“Client focus is my top priority”

Jochen Meyers: Francesca, let's be honest - did you know much about the fund services industry or Universal Investment during your time at HSBC, as Group CEO of Bank of Ireland, or more recently as Chief Operating Officer of Credit Suisse Group?

Francesca: In my previous roles in financial services, I have always been close to capital markets, maintained strong relationships in wealth and asset management, and had significant exposure to institutional investors. But did I know UniversaI Investment? No, but I wish I had! The company has an excellent business model and a unique success story that I’m excited to contribute to alongside our clients and the entire UI team.

With your first few months at Universal Investment behind you, what are your initial impressions?

Francesca: That it’s a fantastic business with an exceptional client base.

We have a great team, with very deep subject matter expertise, and excellent client relationships. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of our clients, and I’ve been impressed by the long-standing partnerships we have.

During my time at UI, we’ve also seen a very dynamic market environment. The world doesn’t stand still, and we have the opportunity to continuously refine our products and services, ensuring we deliver a best-in-class client experience. For instance, we see exciting possibilities to enhance how we support our clients through onboarding and lifecycle management. I also aim to expand our offering around Alternative Investment product solutions, given the increasing demand from many of our clients. These are just two examples of initiatives focused on providing a unified, high-quality experience across client types, jurisdictions, and asset classes that we are servicing.

Will Universal Investment become a completely different business?

Francesca: Universal Investment was, is, and will remain an open ecosystem for the fund industry, an independent fund services provider with substance and three strong platforms in Luxembourg, Ireland, and Germany. Over the past few months, my colleagues and I have worked together to refresh our strategy, focusing on building upon the strong foundation of our current business model and enhancing its key strengths.

We have a strong track record with asset managers and asset owners across Germany and Europe, thanks to our broad range of services, despite ever-increasing regulatory demands. This forms the backbone to our approach to attracting new clients, always guided by our purpose: enabling our clients’ success by providing best-in-class fund expertise and fostering trusted partnerships.

What does this mean for the product range?

Francesca: We will continue to expand our offerings for both asset managers and asset owners. One successful approach has been to increase the flexibility of our services, addressing product gaps, focusing on, and expanding our reporting and data solutions.

Why the focus on Alternative Investments?

Francesca: Growth in Alternative Investments is not a new topic, but we see a clear trend of asset managers and asset owners seeking more direct access to assets. Over the past decade, considerable expertise has been developed, especially in private equity. The next logical step is to diversify into other areas, such as private debt and infrastructure, which many experts believe offer relatively stable returns. With our expertise in the nuances of these assets and regulatory requirements of investors, we are the ideal platform to structure, launch, and support these investments.

Universal Investment has grown rapidly over the past decade. What role will smaller asset managers or asset owners play in the strategy?
Francesca: As a fund services platform, we are only successful if our clients are successful – regardless of their size. We’ve witnessed many success stories, especially from boutique asset managers, both from Germany and international firms entering the DACH market. Our growth reflects both the trust our clients place in us and, more importantly, their success. Looking ahead, sustainable growth will be critical for ongoing investment in digitalisation and regulatory solutions. This ensures we remain a trusted partner for our clients.

As we grow, it’s essential to remember that our own development is driven by clients of all sizes and types. That's why client focus is our top priority - for the business and for me personally.

How do clients benefit from UI Group’s ongoing internationalisation?

Francesca: We remain committed to Germany – it is our home market and heritage. As a market leader, we still see significant potential for growth within the country. These growth opportunities extend beyond asset owners and asset managers we’ve collaborated with as a trusted partner for more than five decades, to include our sourcing solutions for other fund companies.

However, our goal is to be active wherever our clients need us, so yes, internationalisation is important to me. We are one of the few platforms active in the three main fund hubs – Luxembourg, Ireland, and Germany. This gives us the flexibility to provide tailored solutions that meet our clients’ needs. Moreover, as regulations are becoming increasingly European rather than national, our international presence gives us the advantage of greater efficiency for the benefit of our clients. Additionally, our international footprint helps us stay ahead of global trends and developments and quickly apply these insights for the benefit of our clients in Germany and beyond.

We also actively support our clients in their internationalisation efforts, whether through distribution licences or our extensive network of custodians and distribution platforms. We are equipped to facilitate investments in many relevant jurisdictions, across asset classes and including alternatives and real estate, which is not a given among our competitors.

There have been recent changes in the management team at Universal Investment - will this continue?

Francesca: We want the best management team to drive the business forward for the benefit of all stakeholders. Recent appointments are very focused on supporting our clients. We have appointed John Burns as our Chief Technology Officer, an industry expert with extensive experience. We’ve also strategically leveraged the expertise within our own organisation. For instance, Mathias Heiss, who has been responsible for fund administration at Universal Investment for many years, has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of our German platform in addition to his role as Global Head of Operations.

The new role of our current Chief Customer Officer Katja Mueller is also very important. As Multi Supervisory Member and Senior Advisor, she will continue to ensure that client focus remains a priority throughout the Group.

Francesca: Jochen, a question for you – Marcus Kuntz, the new Group Head of Sales, and you, as the new Group Head of Relationship Management, will take over Katja Mueller's operational responsibilities. What are your future plans?

I’m grateful for the time I spent working with Katja Mueller on an operational basis, whose passion has been instrumental in building our strong client partnerships. I’m confident that she will continue to oversee this effectively in her new role.

Together with Marcus, we plan to continue on the successful path Katja has set, with high client satisfaction remaining our top priority.
Working alongside Marcus, I will also set my own strategic priorities. We already have one of the largest client relationship management teams in the industry, and I will continue to focus on optimising this team to provide tailored support through dedicated teams and contacts, while creating solutions to meet both current and future needs. I’m also looking forward to working with Andreas Gessinger to get to know our fantastic asset managers even better.

Jochen: Finally, on a personal note, you have an Irish background and are now running a company with strong German roots. What do you appreciate the most about this Irish-German cooperation?

Francesca: I love the blend of pragmatism and substance, the hands-on mentality, and attention to detail. Luckily, both Ireland and Germany are home to passionate and talented people who are deeply committed to the fund industry – and generous in their hospitality!