Julius Baer introduces model portfolios for UK advisers

Julius Baer, a Swiss private bank, has rolled out a suite of model portfolios tailored for UK financial advisers.

The new range will be overseen by Gareth Johnson, who previously spent 14 years running the Model Portfolio Service at Brewin Dolphin.  

The offering consists of two types of portfolios: “active” and “passive+”, reported FT Adviser.

Both will cover risk profiles 3-8 as classified by Defaqto, Dynamic Planner and EV, the news publication said.  

The management of these models will be handled by a UK-based team, with input from Julius Baer’s network of 600 investment professionals globally. 

The new team includes Joshua Dale, Thomas Watts, Jennifer Christian, Gemma Mitchell, Tim Coverdale, Steven Fox and Jenna Saeb, according to a LinkedIn post by Julius Baer International CEO David Durlacher.  

This development forms part of the bank’s “long-term strategic” focus on the UK wealth management sector.

The company was quoted as saying by FT Adviser: “Demand for outsourced investment solutions continues to rise, driven by evolving client expectations and increasing regulatory complexity – including new requirements under consumer duty.

“At the same time, managing portfolios effectively requires deep resources, continuous monitoring, and access to global insights, all of which can be challenging for many IFA firms to maintain independently.” 

To support its expansion, Julius Baer has recruited specialists in investment management, sales support, business development and marketing specifically for this portfolio range.  

The models will launch on several platforms at the outset: Fidelity, Morningstar, Aberdeen, Quilter, Transact and Aviva. 

Commenting on his role, Gareth Johnson said: “What initially drew me to Julius Baer was the not just the size and global scale of the business, but the resource and dedication to positive client outcomes. As a pure play wealth manager, all of our efforts are focussed on wealth management. 

“The opportunity to bring this to the clients of advisers, and to support the IFA market is really exciting and we’ve been able to attract talent that are as motivated and enthusiastic as I am. We are excited to partner, with platforms, risk profilers and other stakeholders in the IFA ecosystem.” 

This move by Julius Baer echoes similar action from another Swiss firm, Edmond De Rothschild, which confirmed in January its own entry into the UK model portfolio space. 

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