Indosuez Wealth Management group was recognised with five wins at the 2021 WealthBriefing European Awards^*:

• Best European Private Bank in the following categories:
  • • Client Service;
    • Change management & implementation of technology solutions;
    • Innovative use of artificial intelligence;
    • Gender diversity initiatives;
• Best Wealth Management Institution in the Principality of Monaco.

 

Jacques Prost, Indosuez group Chief Executive Officer, comments these awards.

 

What sets you apart from your peers this year and why?

First of all, I would like to emphasise that these five awards are a testament to the achievements made following the implementation of Indosuez group’s transformation strategy over the past three years to better serve its clients and meet the challenges of its industry.
Our clients are at the centre of our decision-making process. We have shaped our business plan in line with Crédit Agricole group’s, making client satisfaction one of our major concerns. As an example, in 2020 we created a network of "Customer Champions" in each of our entities to implement action plans aiming to improve the client experience.
Listening to clients with multiple backgrounds and ambitions is a crucial step for us. We take our clients’ feedback into account from the very first stages of designing new products and services, placing their expectations at the heart of our strategy. To this end, we have created the Indosuez Innovation Lab in October 2020. Located in Paris, the lab is open for our clients and allows them to be involved in our product development process, gathering their opinions and recommendations on our prototypes, and developing digital and agile solutions.
We plan to conduct new "CRI" satisfaction surveys in all Indosuez group’s locations in 2021 to meet our clients' expectations as closely as possible and continue to improve.
 

How do Indosuez group teams contribute to your organisation’s success?

Indosuez teams are a central component of our success, especially in a year like 2020, which has brought new challenges and transformed the way we do business. In all our locations, our teams have demonstrated a strong commitment to business continuity and constant improvement of our service quality. They have strengthened our value proposition for our clients and society by integrating social, environmental and economic considerations into their tasks.
 

What are Indosuez group's decisions to remain at the forefront in a rapidly growing region facing many challenges such as Europe?

Our creativity and continuous drive for innovation allows us to keep pace with the rapid evolution of our industry. We have created a team of representatives in our different regions to bolster and guide innovation and foster digital transformation. We have also adopted a forward-looking approach to disruptive technologies, without losing sight of our fundamental human-centred approach. All our developments in the digital and AI sphere are based on three key pillars: improving client experience, strengthening compliance operations and supporting employees and especially front-office teams in their daily tasks.
But technology is not enough. Indosuez group is constantly working to reinforce its added value and develop its offering for clients by anticipating their needs and paying close attention to their expectations expressed during meetings or consultations.
For instance, we have expanded our value proposition in responsible finance, which is now rolled out across all asset classes. Our approach to ESG considerations complements our expertise in philanthropy and impact investing and is a concrete response to the growing awareness of the major challenges facing our world for all stakeholders.
 

How has your company and your business model responded to the pandemic? Have you put in place new ways of working that are going to last?

Indosuez responded promptly to the pandemic. Asia being one of our main markets, before the Covid-19 crisis spread across Europe, we had already set up a central crisis unit at group level to coordinate the actions of all our entities, in close collaboration with the Crédit Agricole group. Our subsidiary Azqore, which manages our entities' IT and back-office, was essential to ensure the continuity of our activities throughout the world and to maintain our high service quality standards.
The pandemic required the implementation of remote working in a very short timeframe. This entailed a rapid provision of additional equipment for employees, as well as the creation of a secure remote access and the implementation of new helpdesk services. It was crucial to support our staff in this unexpected situation. We therefore offered them support and online training to share best practices, give a strong grasp of communication, ensure security and maintain a work-life balance. Most of this scheme is still in place at Indosuez.
 

What are the outlooks for wealth management in the new social and economic environment?

At Indosuez, we are convinced that diversity and equal opportunities are real drivers of innovation for today and tomorrow. They are a recognised source of performance and value creation and therefore lie at the forefront of our corporate project. In 2020, we adopted an Equal Opportunities Charter which marks Indosuez's commitment to fair human resources management, respecting the diversity of our employees and professional equality between genders. The charter reaffirms the measures undertaken to promote fairness in training, recruitment, working conditions, career development, promotion and remuneration.
 

What are your sources of inspiration while setting out your strategy?

Being part of the Crédit Agricole group is a unique opportunity for Indosuez, not only for the synergy potential with its multiple business lines, but also given the number of ideas and initiatives we can work on together.
We will continue to move forward to meet the increasingly high and diverse expectations of our clients and develop high value-added solutions around the three main pillars of our plan – the human, client and societal aspects. In line with the Crédit Agricole group's business plan and ambitions, we also aim to accelerate our digital transformation.

 

^{*The award was given by a panel of independent judges after a selection process in which many banks participated.}