Carmen started her career in finance before moving to an international accelerator of high impact entrepreneurs, an NGO, raising funds from Mexican family offices’ philanthropic arms to support the Mexican entrepreneurial ecosystem. That made her think: it would be fascinating to become more deeply involved with these leading business families through being their trusted wealth management advisor.

After her MBA, Carmen joined a large Swiss bank, initially in the United States and then Zurich, before moving to Julius Baer in 2018. Four years later, 38-year-old Carmen has returned to her native Mexico City with her young family, having recently become head of the Julius Baer’s representative office in Mexico.

As such, Carmen knows she has a big responsibility but also sees a big opportunity to offer Mexico’s wealthy something new. “I think the way families approach legacy is entirely different, and there’s a great opportunity to help them structure their assets the way that Swiss families and families in Europe and the US do,” she asserts. “Topics like inheritance, legacy, wealth planning, wealth structuring and philanthropy offer opportunities to us. We can help ease the potential conflict in families, especially when transferring wealth from generation to generation.”

Making a difference to our clients

As the leading Swiss wealth management group, established in 1890, Julius Baer stands out. It has multi-generational relationships with families in Europe and beyond, guiding them in the management and structuring of their wealth, implementing philanthropy, and even designing inter-generational family governance. That’s in contrast to the transactional approach of some international financial firms.

Leandro, a native of Uruguay’s capital city Montevideo, believes that few other firms offer his clients in Latin America’s southern cone the kind of holistic services that they can get from Julius Baer.

“The average age of my clients is 72, so their main concern is not so much buying and selling, but rather how their family is going to be safe and secure when they are not around,” explains 33-year-old Leandro, a junior relationship manager who recently moved to Zurich. “So, basically, that’s how I think Julius Baer and I create value beyond wealth: by being able to help families holistically.”

Most Latin America countries have gone through periods of geopolitical and economic upheaval at one time or another – one of the main reasons why the continent’s families are immensely adaptable, not to mention proud of their heritage.

Having worked with Julius Baer clients in Colombia and Peru since she joined the firm in 2008, Ana Belén, 44, a Zurich-based relationship manager, observes that family is very important for them, as well as the drive to be entrepreneurial in changing times. “They have this instinct to be very fast and very adaptive,” she says. “So, yes, they try to keep up with the new trends and reinvent the way they work. For example, one family sold cars with financing. And in the last two decades, they transformed the business into a licensed bank.”

“I feel that it’s a real honour to have a close relationship with these successful families. I’m not only an investment advisor, but I really have the possibility to get to know really interesting people, which is emotionally and intellectually satisfying,” notes Ana Belén.

Indeed, Carmen, Leandro, and Ana Belén all agree that it’s an immense privilege to win the trust of their clients. Not only do they live in some of the most vibrant cultures worldwide – rich in literature, art, music, and dance – but they also have long histories, shaped through the region’s ups and downs.

Valued and fulfilled

Ana Belén’s job has allowed her to indulge her passion for the creative arts, as she helped to launch the Julius Baer Art Prize for Latin American Female Artists in 2020, in association with the Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá in Colombia.

The three interviewees share a sense of fulfilment. Leandro feels particularly valued after receiving significant support within the Bank. Originally hired on a project basis in the compliance department in Montevideo in 2019, he was swiftly hired to a permanent role, offered a move to Zurich, and recently promoted to junior relationship manager.

From Mexico City, Carmen sums up her experience especially articulately: “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside remarkable people and learning from the best professionals in the market, in one of the finest organisations in the world,” she remarks. “I’ve been able to grow professionally while growing my own family. The support I’ve received from the company, the management, and most especially my team, is truly outstanding. And I’ll always be grateful for it.”

Let's shape the future of wealth management together! Join us.

> Check out our current job openings

Contactez-nous