Updated:
Union Bancaire Privée Asset Management (UBPAM)
Union Bancaire Privée Asset Management (UBPAM) was formalized in 1997 as the fund-of-funds and institutional asset management division of Union Bancaire...
Union Bancaire Privée Asset Management (UBPAM)
Union Bancaire Privée Asset Management (UBPAM) was formalized in 1997 as the fund-of-funds and institutional asset management division of Union Bancaire Privée, the Geneva-based private bank founded in 1969 by Edgar de Picciotto. The unit consolidates manager selection and alternative investment access for the bank's wealth management and institutional clients. Nicolas Faller was named Co-CEO of the asset management business in 2021 alongside Mathieu Nègre, reflecting a generational transition from long-time investment head Richard Wohanka (per Financial News, 2021). The firm operates as a pure external manager allocator. UBPAM builds portfolios of hedge funds, private equity funds, private credit vehicles, and real assets, sourcing from a global universe of third-party managers. Its hedge fund platform, among the largest in European private banking, has historically committed to established macro, equity long/short, and relative value strategies. The private equity book spans buyout, venture capital, and growth equity fund commitments across North America and Europe. Direct co-investment capabilities sit alongside primary fund commitments, though fund-of-funds remains the structural core. Known underlying manager relationships have included commitments to firms such as TPG and CVC Capital Partners. UBPAM operates natively within the balance-sheet relationship of Union Bancaire Privée, which reported CHF 149.6 billion in total client assets as of mid-2023 (per Citywire, 2023). The asset management unit does not separately disclose its own regulatory AUM, and UBP group reports a consolidated figure that blends wealth management mandates with institutional allocation programs. Faller and Nègre jointly oversee dedicated manager-research teams in Geneva and Luxembourg, with additional investment personnel in London and Zurich. The unit runs a dedicated ESG and impact allocation framework, launched formally around 2020 and integrated into its alternative investment diligence process. UBPAM's structural distinctiveness lies in the closed architecture of its distribution — nearly all capital flows from UBP's private-banking channel, meaning the asset management unit functions as an internal investment office for the group's client base rather than an open-architecture third-party asset gatherer. This model concentrates manager access and fee negotiation for the bank's own clients, a posture closer to an outsourced CIO than a retail platform.
General information
Firm type
Generic
Year founded
1997
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Luxembourg
City
Luxembourg
Corporate office
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Principals
Nicolas Faller
Co-CEO Asset Management, Union Bancaire Privée
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at UBPAM?
Nicolas Faller and Mathieu Nègre serve as Co-CEOs of Union Bancaire Privée's asset management division, a structure announced in 2021. They jointly oversee manager selection and portfolio construction for the firm's alternative and traditional fund-of-funds mandates. The investment committee draws on dedicated research teams in Geneva, Luxembourg, London, and Zurich.
Is UBPAM a direct investor or a fund-of-funds allocator?
UBPAM is structurally a fund-of-funds manager. It allocates client capital to external hedge fund, private equity, private credit, and real asset managers rather than investing directly into operating companies or assets. The firm does maintain co-investment capabilities alongside selected underlying GPs, though primary fund commitments remain the dominant vehicle.
How does UBPAM source the underlying managers it invests with?
Manager sourcing runs through UBPAM's internal research teams, which use the bank's institutional presence and decades-long hedge fund allocation history to access capacity-constrained funds. The parent bank's CHF 149.6 billion in total client assets (per Citywire, 2023) and its reputation as a stable European limited partner give it early access to many closed or hard-to-access strategies, particularly in hedge funds and mid-market private equity.
What investment stages and strategies does UBPAM typically target?
In private markets, UBPAM commits to buyout, venture capital, and growth equity funds, with additional exposure to private credit and real asset vehicles. On the hedge fund side, it has historically allocated to macro, equity long/short, relative value, and event-driven strategies. The firm does not run internal deal teams for direct control investments.
How is UBPAM related to Union Bancaire Privée?
UBPAM is a fully integrated division of Union Bancaire Privée, the private bank founded in Geneva in 1969. Capital for UBPAM's fund-of-funds programs flows almost exclusively from the parent bank's wealth management and institutional client base, making the asset manager primarily an internal investment office rather than a stand-alone third-party asset gatherer.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: