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oddo bhf’s ambitious plan in switzerland. addition after addition: the franco-german financial institution is rapidly expanding in switzerland. for former mckinsey partner christian zahn, the process is far from over. with zahn, the bank is pursuing an ambitious plan in investment banking. for years, oddo bhf flew under the radar, playing a marginal role in switzerland’s investment banking scene. however, that began to change in september 2024, when ceo and managing partner philippe oddo recruited christian zahn from mckinsey & company to lead the firm’s zurich office on gartenstrasse. since then, the franco-german financial group has made notable strides—particularly in corporate finance—as its investment banking arm gains significant traction. christian zahn. (image: provided). «this is a team effort, as is typical at oddo bhf,» zahn explained in an interview with finews.ch. «plans to expand our business in switzerland have existed for a long time, but integrating the group’s acquisitions here and overall took priority in recent years.». switzerland is to become third home market. zahn is oddo bhf’s head of investment banking and a member of the group management committee (gmc). his task is to advance the corporate finance platform —particularly in mergers and acquisitions—in france, germany, and switzerland, thereby boosting the financial group’s standing in switzerland. the goal is clear: after germany and france, switzerland is to become oddo bhf’s third home market. «we aim to increase our brand awareness here and position ourselves as a leading alternative to ubs for entrepreneurs and businesses,» zahn said. «as a franco-german-swiss bank, we have something unique to offer these clients.». the next 18 to 24 months will be critical. zahn brings a wealth of experience and know-how. at mckinsey’s zurich office, he was responsible for banking and insurance and served as co-head of the emea asset and wealth management practice as well as a member of the strategy & corporate finance leadership team. before that, zahn held a senior position in deutsche bank’s investment banking division in switzerland. zahn knows the swiss financial market well—and he’s aware that the current conditions for gaining market share haven’t been this favorable since the collapse of credit suisse. however, time is not on oddo bhf’s side. the next 18 to 24 months will be critical for the investment banking division. with that in mind, zahn and his team are ramping up their efforts. three main areas. the expansion is set to occur in three main areas:. wealth-management: oddo bhf made a bold move with the hiring of thomas burri. a former managing director at ubs, burri led the special clients desk for the emea region. prior to that, burri spent 20 years at credit suisse, holding various leadership roles in zurich and hong kong, focusing on high-net-worth private clients in europe and latin america. at oddo bhf, burri is responsible for all private wealth management activities in switzerland and will also be a member of the swiss management committee. optimistic about growth potential. investmentbanking/corporate finance: hubert preschez joined as managing partner and global head of m&a in february. two months later, andreas bienert and edward de stigter came on board as managing partners and sector heads in industrials and healthcare. results are already materializing: «we’ve secured mandates,» zahn noted. expectations for this area are high. oddo bhf aims to break into the top three of swiss equity trading. expectations are running high: oddo bhf is setting its sights on becoming one of the top three players in swiss equity trading. to achieve this, the franco-german private bank has hired eight renowned equity brokers and analysts under the leadership of stefan könig. with this move, oddo bhf now provides equity research coverage for about 80 swiss companies, offering these firms access to more than 800 institutional investors in the u.s. and europe, including around 100 in switzerland. asset-management: despite significant margin pressure, the bank remains optimistic about growth potential. this confidence stems from the collaboration among units in switzerland, germany, and france. «this deep connection to these three markets is unique in this form,» zahn explained. today, oddo bhf manages around 150 billion euros in client assets and boasts more than 1.1 billion euros in equity capital. in 2023, the bank reported net banking income of 806 million euros, and these figures are expected to rise substantially. still, zahn understands that expanding the team alone won’t be enough. «with customer trust comes success,» he remarked.
Oddo BHF’s Ambitious Plan in Switzerland
Addition after addition: The Franco-German financial institution is rapidly expanding in Switzerland. For former McKinsey partner Christian Zahn, the process is far from over. With Zahn, the bank is pursuing an ambitious plan in investment banking.
For years, ODDO BHF flew under the radar, playing a marginal role in Switzerland’s investment banking scene. However, that began to change in September 2024, when CEO and managing partner Philippe Oddo recruited Christian Zahn from McKinsey & Company to lead the firm’s Zurich office on Gartenstrasse. Since then, the Franco-German financial group has made notable strides—particularly in corporate finance—as its investment banking arm gains significant traction.
Christian Zahn. (Image: provided)
«This is a team effort, as is typical at ODDO BHF,» Zahn explained in an interview with finews.ch. «Plans to expand our business in Switzerland have existed for a long time, but integrating the group’s acquisitions here and overall took priority in recent years.»
Switzerland is to become third home market
Zahn is Oddo BHF’s Head of Investment Banking and a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC). His task is to advance the corporate finance platform —particularly in mergers and acquisitions—in France, Germany, and Switzerland, thereby boosting the financial group’s standing in Switzerland. The goal is clear: after Germany and France, Switzerland is to become Oddo BHF’s third home market.
«We aim to increase our brand awareness here and position ourselves as a leading alternative to UBS for entrepreneurs and businesses,» Zahn said. «As a Franco-German-Swiss bank, we have something unique to offer these clients.»
The next 18 to 24 months will be critical
Zahn brings a wealth of experience and know-how. At McKinsey’s Zurich office, he was responsible for banking and insurance and served as co-head of the EMEA Asset and Wealth Management Practice as well as a member of the Strategy & Corporate Finance leadership team. Before that, Zahn held a senior position in Deutsche Bank’s investment banking division in Switzerland.
Zahn knows the Swiss financial market well—and he’s aware that the current conditions for gaining market share haven’t been this favorable since the collapse of Credit Suisse. However, time is not on ODDO BHF’s side. The next 18 to 24 months will be critical for the investment banking division. With that in mind, Zahn and his team are ramping up their efforts.
Three main areas
The expansion is set to occur in three main areas:
- Wealth-Management: Oddo BHF made a bold move with the hiring of Thomas Burri. A former managing director at UBS, Burri led the Special Clients Desk for the EMEA region. Prior to that, Burri spent 20 years at Credit Suisse, holding various leadership roles in Zurich and Hong Kong, focusing on high-net-worth private clients in Europe and Latin America. At ODDO BHF, Burri is responsible for all private wealth management activities in Switzerland and will also be a member of the Swiss Management Committee.
Optimistic about growth potential
- Investmentbanking/Corporate Finance: Hubert Preschez joined as Managing Partner and Global Head of M&A in February. Two months later, Andreas Bienert and Edward de Stigter came on board as managing partners and sector heads in industrials and healthcare. Results are already materializing: «We’ve secured mandates,» Zahn noted. Expectations for this area are high. Oddo BHF aims to break into the top three of Swiss equity trading. Expectations are running high: Oddo BHF is setting its sights on becoming one of the top three players in Swiss equity trading. To achieve this, the Franco-German private bank has hired eight renowned equity brokers and analysts under the leadership of Stefan König. With this move, Oddo BHF now provides equity research coverage for about 80 Swiss companies, offering these firms access to more than 800 institutional investors in the U.S. and Europe, including around 100 in Switzerland.
- Asset-Management: Despite significant margin pressure, the bank remains optimistic about growth potential. This confidence stems from the collaboration among units in Switzerland, Germany, and France. «This deep connection to these three markets is unique in this form,» Zahn explained.
Today, Oddo BHF manages around 150 billion euros in client assets and boasts more than 1.1 billion euros in equity capital. In 2023, the bank reported net banking income of 806 million euros, and these figures are expected to rise substantially.
Still, Zahn understands that expanding the team alone won’t be enough. «With customer trust comes success,» he remarked.
