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Philos & Partners
Philos & Partners was established in Zurich in 2019 by Francesco D'Amico, who previously served as Deputy CEO of Quilvest Switzerland and CEO of Unicredit...
Philos & Partners
Philos & Partners was established in Zurich in 2019 by Francesco D'Amico, who previously served as Deputy CEO of Quilvest Switzerland and CEO of Unicredit Private Wealth Advisory. The firm advises 25 international families with complex balance sheets on governance, investment management and family office services. D'Amico chairs a four-member Board of Directors that includes Germano Giuliani, Tatiana De Boisanger and Riccardo Biaggi, reflecting an institutional governance structure from inception rather than the single-principal model common in first-generation family offices. The firm allocates across private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and direct co-investments, with a stated focus on late-stage and pre-IPO opportunities. Its disclosed sector lens runs toward healthcare services and biotech, consistent with the team's expertise — Senior Investment Manager Niccolò Galli joined from Quilvest's private equity division, while Independent Investment Committee member Thomas Rostron brings over 35 years of institutional investment experience from BNP Paribas, Fortis Investments, and Barclays Wealth. Investment activity spans Europe and North America, with the firm favoring structured partnerships rather than passive fund commitments. Philos & Partners manages approximately USD 5bn in total client assets across its 25-family client base and is regulated as a FINMA asset manager, a status requiring board oversight, capital adequacy, and operational conduct standards that distinguish it from unregulated European family offices. The firm maintains a single office on Zurich's Claridenstrasse. Francesco D'Amico serves as CEO while also sitting on boards of several family holdings and foundations, extending the firm's influence beyond pure asset management into governance and succession planning for the families it advises. What structurally differentiates Philos & Partners is its decision to seek and maintain FINMA regulation as a multi-family office founded after the financial crisis. Most European MFOs of comparable size operate without a regulatory license, relying on private exemptions. Philos's public regulatory status imposes board-level liability, audited controls, and client-asset segregation — architecture that appeals to families who value enforceable fiduciary standards over the discretion-first culture typical of Swiss wealth advisory.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
2019
AUM
~USD 5bn (per firm website)
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Zurich
Corporate office
Claridenstrasse 25, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland
Principals
Francesco D'Amico
CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Girolamo Giacone
Chief Financial Officer
Nadja Kilchherr
Head of Client Management
Niccolò Galli
Senior Investment Manager
Thomas Rostron
Independent Member of the Investment Committee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Philos & Partners?
CEO and founder Francesco D'Amico chairs the Management Committee and oversees investment strategy, with Senior Investment Manager Niccolò Galli handling execution. An independent Investment Committee that includes Thomas Rostron — former CEO of Embark Investments and President of the Belgian CFA Society — provides external oversight of asset allocation and manager selection.
How does Philos & Partners source proprietary deal flow?
The firm draws on Francesco D'Amico's three decades of wealth management relationships and Niccolò Galli's private equity network from their shared tenure at Quilvest. Board members and investment committee participants contribute institutional connections across Europe and North America, giving the firm access to direct co-investments and niche fund placements that generalist wealth managers typically do not see.
Is Philos & Partners structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Philos is a multi-family office advising 25 families, not a venture firm. While it makes direct co-investments in late-stage and pre-IPO companies, it also allocates significant capital to private equity funds, hedge funds, and real estate. Its regulatory status as a Swiss FINMA-licensed asset manager reinforces its fiduciary rather than entrepreneurial posture.
Does Philos & Partners participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm uses both. Its declared investment types include private equity and hedge fund commitments alongside direct co-investments and SPVs. This hybrid approach allows the families it advises to blend diversified fund exposure with concentrated, conviction-led co-investments where they have proprietary access or expertise.
What investment stages does Philos & Partners typically target?
The firm targets late-stage and pre-IPO opportunities in its direct portfolio, consistent with a risk posture shaped by serving families who prioritize wealth preservation alongside growth. Earlier-stage exposure, if any, is accessed through committed fund managers rather than direct deployment.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Philos & Partners does not publicly disclose the wealth origin of the 25 families it advises. The firm is organized as a multi-family office serving international clients from Zurich, with no single disclosed source of founding capital beyond Francesco D'Amico's personal expertise and track record.
Does Philos & Partners maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Francesco D'Amico sits on boards of family foundations, indicating that philanthropic governance is part of the firm's service offering. Philos does not publish details about specific foundations or the separation between investment management and grant-making activities, though its advisory model integrates estate planning and governance alongside asset management.
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