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UBS Asset Management (Canada)
UBS Asset Management (Canada) Inc was established as the Canadian institutional gateway for UBS Group AG, which itself traces its lineage to the 1862...
UBS Asset Management (Canada)
UBS Asset Management (Canada) Inc was established as the Canadian institutional gateway for UBS Group AG, which itself traces its lineage to the 1862 founding of the Bank in Winterthur. The firm operates from Toronto and Montreal, serving a client base that includes public and private pension funds, insurers, and foundations across every major Canadian province. It shares the parent group's global investment floor but maintains a distinct regulatory footprint as a portfolio manager registered with the Ontario Securities Commission. The firm's strategy spans liquid and illiquid asset classes. In public markets, it manages Canadian, US, and global equity mandates alongside government and corporate fixed-income strategies. Its multi-asset solutions group runs outcome-oriented portfolios for liability-driven investors. The real estate and private markets unit — which draws on UBS's global $100B+ alternatives platform — has placed capital into Canadian office, industrial, and multi-family assets, with known positions including the RBC Centre in Toronto and participation in the Portage III infrastructure fund. The firm operates a fund-of-funds model alongside segregated institutional accounts, and sources co-investment opportunities through UBS's international manager selection network. The Canadian entity operates within UBS's broader Americas asset management division, which as of 2024 managed over $600 billion in total assets globally (per UBS, 2024). The Toronto team is led by a country head who reports into the Americas CEO. In September 2023, UBS completed its acquisition of Credit Suisse — merging two of Switzerland's largest asset managers and consolidating substantial overlapping Canadian client relationships. The integration has expanded the firm's fixed-income and sustainable investing capabilities, while creating one of the world's largest active asset managers. What structurally separates the Canadian arm is its dual franchise: it serves as both a local portfolio manager and a distribution conduit for global UBS products — a hybrid model that lets Canadian institutions access direct infrastructure deals, hedge fund allocations, and private equity co-investments through a domestically regulated vehicle. This architecture avoids the cross-border tax and regulatory friction that standalone foreign managers face when soliciting Canadian pension capital.
General information
Firm type
Generalist
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
Canada
City
Toronto
Corporate office
Toronto, ON, Canada
Additional offices
Montreal, QC, Canada
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at UBS Asset Management (Canada)?
The Canadian country head oversees local portfolio management and client relationships, reporting into the Americas CEO of UBS Asset Management. Specific portfolio decisions within equity, fixed income, and real estate are made by dedicated PM teams in Toronto and Montreal. These teams draw on UBS's global analyst network while retaining autonomy over Canadian-domiciled mandates to comply with local regulatory and client governance requirements.
How does the firm source direct infrastructure and real estate deals in Canada?
The Canadian real estate and infrastructure team originates domestic transactions directly, leveraging relationships with local developers, operators, and pension co-investors. It also participates in UBS's global direct investment programs, which allows Canadian institutional clients to access deals sourced in Europe, Asia, and the US. This dual sourcing model combines on-the-ground origination with a pipeline fed by one of the largest institutional real asset managers globally (per UBS, 2024).
Is UBS Asset Management (Canada) structured as a separate legal entity from the Swiss parent?
Yes. UBS Asset Management (Canada) Inc is incorporated in Canada and registered as a portfolio manager with the Ontario Securities Commission and other provincial regulators. This structure subjects it to Canadian securities law, custody rules, and client-reporting standards that differ from the parent's Swiss and US regulatory frameworks. It operates as a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of UBS Group AG.
Does the firm offer private equity and hedge fund strategies to Canadian institutions?
It does. Through UBS's global alternatives platform, the Canadian entity provides access to private equity fund-of-funds, direct co-investment vehicles, and hedge fund portfolios. These are typically structured as Canadian feeder funds or segregated mandates to meet local tax and regulatory requirements. UBS's hedge fund solutions group — integrated following the Credit Suisse acquisition — is among the largest allocators in the industry (per UBS, 2024).
How did the Credit Suisse acquisition affect the Canadian asset management business?
Completed in September 2023, the acquisition merged Credit Suisse Asset Management's Canadian client book and investment teams into UBS's existing operation. It expanded the combined firm's fixed-income and sustainable investing capabilities in Canada while adding institutional relationships that overlapped with UBS's existing pension and insurance client base. The integration is expected to yield significant cost synergies and deepen the Canadian bench (per UBS, 2023).
What is the firm's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
UBS Asset Management regularly participates in co-investments alongside the external private equity and infrastructure managers it backs through its fund allocation programs. Canadian institutional clients can access these co-investment streams through segregated mandates, gaining direct exposure to individual assets without paying full fund-level management fees. This is a key differentiator for large Canadian pensions seeking to reduce fee drag in private markets portfolios.
Does UBS Asset Management (Canada) manage any liquid alternative or ETF products?
The Canadian platform offers liquid alternative mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that draw on UBS's global quantitative and systematic investing capabilities. Its ETF lineup includes equity income, factor-based, and thematic strategies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. However, the Canadian ETF business represents a comparatively small slice of UBS's global passive and smart-beta franchise.
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