# Sherpa Asset Management

Sherpa Asset Management is a Multi Family Office based in Zurich, Switzerland.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Multi Family Office
- **Headquarters:** Zurich, Switzerland
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Spluegenstrasse 12, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland
- **Founded:** 2008
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** sherpa-amc.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sherpa-wealth-management

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Sherpa Asset Management AG was founded in 2008 to manage the core assets of the Plaquet family, Belgian entrepreneurs who remain deeply embedded in the firm's daily operations. Gilles Plaquet serves as Chairman on the investment side, while Vanessa W. Büsser oversees corporate strategy as CEO from the Zurich headquarters. The firm also maintains an office in Brussels and operates under dual regulatory oversight from FINMA in Switzerland and the CSSF in Luxembourg. Investment activity runs through two independent but complementary strategies. The Liquid Strategy deploys capital across public markets through hedge funds and flexible, benchmark-agnostic mandates. Private Enterprises — executed via Sherpa Entrepreneurs Advisor under Olivier Morali — pursues direct co-investments, SPVs, and fund commitments spanning buyout, growth, and venture stages. Portfolio construction draws from a mix of private equity fund commitments and targeted direct deals, including a confirmed co-investment in data.world alongside Chicago Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and Pat Ryan's family investment group (per Altss research). Geographic coverage extends to Europe, North America, Asia, and South America, with sector focuses that include enterprise software, healthcare services, biotech, edtech, and data analytics. Morali's advisory board seats — spanning TR Capital IV and V, KLAR Partners I, Impilo II, DC Capital Partners III, and Bregal Milestone II — give Sherpa a flow of fund-level intelligence that feeds the direct side of the Private Enterprises book. The CIO of the liquid book, Vassilis Kourmpetis, leads the internal investment team alongside Investment Analyst Samuel de Montmollin, a CFA charterholder. On the board, Braymont founder Jan Unverhau and Pestalozzi partner Oliver Widmer contribute legal and private equity advisory muscle. The firm has not disclosed total AUM or aggregate deployment figures. What separates Sherpa from standard multi-family offices is the unusual structure: a dual-track firm where a single family of entrepreneurs shares governance and co-investment opportunities with a closed group of like-minded principals rather than opening to a broad client base. There is no indication of traditional wealth management or tax advisory services — the organization operates as an investment engine with institutional controls, not a service platform.

## Sectors

- AgriTech & FoodTech
- Healthcare Services
- EdTech
- Data Analytics
- Enterprise Software
- Biotech

## Offices

- Brussels, Belgium

## People

- Vassilis Kourmpetis — CIO
- Vanessa W. Büsser — CEO & CFO
- Olivier Morali — CEO, Private Markets (Sherpa Entrepreneurs Advisor)
- Gilles Plaquet — Chairman
- Thomas Plaquet — Vice President

## Questions

### Who controls investment decisions at Sherpa Asset Management?

Vassilis Kourmpetis leads the liquid public-markets strategy as CIO, while Olivier Morali runs the private markets operation as CEO of Sherpa Entrepreneurs Advisor. Chairman Gilles Plaquet remains closely involved in private-market decisions, and the investment team operates collaboratively with input from board members including Braymont's Jan Unverhau.

### Is Sherpa Asset Management a single family office or a multi-family office?

The firm is structured as a multi-family office, but the bulk of its assets come from the Plaquet family, Belgian entrepreneurs who founded the vehicle. Other like-minded investors participate alongside the Plaquets, giving the firm a hybrid character — a lead family with a small co-investor circle rather than a broad commercial platform.

### How does the firm split its capital between public and private markets?

Sherpa maintains two operationally independent strategies. The Liquid Strategy targets public-market investments through hedge funds and flexible mandates focused on capital preservation. The Private Enterprises arm makes direct co-investments, uses SPVs, and commits to private equity funds across venture, growth, and buyout stages. The firm does not disclose a fixed allocation ratio between the two books.

### What is Sherpa Entrepreneurs Advisor, and how does it relate to Sherpa Asset Management?

Sherpa Entrepreneurs Advisor (SEA) is the private-markets vehicle within the Sherpa group, based in Brussels. Olivier Morali serves as its CEO and pooled his personal capital with the Plaquets to build the direct-investment and fund-commitment program. SEA's advisory committee seats at firms like TR Capital, KLAR Partners, and Bregal Milestone provide sourcing advantages for the group's private portfolio.

### Which sectors does Sherpa Asset Management actively pursue?

Confirmed sector focuses include enterprise software, data analytics, biotech, healthcare services, edtech, and agritech & foodtech. The firm has made direct co-investments alongside other family offices and venture funds, including a position in data analysis platform data.world, where several family principals and venture firms participated.

### How is Sherpa Asset Management regulated?

The firm is supervised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in Switzerland and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg. This dual regulation reflects its cross-border structure with offices in Zurich and Brussels.

## Related profiles

- [Sherpa Africa Partners](https://altss.com/profile/sherpa-africa-partners)
- [Sherpa Capital](https://altss.com/profile/sherpa-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/sherpa-asset-management

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