen von Mach
    Partner
  • Hector Martin
    Hector Martin
    Partner
  • Walter Knabenhans
    Walter Knabenhans
    Chairman of the Board of Directors
  • Martin Schwizer
    Martin Schwizer
    Member of the Board of Directors
  • Wichard-Barnim von Gerlach
    Wichard-Barnim von Gerlach
    Associated Senior Consultant
  • Philipp Korach
    Philipp Korach
    Associated Senior Consultant
  • Dany Leutwyler
    Dany Leutwyler
    Chief Operating Officer
  • Kevin Ritter
    Kevin Ritter
    Chief Risk Officer
  • Gregor Perrot
    Gregor Perrot
    Chief Investment Officer
  • Mario Engeli
    Mario Engeli
    Investment Office
  • Andrej Vuksanovic
    Andrej Vuksanovic
    Relationship Manager
  • Ivanka Gojevic
    Ivanka Gojevic
    Portfolio Administration
  • Caroline Meier
    Caroline Meier
    Portfolio Administration
  • Jan-Erik Schnidrig
    Jan-Erik Schnidrig
    Portfolio Administration
  • Mario Bernhard
    Mario Bernhard
    PMS & Reporting Specialist
Beat Schädler
Partner

After a successful career in the banking industry, Beat decided to join Avalor in 2007. In the early years, he was mainly responsible for organizational tasks. In the process of succession planning of a partner, Beat took over a substantial client book, which he was able to further expand over the years. In this context, Beat became a partner of Avalor. Besides managing his client book, Beat became the CEO of Avalor in May 2021.

 
Education: Beat completed a commercial apprenticeship at a bank. He later graduated from Business Administration School in Zurich with a federal diploma.
 
Professional experience: After the commercial apprenticeship at a bank, Beat worked as an assistant at the stock exchange in Zurich. Being passionate in winter sports, he then moved to St. Moritz, where he worked as an allrounder at UBS. After returning to Zurich, he deepened his knowledge in banking at Bank J. Vontobel & Co. AG, a highly regarded Private Bank in Zurich. In 1992, Beat moved into the Investment Banking area and worked for NatWest Markets, Salomon Brothers and, after several company take-overs, eventually at Citigroup Global Markets Switzerland. There, he was a Managing Director and member of the Management Committee.

Dr. Anja Römer
Partner


 

Anja joined Avalor in 2015 as partner of the company. Besides work, she is an outspoken family person, football fan, art lover, and travel enthusiast. A few years ago, she got to know and appreciate the development aid project Smiling Gecko, which she has passionately supported ever since.
 
Education: Anja learned the banking business from the bottom up at a German district savings bank and subsequently deepened her knowledge of financial theory in her studies of Business Administration and a doctorate in Economics at the University of Bayreuth.
 
Professional experience: Anja gained practical experience at various banks in Bayreuth, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt as well as in New York and London, where she worked in Private and Corporate Banking as well as in the Asset Management. She worked at HypoVereinsbank (later UniCredit), UBS and Julius Baer before she became self-employed as an independent asset manager more than ten years ago. Further, she has been a member of the board of the Alliance of Swiss Wealth Managers (ASV/ASWM) since 2021.

Patrick von Koss
Partner

 

Patrick has been a partner of Avalor Investment AG since May 2010. The financial crisis was the trigger for him to switch from a permanent employment relationship to an independent asset manager – ultimately out of the conviction that this would enable him to serve his long-standing clients more objectively.
 
Education: Patrick completed a banking apprenticeship at Bankers Trust AG, Frankfurt, within the framework of a dual training programme and, in addition, a degree in Business Administration (BA) in Mannheim. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
 
Professional experience: Over a period of 12 years, Patrick worked for Trinkaus & Burkhardt KGaA Düsseldorf or, after the takeover by HSBC, for the HSBC Group in Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and finally in Hong Kong. He laid the foundation in Corporate Banking, then moved into Investment Banking in the Fixed Income (FI) & FI Derivatives division for international corporate clients and finally he worked for HSBC Markets in the European Fixed Income division for institutional clients in Asia. Afterwards, he moved to the private client side when he established the Asian Private Clients business for HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG as Managing Director. His return to Europe involved a move to UBS in Zurich, from where he was headhunted for the Wealth Management International division. Until his move to Avalor in 2010, he was responsible for the UK private client business at UBS for over ten years, most recently as Managing Director and Local Market Head Zurich.

Amaury Jordan
Founder and Advisory Council

 

Amaury is founding partner and a significant shareholder of Avalor. CEO until April 2021, he has in recent years increasingly focused on developing and mentoring the firm’s younger partners. While he continues to support the firm in client-related activities, Amaury has worked hard to ensure that he is eminently expendable. Amaury spends his time between Singapore and Zurich.
 
Education: Amaury was raised in Munich, Strasburg, Sydney, Prague, Montreal and New Delhi, before completing his studies in Paris and Boston. He is a graduate of the American University of Paris (‘summa cum laude’) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
 
Professional experience: Prior to founding Avalor in 2005, Amaury spent 20 years in the investment industry, first on Wall Street, later in Zurich where he worked for one of Switzerland’s foremost private banks. Amaury obtained his CFA Charter in 1990, was founding president of the Swiss CFA Society and is a former board member of the CFA Institute. More recently, Amaury was a founding member of the Alliance of Swiss Wealth Managers.

Andreas Lüber
Partner

 

Andi is a partner at Avalor since 2015.
 
Education: Andi completed a commercial apprenticeship in Pfäffikon in the Zurich region. Working part-time, he completed different study programs over the years in different areas. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Schweizerisches Institut für Betriebsökonomie (SIB) and is a graduate of the Executive Program from the Swiss Finance Institut. In addition, he was a certified team head within the Private Banking at Credit Suisse.
 
Professional experience: After a commercial apprenticeship at Spar- und Leihkasse of the district Pfäffikon, Andi worked at the securities and stock exchange back office of the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt. Later, he was working as a wealth manager at the Schweizerische Volksbank, before he held different positions at Credit Suisse. Amongst others, he was a financial as well as relationship manager and team head in the Private Banking HNWI Switzerland, before moving to Avalor in 2015.

Reto Fehr
Partner

 

Reto is a partner at Avalor since 2017.
 
Education: Reto completed a commercial apprenticeship at a bank in St. Gallen and various study programs in different areas. He is a Swiss Certified Banking Specialist, a Certified Fiduciary Expert as well as a graduate of the Executive Program Swiss Banking School and Senior Executive Program London Business School.
 
Professional experience: Since the start of his professional career, Reto works in the financial industry. Working for various banks and financial institutions, he gained experiences in the areas of trading, Wealth Management and financial planning. He built up the area of holistic financial planning at Credit Suisse in Zurich. As Managing Director, he was the head of several teams, covering the areas of financial, tax and estate planning as well as mortgage and real estate management. Based on his broad experience and education, he can advise his clients on a holistic level in areas even beyond the topic of Wealth Management.
 
In addition, Reto is actively engaged in and supports the interests of the homeowners community in Switzerland. In this context, he is a board member of the Homeowners Association of Graubünden and of the SECOND homeowners.

Stella Wolfsgruber
Partner

 

In 2020, Stella joined Avalor. Her clients benefit from her profound international experience in managing private wealth and in particular from her expertise in case of US relation. She enjoys spending her free time with her American Quarter Horses, but also on the Swiss mountain peaks and glaciers, where she engages in projects to maintain the SAC huts and mountain trails.
 
Education: She completed her commercial apprenticeship at one of the first global fund management companies to focus on sustainable investments. In addition, she also holds a federal diploma as a Certified Financial Planner and completed a higher education as a Certified Financial Advisor.
 
Professional experience: Stella gained her first experience in Private Banking at a well-known large Swiss bank in the department for UHNWI clients in Southeast Asia. Followed by a longer stay in Singapore, where she was able to gain intensive professional experience. After this, she worked for many years in the Wealth Management division of a renowned international private bank. The Swiss American Society elected Stella to the Board of Directors in 2022.
 

H. Christoph Balmer
Partner

 

Chris joined Avalor in spring 2015 as an independent partner. His in-depth economic expertise, long-standing client satisfaction as well as tailormade and personal client services are his trademarks.
 
Education: He is a graduate of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, where he studied business administration with a focus on accounting and controlling. Postgraduate studies at the Institute for Financial Analysis in St. Gallen awarded him the title of Certified International Financial Analyst and Asset Manager.
 
Professional experience: Before becoming self-employed, Chris worked for various financial institutions in specialist and management positions.

Andrea-Reto Müller
Partner

 

Andrea has been with Avalor since 2010. Initially working in a central role as portfolio manager, he has increasingly moved towards advising clients in recent years, and now assumes direct client responsibility as a partner. Among other things, he has specialized in complex consolidation and reporting mandates. He likes to do sports (ice hockey, mountain bike, running, skiing) and to spend time in nature with his family.
 
Education: After graduating from the Commercial High School in Davos (SAMD), he entered the banking business at a major Swiss bank. In addition to various banking training courses, he has continued his education alongside his job by completing several external courses and studies. He is a Swiss-Certified Banking Specialist (KV Zurich), a Certified International Investment Analyst (AZEK) and completed an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) in International Asset Management at the University of Liechtenstein.
 
Professional experience: Andrea started his professional career with a banking internship at Swiss Bank Corporation in Davos. Thereafter, he held various positions in Private Banking at UBS in Chur and Zurich. In 2005, he completed a 3-months assignment and worked for a project at UBS in Hong Kong. Back in Zurich, he worked as a client advisor in the Wealth Management International – UK market before his path finally led him to Avalor at the beginning of 2010.

Carole Müller-Wildi
Partner

 

Carole has been with Avalor since 2015 and is a partner.
 
Education: Carole completed her commercial apprenticeship in a trust office in Zurich. In addition to various language studies in Ecuador, Brazil, England and Geneva, she completed the Management School and graduated from the Analysts and Asset Managers School (AZEK) in Zurich.
 
Professional experience: After her commercial apprenticeship, Carole worked for 25 years for one of the leading Swiss private banks. Initially, she worked with Swiss institutional clients and private clients from Latin America. From 1998 onwards, she worked as a wealth manager for Swiss and international private clients.
 
Before joining Avalor to support and succeed founding partner Amaury Jordan, she spent a year in Sydney, Australia, with her family and their dog. Languages and different cultures are her passions. The topic of sustainability, which she brings in and implements on a company, but also on an investment level, is also key for her.

Juergen von Mach
Partner

 

Juergen joined Avalor Investment AG as a partner in 2024.

Having spent the last few years as Chief Investment Officer at E. Gutzwiller & Cie, he now brings his investment expertise to Avalor. His many years of experience as a CIO, combined with Avalor’s extensive buy- and sell-side research platform as a leading independent asset manager, will be of great benefit to his clients.

Education: Juergen holds a degree in economics from the University of Bonn and has successfully completed an MBA from the Peter Drucker School of Management in Claremont, California.

Career: Juergen started his career at BNP Paribas. There he won the Micropal award for the best European equity fund in Switzerland. He then worked for Lombard Odier & CIE in London before joining UBP in Zurich as Head of Asset Management. He went on to contribute his expertise as CIO of Societé Générale Switzerland. Subsequently, his career took him to Credit Suisse AG and HSBC AG, culminating in his last 9 years as CIO of E. Gutzwiller & Co.

Hector Martin
Partner

 

As a thoroughbred banker who learned his trade from scratch and has developed it extensively, Hector joined Avalor in 2024 in order to be able to respond even more closely to his clients’ needs and advise them with his extensive national and international expertise. Before his time in Switzerland, he lived with his family in the Philippines and Colombia. In his spare time, Hector is passionate about golf and enjoys discovering Switzerland and Europe with his family.

Education: Hector completed the commercial apprenticeship in 1994 with a focus on banking. He additionally holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at City University of Seattle, which he completed in Zurich in 2001.

Professional Experience: After training as a banking apprentice at Bank Leu AG, Hector worked in securities and foreign exchange trading alongside Hyposwiss and managed the Client Accounting team at GAM. He then moved to Indosuez Wealth Management, where he worked for over 22 years, most recently as senior advisor for UHNWI clients.

Walter Knabenhans
Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

Since 2011, Walter is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Avalor.
 
Education: Walter graduated with a diploma in Civil Engineering from the ETH in Zurich. He also graduated from the University of Zurich and holds a degree in economics as lic. oec. publ. (‘summa cum laude’).
 
Professional experience: Walter worked many years in different functions and in different countries at the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt resp. Credit Suisse. Lastly, he was the Chief Risk Officer and member of the Extended Group Executive Board at Credit Suisse. He then joined the Julius Baer Group and held various functions, until becoming the President of the Group Executive Board and CEO. Today, Walter is an independent financial and investment advisor and has several mandates in companies. Since 2011, he is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Avalor.

Martin Schwizer
Member of the Board of Directors

 

Although Martin was already involved in the conception and foundation of Avalor, he officially joined the firm in 2012 only. In the context of establishing an independent Board of Directors with a majority of non-executive members, Martin joined Avalor as a member of the Board of Directors.
 
Education: Martin completed his studies in banking at the University of St. Gallen (lic. oec.). He also holds a federal diploma for Financial Analyst and Portfolio Manager. He did further courses in the field of Executive / Board Member management, the field of activity he is currently active in.
 
Professional experience: Whilst working for a Swiss private bank, Martin got in touch with the client segment of independent asset managers. Based on this experience, he launched an independent and multi-bank portfolio information platform for independent wealth managers and family offices. He held various functions within the company PortfolioNet for 23 years. After the successful sale of the company to a foreign corporate group, his activities now include advising wealth management firms as well as service providers and suppliers in the financial industry.
 

Wichard-Barnim von Gerlach
Associated Senior Consultant

 

Since 2018, Wichard acts as Senior Consultant for Avalor and supports the firm in the relationship management of his longstanding clients.

Education: Wichard’s education started as commercial trainee in Hamburg and Paris, followed by a study of Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Professional experience: Prior to his role at Avalor, Wichard worked for international companies in the USA, Germany and Luxemburg. Since 1996, he works in the Wealth Management industry in Switzerland, whereof many years for the leading Swiss bank in Global Wealth Management UBS, followed by the British Barclays Bank where he was responsible for the Private Banking business of the Zurich branch.

Philipp Korach
Associated Senior Consultant

 

Since 2017, Philipp acts as senior consultant for Avalor und supports the firm in onboarding new clients and the relationship management of existing clients.
 
Education: Philipp spent his childhood in Switzerland, where he also graduated from the University of Zurich with a Master of Law. As part of his legal education, he spent two semesters at the University of Bilbao, Spain, focusing on European Law and Philosophy of Law. In 2019, Philipp additionally completed his postgraduate studies with a Master in Real Estate from the University of Zurich.
 
Professional experience: Soon after having graduated from law school, Philipp felt the urge to professionally develop and move to Asia, where he got a job at Credit Suisse in the Private Banking area. After a short training period at the head office in Zurich, he spent five years as a relationship manager in Hong Kong. Thereafter, he returned to Switzerland and joined Clariden Leu Private Bank as  Department Head for Chile, Peru & Bolivia, later becoming Department Head for the Indian Subcontinent and Far East. After the integration of Clariden Leu Private Bank into Credit Suisse in 2012, Philipp took over the responsibility for the Greater China business for Credit Suisse in Switzerland. In 2015, Philipp left Credit Suisse and joined Falcon Private Bank to manage the Private Banking business in Switzerland. Since late 2017, Philipp is managing a private real estate company apart from his cooperation with Avalor.

Dany Leutwyler
Chief Operating Officer


Dany works for Avalor since 2021 and is the Chief Operating Officer since March 2023. He is a member of the Executive Board as well as the secretary of the Board of Directors.

Education: Dany completed the commercial training with vocational baccalaureate at KV Zürich Business School. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree of Science ZFH in Business Administration, which he earned from the Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich.

Professional experience: After completing a commercial apprenticeship at UBS in Zurich, Dany held various positions in front and business management functions within the international Wealth Management at UBS in Zurich for 14 years. He then joined Barclays Bank (Suisse) SA and was the Business and Risk Manager for the Zurich office for almost four years, before returning to UBS in Zurich as Senior Business Risk Manager. Beginning of 2021, Dany joined Avalor in his current function.

Kevin Ritter
Chief Risk Officer

 

Kevin works for Avalor since 2023. He is the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and complements the Chief Operating Officer (COO) team. To balance his professional daily life, he is a passionate golfer and ice hockey player.

Education: Kevin completed his commercial apprenticeship at UBS in Zurich. Later he completed the higher technical school for economics at the Marketing and Business School Zurich.

Professional experience: After completing his banking apprenticeship, he worked in various support roles within the Wealth Management division at UBS until 2008. He then moved as a junior client relationship manager together with his team to the former Bank Sarasin, now Bank J. Safra Sarasin. From 2017 and until his move to Avalor, he worked there as a client relationship manager in the UK / Ireland market.

Gregor Perrot
Chief Investment Officer

 

Gregor joined Avalor in 2021 as Chief Investment Officer and is characterized by a very broad knowledge of investments in different asset classes. Besides his family, his heart beats for mountain biking, ice hockey and of course skiing.
 
Education: Gregor learned the banking business from the bottom up and, in addition to his diploma in banking, he also earned a diploma as a Financial Analyst and Wealth Manager from AZEK and a diploma of Advanced Studies in Pension Fund Management from the Lucerne School of Business.
 
Professional experience: Gregor worked for UBS, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank in the areas of Portfolio and Investment Management as well as Real Estate Recovery. After moving to the institutional Wealth Management, Gregor became chairman of the Investment Committee at Rieter Pension fund. Later, he was also responsible as a portfolio manager for various collective foundations at Axa Versicherungen AG. During this time, he acquired his extensive knowledge in the selection and implementation of long-term investment strategies
 

Mario Engeli
Investment Office

 

Mario joined Avalor in 2021 and is part of the Investment Competence Center. In addition to his professional activities, Mario spends his free time on numerous sporting activities and has a passion for cooking.
 
Education: Mario completed a commercial banking apprenticeship at Raiffeisenbank, followed by a vocational baccalaureate. He also holds a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in banking and finance, where he dealt with the topic of sustainable investments (ESG) in his bachelor’s thesis. Mario also has a diploma as a Certified Crypto Finance Expert.
 
Professional experience: After completing his banking apprenticeship, Mario started his career as a private client advisor at Raiffeisenbank, where he focused on providing comprehensive and consistent advice to clients. Later, he specialized in advising clients in the comprehensive area of Investment and Asset Management. 

Andrej Vuksanovic
Relationship Manager

 

Andrej joined Avalor in September 2018. In his role as client advisor, he supports international clients with their financial affairs.
 
Education: Andrej holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW. He is fluent in German, English and Serbian.
 
Professional experience: He started his professional career with a banking apprenticeship at UBS in Zurich, where he subsequently worked for seven years in the divisions Private Clients Switzerland and Wealth Management UK International. Before joining Avalor, he worked at Barclays Bank (Suisse) SA in Zurich as an assistant in Private Banking.
 
In his free time, Andrej enjoys fly fishing and playing basketball.

Ivanka Gojevic
Portfolio Administration

 

Ivanka works for Avalor since July 2022. She supports different partners in the client relationship management.
 
Education: Ivanka completed a commercial apprenticeship in Zurich. She then moved to the US and did a language course and travelled around the country. Later, she graduated as an Executive Assistant at the KV Business School in Zurich.
 
Professional experience: Ivanka completed her banking apprenticeship at Julius Baer in Zurich. After her return from the United States, she gained various work experiences in Swiss private banks, mainly in the field of Private Banking, where she worked as an assistant and client advisor in different markets.
 
In her free time, Ivanka loves to travel and to get to know the country and the people.

Caroline Meier
Portfolio Administration

 

Caroline works for Avalor since September 2022. She supports different partners in the client relationship management.
 
Education: Caroline grew up in Zurich and completed a commercial apprenticeship at Rahn+Bodmer Banquiers Co. She studied further in different languages and graduated as an Executive Assistant and Human Resources Specialist.
 
Professional experience: After her commercial apprenticeship, Caroline worked in the back office at Rahn+Bodmer Banquiers Co. and at UBS. Thereafter, she worked as an assistant in various areas including many years in the group management of Angst+Pfister AG, before she returned to the financial sector to work for the asset manager Burgauer Huser Aman & Partner. There she was mainly responsible for administrative customer support as well as for the operational human resources. She joined Avalor in September 2022.
 
Caroline enjoys spending her leisure time in nature, traveling to countries near and far, and exercising regularly.
 
 

Jan-Erik Schnidrig
Portfolio Administration

 

Jan-Erik joined Avalor in 2023. In addition to his professional activities, Jan-Erik spends a lot of free time on different sporting activities and likes to travel around the world.

Education: Jan-Erik completed a commercial banking apprenticeship at Schwyzer Kantonalbank. In addition to that he attended SIB (Swiss Institut for Business Administration) and completed his degree in Business Administration with specialization in General Management.

Professional experience: After completing his banking apprenticeship, Jan-Erik joined a well-known large Swiss bank in Zurich. At first, he worked in the International Tax Reporting Team and later joined the Business Management Team. After that, he joined the Wealth Management Team working with clients based in the Arabian Gulf. Before his move to Avalor, he worked for the same client segment at Julius Baer.

Mario Bernhard
PMS & Reporting Specialist

 

Mario works for Avalor since November 2022. He is the main contact person within Avalor for the portfolio management system. Additionally, he supports the partners with reporting and consolidation mandates.

Education: Mario completed the commercial training with vocational baccalaureate in Zurich.

Professional experience: After completing a commercial apprenticeship at Credit Suisse, he worked in the Mid Office Trading Support EMEA and NCSA at Credit Suisse. He then joined the EAM Business at Credit Suisse, where he worked for four years as an Assistant Relationship Manager EAM International Services covering the markets UK, EMEA, APAC and South Africa. After 10 years with Credit Suisse, he moved on and joined an Accountant firm and later worked for the Bezirks-Sparkasse Dielsdorf, before joining Avalor.

To broaden his horizon, he spent one year in China. He is a passionate ice hockey referee. In the rest of his spare time, he does sport and enjoys life with his partner.