The manager in charge of institutional clients at Goldman Sachs Asset Management Switzerland has decided to leave the company as he mulls his next career move, research by finews.asia showed.

Alain Barthel was in charge of institutional clients at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) for five years. Now he's left the Zurich-based division according to reliable sources.

Goldman Sachs declined to comment about the change of personnel.

Barthel next destination was still under wraps but will entail a promotion for the manager, who is in his mid-40s. He will be appointed to a higher position at a Zurich-based financial services company, the sources said.

The French citizen has profound knowledge about the local asset-management industry. Before taking his current position at Goldman Sachs, Barthel was in charge of investment management at Morgan Stanley Switzerland and developed its sales organization.

Risk Model Specialist

He also acquired work experience at Crédit Agricole Asset Management and Paribas Asset Management. He's been active in the industry for two decades.

Barthel is particularly at ease with risk models as he proved in an interview with finews.ch. He warned institutional investors about quiet markets. They tended to lull investors into a false sense of jauntiness, which could prove costly. A smart risk management helped avoid this trap, he was convinced.

GSAM in Switzerland is active through Goldman Sachs Bank. It doesn't publish figures for Switzerland only.