PLEION and PROBUS announce their merger

A new leader among Swiss wealth managers is born:
PLEION and PROBUS announce their merger.

Sharing the same values and perfectly complementary, PLEION and PROBUS have filed a request for authorisation to proceed with their merger which will bring the newly formed independent Group to around CHF 4 billion of assets under management and 200 employees worldwide, including 60 in Switzerland. Patrick Héritier, currently CEO of PLEION, will take over the management of the new entity in Switzerland, subject to approval by FINMA.

When the two founders and main shareholders of PLEION and PROBUS first met in 2018, it was a simple discussion around a tactical opportunity in Monaco. But Antoine Darioli (PLEION) and Georges de Preux (PROBUS) immediately discovered common values and the same intuition about the exceptional complementarity between their companies and the common future potential.

Both companies have built on four decades of experience in wealth management (PLEION was founded in 1980, PROBUS in 1984) and have developed complementary skills. PLEION is very close to its clients based in Switzerland thanks to its six Swiss offices, a strong expertise in certain asset classes, an IT infrastructure and in-house development of proprietary applications. For its part, PROBUS has developed internationally with, in addition to its headquarters in Geneva, entities in Dubai, Moscow and Bangkok, proven expertise in emerging markets, fund management and private structuring (trusts, estate planning). Between excellence (PLEION in Greek) and integrity (PROBUS in Latin), the new Group's clients will benefit from a proven, efficient and broad spectrum of investment solutions from the outset.

To support this vision, the historical holding company of the PROBUS Group will become the umbrella company of the two groups and will bring together the entities at a global level, including in Switzerland the wealth management company PLEION SA (which will absorb Probus Compagnie S.A., again subject to FINMA approval), the consulting company Probus Advisory S.A. and Probus Trustees S.A. It will have four main shareholders; Georges de Preux and Bernard Bonvin, from PROBUS, and Antoine Darioli and Patrick Héritier, from PLEION, and will be administered by a board represented by them, whose essential function will be to supervise the orientation and development of the future group in Switzerland and abroad.

This joining forces on an equal basis will give the new Group the best possible chance of success, in an increasingly regulated environment.

The merger of PLEION and PROBUS, with its combined assets under management of nearly CHF 4 billion, will create a new leader in wealth management both in Switzerland and internationally.

The transaction remains subject to the approval of FINMA and other competent regulators.

About the new entity :

All group companies will be brought together under the current Swiss holding company Probus Holding SA, while the wealth management company Probus Compagnie SA will be merged into PLEION SA. With over 200 employees, including 60 in Switzerland, the Group will have six offices in Switzerland in Geneva, Bern, Nyon, Sion, Verbier and Zurich, as well as an extensive international presence in Bangkok, Dubai, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Monaco and Moscow through group entities. With nearly CHF 4 billion in assets under management, the Group is a new leader in wealth management in Switzerland and internationally.