Laurent Proutière: «We Are a Hybrid, Power Boutique»
Indosuez Wealth Management in Asia is leveraging both its agility as a boutique and the backing of Crédit Agricole Group to enhance its offering as it seeks to further build on the growth momentum in 2025, according to CEO Laurent Proutière in a conversation with finews.asia.
In 2025, Indosuez Wealth Management made significant progress in Asia with growth across the board. Its assets under management (AUM) rose 23 percent year-on-year to $23 billion with contributions from clients in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and mainland China.
In terms of the top line, the business benefited from what regional CEO Laurent Proutière called a «bonanza year for markets» as transactional revenue increased 40 percent while the recurring business saw $500 million of net new money, including a 45 percent boost to discretionary portfolio management (DPM) assets. Alternatives also observed strong demand, particularly in private markets.
«In our Mid-Term Plan through to 2028, Asia is a key focus for Indosuez Wealth Management,» Proutière said in an interview with finews.asia. «When I think of the region’s share of the global business compared to other parts of the group, such as investment banking or asset management, it’s clear that there is room to grow. Our shareholders have acknowledged this and it is Indosuez’s intention.»
Focus Areas for Growth
Moving forward, the private banking unit of Crédit Agricole will focus on several areas for growth. On client markets, it will place further emphasis on mainland China and evolve the business with dedicated coverage of external asset managers.
After expanding its headcount by a low double-digit percentage last year, Indosuez will aim to double this rate in 2026 while also moving to a new office in Singapore and revamping its existing office in Hong Kong.
Exploring Onshore
Outside of offshore markets, the bank is also exploring the option of expanding into onshore markets through, for example, strategic partnerships with domestic champions.
«I cannot elaborate much at this stage, but we have had good traction and it's something we're working on very, very hard,» Proutière shared.
«One Bank» Opportunities
In addition to the traditional wealth management business, the private bank plans to engage in more collaboration with other parts of the group, such as the investment bank, to provide so-called «one bank» opportunities like exclusive club deals or sub-carry financing.
«One of the main reasons that I was brought in is because of my deep knowledge of our corporate and investment banking setup in the region. My role is to build a bridge between it and the private bank for cross-divisional business, which will be especially attractive to ultra-high net worth clients and family offices,» commented Proutière, who joined Indosuez in March 2025 after previous roles like APAC head of international trade and transaction banking as well as Taipei branch CEO at Crédit Agricole CIB.
«We are a hybrid, power boutique. That is our positioning in Asia because we can be more agile than many of the larger players and, at the same time, rely on the powerful backing of the Crédit Agricole Group in terms of expertise and balance sheet support.»
«Geopolitical Tensions Are a Constant»
Despite the optimism, there are looming worries for the private banking industry, most notably from geopolitical risks that could further drive diversification across markets and booking centers. However, Proutière insists this is a type of expected risk.
«Clients are concerned but not really surprised because geopolitics is a key ongoing consideration when it comes to investing. Geopolitical tensions are a constant and not a variable – both globally and in Asia,» he noted. «Diversification is here to stay, including across our booking centers, but we don’t see this trend accelerating in particular.»
