At Lienhardt & Partner Private Bank, things run a little differently than at other financial institutions.

That is partly due to its long history: the bank was established back in 1868.

A Hybrid Between Private Bank and Real Estate Firm

But its business model is also unique. The company has evolved into a hybrid of private bank and real estate firm, holding an extensive real estate portfolio of its own.

Since 2013, former Vontobel executive Duri Prader has been at the operational helm as CEO.

Expanding Bern’s Private Banking Presence

Recently, finews.com learned that Lienhardt & Partner intends to expand its private banking presence in the city of Bern.

For this specific mandate, the bank has hired former Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan banker Prusho Ponniah.

Previously Focused on Pensions

What’s behind this move? To find out, we met CEO Prader and wealth advisor Ponniah for coffee at the bank’s historic Zurich headquarters on Rämistrasse.

«Our presence in Bern is not entirely new,» explains Prader. In 2012, the bank acquired Pioneer Investment AG (PIAG), based in Switzerland’s capital, which specialized primarily in the pensions segment. «That remained our core business there.»

From Electrical Planner to Private Banker

And now the bank wants to grow its private banking offering? Prusho Ponniah, who grew up in Bern, originally completed an apprenticeship as an electrical planner. His network extends from the national to the international level.

He entered the financial industry in 2016 as an assistant financial consultant at VZ Vermögenszentrum.

Private Banking for the Middle East

Later, he spent over six years at Credit Suisse, initially in retail banking before advancing to account manager and then assistant vice president in international private banking for HNWI and institutional clients from the Middle East.

Immediately prior to joining Lienhardt & Partner in August, he worked for nine months as a client service specialist for UHNWI and institutional clients at J.P. Morgan in Zurich.

«Making Better Use of the Location»

«Beyond the exciting role, I was particularly drawn to returning to Bern,» says Ponniah. Here, he has an extensive network that includes many entrepreneurs – a core target group for Lienhardt & Partner.

«We see an opportunity to better leverage our Bern location by expanding private banking,» explains Duri Prader.

Organic Growth, Not Team Poaching

To achieve this, the new colleague will have to establish his own market access, from the Mittelland region to French-speaking Switzerland. «Our strategy is organic growth, not team poaching from other banks,» says Prader.

For Prusho Ponniah, the change of scenery also brings a cultural shift. «In Bern, banking does not hold the same prominence as in Zurich.»

Several Players in Switzerland’s Capital

Nevertheless, alongside offerings from UBS and Berner Kantonalbank, there are now three smaller private banks active in Bern.

In addition to Lienhardt & Partner, these include the long-established Von Graffenried and the newcomer Zähringer Privatbank, which finews.com recently profiled (Article in German).

A Strong First Half

Prader and Ponniah are confident that their bank can continue to grow in its niche. Just recently, Lienhardt & Partner secured first place for «growth» in a ZHAW study (finews.com reported).

And the numbers for the first half of the year looked promising: revenues grew across all business areas during the first six months. The bottom line was a half-year profit of 5.9 million francs, representing an increase of nearly 40 percent compared to the previous year’s period.