Fiera Sees EMEA as a Key Growth Region
Canadian-headquartered asset manager Fiera Capital is setting the stage for international expansion. Under the leadership of a new global CEO, the company sees the EMEA region as a central pillar of its growth strategy.
Fiera Capital is an independent global asset management firm with approximately $112.3 billion in assets under management. Maxime Ménard, who served as CEO of Fiera Canada and also led Fiera Global Private Wealth for over a year before recently being appointed global CEO, aims to strengthen the firm’s global presence.
Ménard is supportive of the changes introduced by founder and outgoing global CEO Jean Guy Desjardins and EMEA CEO Klaus Schuster in early 2024 which saw Fiera reorganize its structure into four global regions, with EMEA playing a central role in its growth strategy.
«We are a global asset manager with a multi-style investment platform and an entrepreneurial spirit,» Ménard said in an interview with finews.asia. «Our investment teams span public and private markets and are present around the world, allowing us to partner with top talent wherever it resides. We’ve decentralized our distribution through four regional hubs.»
Regional Opportunity
According to the Canadian asset manager, the EMEA region presents a tremendous opportunity for the firm.
«We want to emulate the private banking model and serve our clients exceptionally well. Switzerland is our hub for wealth management distribution, and I want to connect Zurich and Geneva with London and Abu Dhabi,» said Schuster.
«Our platform was previously centralized in Canada, but we’re now evolving through regionalization – bringing our capabilities closer to clients. Our recent expansion into the Middle East reflects this approach and is already showing encouraging results.»
Niche Provider
Ménard notes that Fierra wants to capitalize on its strength as a niche provider outside its home market with solutions across public and private markets, such as a pan-European real estate debt strategy and investments in natural capital.
«We are able to respond to client needs based on their specific investment objectives. That may sound like a generic claim in this industry, but we’re not solely focused on growing AUM – we’re focused on delivering the right investment solutions. Our ability to customize offerings is a clear value-add,» he explained.
«We have a very robust investment platform, with $14.7 billion in private market assets. Our offerings span real estate, infrastructure and private equity, as well as industry-leading natural capital investments, including one of the largest global open-ended agriculture funds and joint ventures in agriculture and timber.»
Maxime Ménard was appointed global CEO in May 2025, succeeding founder Jean-Guy Desjardins, who now serves as executive chair of the board. In this role, Desjardins continues to provide strategic oversight, shape the firm’s investment philosophy, and guide global asset allocation across public and multi-asset strategies.
Fiera Capital is headquartered in Montreal and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Zurich office was opened in February 2024.
