The Future of Private Banking

Adrian Crichton

Private Banking Director, Weatherby’s

Biography

Adrian Crichton, Private Banking Director, joined Weatherbys in 2006 to develop Private Banking and Wealth Management services within this family owned group. He was previously at Barclays where he gained experience of Private Banking in France, Spain and Italy before returning to the UK as a Director of Barclays International and Private Banking.

Chris Meares

Global Chief Executive, Private Banking, HSBC

Biography

Chris Meares is a Group General Manager and CEO of Global Private Banking in the HSBC Group.

HSBC Private Bank generated pre-tax profits of over US$1,100m in 2009 and employs over 7000 staff in 90 locations with client assets of US$460 billion (at 31st December 2009).

Chris has worked as an International Manager for the HSBC Group for 30 years with the majority of his career spent in Hong Kong, the Middle East and the UK and Channel Islands. He has also worked in New York. Having gained broad experience in retail and commercial banking, and as a Strategic Planner involved in a number of HSBC's acquisitions, Chris has been in Private Banking for the last 10 years.

He is Chairman of HSBC Private Bank (UK) Limited, HSBC Alternative Investments Limited and HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA. Other directorships include HSBC Private Bank Holdings (Suisse) SA, HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA and HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd.

Chris graduated from Southampton University in 1978 with a BA (Hons) degree in Geography and History. He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Natalie Merrens

Head of Strategic Wealth Advisory, Kleinwort Benson Private Bank

Biography

Natalie joined Kleinwort Benson in November 2006 as Head of Product Advisory, with the key objective of developing a framework for providing holistic wealth management advice across the Kleinwort Benson client base, and assuming responsibility for new product development. Since then she and her team have introduced an innovative suite of products including hedge funds and private equity funds. Under her stewardship the Product Advisory team have also developed proprietary risk assessment tools for clients.

Natalie was a senior foreign exchange trader for Citibank NA before she began studying for a Masters in Investment and Risk Management at the City University Business School. After achieving a Masters with distinction, she was employed by Ernst & Young to help set up an Investment Consulting department for High Net Worth Investors. This department was then purchased by UBS AG Private Wealth Management in London, where Natalie was instrumental in the education and roll out of the Strategic Asset Allocation process used by UBS.

In 1997 Natalie won the Euromoney Award for Best FX Market Maker.

Andrew Haigh

Managing Partner, Entrepreneurs, Coutts

Biography

Andrew leads the Entrepreneurs Group, one of the largest business segments at Coutts with strategic responsibility for development of the service offering to 18,000 entrepreneur clients in the UK.

He joined Coutts 6 years ago and has recently returned from creating a private bank in China from scratch as part of the RBS co-operation with Bank of China. In addition he had responsibility for development of the customer experience in the UK business.

He began his career as an investment banker in both London and New York before moving to be finance director of NatWest's International Businesses Division in 1993.

From 1996 was based offshore first as chief operating officer for the NatWest Group's retail and private banking operations in 6 offshore jurisdictions and then managing director of the Coutts businesses in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

He returned to New York in 1999 for 2 years to act as country head for the NatWest Group's US businesses.

A linguist by training with a joint honours degree in French and Russian and in addition a diploma in Art History.

David Cavaye

Head of Investment Strategy, C Hoare & Co.

Biography

David has 18 years experience in investment management, and has spent the last few years developing investment strategy at C. Hoare & Co. He and his team provide strategy solutions for the management of private client portfolios, charities, trusts and personal pension funds. After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young he spent ten years as an investment manager and director at Martin Currie Investment Management in Edinburgh. At C. Hoare & Co., David and his team research both traditional and alternative asset classes, including UK and international equity markets, bonds, hedge funds, private equity, property funds and derivative structured products.

Interests: The visual and performing arts and travel.

Christine Ross

Group Head of Financial Planning, SG Hambros

Biography

Christine Ross has been Group Head of Financial Planning at Societe Generale Private Banking Hambros (SGPB Hambros) since April 2001. Her responsibilities include expanding and developing the bespoke financial planning operation ensuring the provision of an integrated wealth management service. She is a qualified Certified Financial Planner and an associate of the Institute of Financial Planning.

Christine is a regular guest BBC 1 Breakfast News and BBC 2 Working Lunch, as well as the BBC Radio 4 Today programme and Radio 5 Live. Christine also features regularly in the money sections of the Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph.