Mauritius as a wealth management platform
Wealth management is the core activity of the Swiss company PLEION, incorporated in Mauritius since 2007. This decision comes from the conviction that Mauritius, with its well-regulated and structured International financial sector coupled with its strategic geographic positioning, has attractive features for wealth management.
“Unlike other international companies that content themselves with setting up their back office here, PLEION wants to develop wealth management skills in Mauritius. The island also offers an ideal gateway to reach neighbouring African countries. “We prefer to build on volcanic rock rather than sand – any comparison to the Middle East would be pure coincidence,” said Patrick Héritier, CEO of PLEION.
According Patrick Héritier, Mauritius shares many similarities with Switzerland in terms of both culture and language. Although the financial services sector of Mauritius is relatively young, compared to Switzerland with its two centuries of expertise, it has “the ability to become a key player in wealth management for Africa, and act as bridge between Asia and the Middle-East.
Operating in an open architecture, PLEION put its expertise at the service of its High-Net-Worth clients. Aiming for excellence when serving clients, PLEION works with major local and international banks, present in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and Mauritius amongst others.
Many of PLEION’s foreign clients include investors who approach the company to structure their cross-border transactions. To these clients, the company offers to manage their wealth from Mauritius. Concerning the investment strategy, two models are proposed. In the first case, the client gives full authority to PLEION for the management of his / her investments. In the second case, the company manages two thirds of the portfolio and the customer administers the remaining third.
Since the beginning of the year, PLEION has developed an offer intended for the Mauritian market. A diversification strategy that should enable the firm to increase its assets under management, which stands close to MUR 50 billion.
Article translated from Buiness Mag published on 22nd August 2018