Lombard Odier, which wins this year’s award for Western Europe’s best chief investment office (CIO), has taken a proactive approach to managing its CIO office over the past two years – an approach which is showing results.
Following the appointment in late 2023 of a new global chief investment officer, Michael Strobaek, Lombard Odier established a regional CIO model, with heads for Switzerland, EMEA and Asia. This sought to benefit the firm, its clients, and the extent to which global views incorporate a more diverse group of regional voices.
It also implemented a new framework for strategic asset allocation (SAA), which was particularly successful in delivering returns in 2024. That included a new focus on increased US equity and bond allocations, while divesting from non-core assets like Chinese debt and expanding in private assets to boost diversification. The firm reports a strong performance in its client portfolios thanks to the new SAA allocations, rooted in a robust house view process.