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The firm has built one of the region’s fastest-growing asset management platforms, combining investment performance, governance rigour and strategic diversification to deliver sustainable growth.

GIB Capital has won the award for Outstanding Asset Manager in Growth Strategy at the Private Banker International – Wealth & Private Awards 2025 for its disciplined approach to expansion, strong governance framework, and consistent investment performance across diversified portfolios.

Commenting on the recognition, Abdulhadi Shahadah, Head of Financial Markets at GIB Capital, said: “This award reflects our team’s unwavering focus on performance, discipline and client-centric innovation. As Saudi Arabia’s financial markets continue to evolve, we remain committed to expanding investment opportunities that deliver sustainable value while upholding the highest standards of governance and transparency.”

Building a resilient platform

Since launching its asset management division in 2017, the firm has expanded its assets under management (AUM) to more than SR16bn ($4.3bn). At the core of this growth has been GIB Capital’s steady expansion of investment products and capabilities.

From its early focus on local equities and fixed income, the firm has developed a multi-asset platform encompassing alternative investments, primarily real estate and private equity funds, alongside sharia-compliant options. Its product timeline highlights a deliberate strategy of layering innovation over time: the launch of sharia-compliant opportunistic and conventional Saudi equity funds, followed by a Middle East and North Africa (Mena)equity fund, an ESG fund, and most recently a small- and mid-cap equity fund aimed at capturing growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s evolving capital markets.

Delivering consistent returns

Several of GIB Capital’s flagship funds have outperformed their benchmarks by more than 100 percentage points since inception. The GIB Saudi Equity Fund and GIB Opportunistic Saudi Equity Fund both rank among the top performers in their peer groups, while the newer Mena ESG Fund has posted strong returns since its launch in 2022. This consistent outperformance underscores the firm’s ability to combine local market insight with disciplined portfolio management.

“GIB Capital combines the stability of a state-backed institution with the agility of a specialist investment house”

Key to its growth strategy is its partnership with Stanhope Capital, a globally recognised advisory firm that enhances its institutional and private wealth advisory capabilities. The collaboration brings global best practices to governance frameworks, investment policy design and fund manager due diligence – areas that underpin sustainable performance and risk control.

Expanding client reach

GIB Capital has strengthened its client engagement and service delivery through a mix of personal and digital channels. Regional roadshows conducted with the firm’s Saudi and Bahrain arms have enabled it to connect directly with private and corporate clients, while investment in digitalisation ensures seamless access to its products and reporting.

New initiatives currently underway, such as systematic investment plans (SIPs) and thrift plans, underscore the firm’s commitment to making wealth creation more structured and accessible to a broader client base.

GIB Capital combines the stability of a state-backed institution with the agility of a specialist investment house. The firm’s leadership brings decades of experience in capital markets and investment management, ensuring its growth strategy is anchored in prudence, robust governance and long-term value creation.

Metrics That Matter

• SR16bn Total assets under management as of 30 September 2025
• SR8bn Value of alternative investments currently managed
• 7 Number of public funds launched across different asset classes

The bank’s Group CEO outlines how Quintet is helping clients mitigate risk and capture long-term value by integrating exposure to private markets

Quintet was recognised as Outstanding Private Bank – Europe at the 2025 PBI Awards. What does this recognition say about the bank’s strategic direction and its positioning in the European market?

We are grateful to PBI for recognising our success in building a client-centric firm that is profitable, sustainable and growing – underpinned by a unique geographical footprint, history and proximity to our clients.

Our strategy is to build on these differentiators, including a presence in more than 30 cities across Europe and the UK, and a legacy that spans more than 75 years in Luxembourg and over 200 years in several of our local markets. This foundation is reinforced by a world-class client proposition, further enhanced through our unique partnership with [investment management corporation] BlackRock.

At Quintet, we share a deep commitment to delivering exceptional client service, while our operating model is designed to give our teams more time to focus on what matters most: advancing the interests of our clients. We have much to be proud of – as this award clearly demonstrates – but recognise the constant opportunity for change and improvement to maintain our strong market position and competitive edge.

Quintet Private Bank has begun integrating private markets into client portfolios, supported by the European long-term investment fund (ELTIF) 2.0 framework and the partnership with BlackRock. Why is this important now and how do you see private markets reshaping client strategies in Europe?

Diversification is key to portfolio resilience, especially in volatile markets. That’s why Quintet integrates private markets into multi-asset portfolios – one of Europe’s first private banks to do so.

Alongside equities, fixed income and commodities, our clients can gain access to diversified alternative assets via evergreen funds. This enhanced approach unlocks opportunities once solely reserved for institutional investors, aligned with structural themes such as digitalisation and demographics. Anchored in our ‘protect and grow’ philosophy and in partnership with BlackRock, integrating exposure to private markets helps our clients mitigate risk and capture long-term value. 

Client expectations are shifting from ESG and impact investing to next-generation wealth transfer and digital experiences. Which of these trends will have the biggest impact on private banking over the next decade and how is Quintet preparing for this?

Amidst the greatest transfer of private wealth in history, we believe understanding generational drivers and differences is more crucial than ever for organisations that help families protect, grow and pass down wealth. Our NextGen clients expect ESG factors to be fully integrated in their portfolios. They also expect personal service to be balanced with digital delivery.

In this context, technology is advancing rapidly and AI is already reshaping how clients expect their wealth to be managed. It is transforming not only client experience but also how we work together to meet their long-term goals.

Europe is a highly fragmented market, with strong domestic players and global competitors. Where do you see Quintet carving out a distinct advantage?

Quintet combines local proximity with global capabilities. We are close to our clients – geographically and personally. Our clients benefit from that proximity to them and are served by professionals who speak their language and understand their long-term goals.At the same time, they benefit from our European scale and global perspective. Our experts collaborate across borders to bring the full breadth of Quintet’s capabilities to every relationship, regardless of where the client is based.

Time is our most valuable resource. That is why we continue to simplify our organisation and the way we work together, so we can focus on protecting and growing our clients’ wealth across economic cycles and generations. By working collaboratively, we ensure our time is spent where it adds the greatest value – in service to our clients.

What do you see as the critical success factors for the next five years and how do you intend to ensure Quintet is among the winners?

Nothing is more important than delivering outstanding client experience as a trusted adviser – one that is agile and efficient, allowing us to invest more time in understanding and meeting client needs.

Our success will be defined by our ability to provide world-class advice on critical topics such as wealth planning and intergenerational wealth transfer. This means striking the right balance between personalised service and digital innovation, ensuring every client receives the tailored support they expect, delivered in the way they prefer.

Chris Allen
Group CEO
Quintet Private Bank

With philanthropy and succession at its core, Bradesco Global Private Bank blends performance discipline with purpose, strengthening family legacies, inspiring next-generation leadership and driving sustained growth across its franchise

Bradesco Global Private Bank’s recent recognition for Outstanding Philanthropy Offering and Best Private Bank for Succession Planning reflects its distinct approach to wealth management – one that balances results with responsibility. As part of one of Latin America’s largest financial institutions, the bank closed 2024 with R$528.9bn ($90.3bn) in assets under management (AUM), marking a 15.9% rise from the previous year.

This growth is underpinned by a private banking model that integrates wealth planning, governance and philanthropy to preserve family identity and continuity. Serving more than 9,300 family groups, Bradesco’s succession and philanthropy services are structured to ensure wealth is not only protected but also purposefully directed toward long-term value creation. 

Structuring the future

In succession planning, Bradesco has positioned itself as a strategic partner for families navigating complex intergenerational transitions. Its Family Day and Governance Workshop programmes have brought together 36 families in immersive settings to define roles, strengthen dialogue and align long-term visions.

These initiatives have delivered tangible results, including a 49.9% increase in participating families’ revenues and a 1,043.7% surge in AUM abroad. Complementing these engagements, Bradesco’s Masterclass on life, career, wealth and legacy prepares successors to become conscious leaders, while its Wealth Planning Essentials Talks and publications generated more than 2 million impressions and 36,000 interactions in 2024 alone.

The bank’s legal and wealth-planning teams – recognised by UK legal ranking firm Chambers & Partners for five consecutive years – provide technical precision to match its educational outreach.

With offices in Luxembourg and the US, Bradesco supports families with global footprints through bespoke cross-border planning. In one recent case, the bank structured the relocation and tax transition of a family with assets exceeding R$100m, ensuring regulatory compliance, asset preservation and intergenerational continuity across jurisdictions.

Purpose in practice

Philanthropy forms the other pillar of Bradesco’s value proposition. The bank’s dedicated philanthropy cell within its Wealth Planning division is inspired by Fundacao Bradesco, Brazil’s largest private endowment in education, which invested R$1.4bn in 2024 and manages R$8.5bn in assets. Through partnerships with legal and ESG specialists such as PLKC Advogados, IDIS and Bradesco Asset Management, the bank manages R$34.5bn for philanthropic entities and connects clients to sustainable investment opportunities.

Programmes such as Philanthropy Chat and the Masterclass engage clients and their successors in structured discussions about social impact, responsible giving and long-term governance. The result is a wealth platform where purpose and performance reinforce one another, setting a high benchmark for Latin America’s private banking sector.

Together, these initiatives form a cohesive philosophy where planning for inheritance naturally evolves into planning for impact. For Bradesco, legacy is not limited to the transfer of assets but extends to how families define purpose through responsible giving. By integrating performance discipline with human purpose, Bradesco Global Private Bank demonstrates how strategic foresight and social responsibility can co-exist within a modern private banking model.

Metrics That Matter

• 9% Year-on-year growth in assets under management
• R$528.9bn Total AUM at year-end 2024
• R$30.6bn Value of net new money added during the year, marking a 10.9% increase
• 20,366 Number of private clients served, up 11.1% from 2023

Farro Capital integrates wealth structuring, governance and independent investment with education and cross-cultural advisory services

Singapore-headquartered Farro Capital’s family office proposition is built on a foundation of multi-generational planning. Its advisers integrate estate planning, tax and cross-border structuring into a seamless strategy that aligns asset ownership with family values and long-term objectives.

Today, the firm supports more than 100 ultra-high-net-worth families whose holdings span Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. By consolidating assets through unified digital reporting frameworks, clients gain clarity across banking, alternatives, real estate and private equity.

This client-first approach has earned Farro Capital recognition as Best Family Office at the Private Banker International Global Wealth Awards 2025, underscoring the strength of its integrated model in meeting complex, cross-border family needs. 

Governance and succession

Estate planning and governance form the backbone of Farro Capital’s model. The firm co-creates family constitutions and governance charters, establishes advisory boards and ensures next-generation readiness through mentoring and structured dialogue.

In one instance, Farro Capital worked with a Southeast Asian family managing a $900m portfolio to establish an investment committee and guide heirs in philanthropic and strategic decision-making. These measures institutionalise family decision-making, ensuring continuity and unity across generations.

Bespoke investment strategies

Unlike product-driven models, Farro Capital emphasises independent and tailored investment solutions. Clients benefit from advisory services across multiple asset classes, direct access to private equity opportunities, co-investments and ESG-aligned portfolio design.

“By combining governance, succession and independent investment strategies, Farro Capital equips families to manage complexity with confidence across generations”

Preparing future leaders

Farro Capital places strong emphasis on family education. Programmes include custom learning tracks, multi-generational planning sessions, exposure to governance and philanthropy and internships within the firm’s wider ecosystem.

These initiatives are designed to equip next-generation members not only with financial literacy but also with a sense of stewardship over their families’ wealth and legacy.

Farro Capital’s multilingual team is another defining strength. With advisers fluent in Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic, Bahasa and other languages, the firm can communicate governance and investment strategies across cultures with sensitivity and precision. This capability is particularly valuable when working with families that span multiple geographies and generations.

Farro Capital also emphasises independence, operating without product or platform bias, which ensures client portfolios are designed solely around long-term objectives rather than short-term sales. The company combines this independence with institutional-grade research and access to exclusive off-market deal flow, giving families opportunities that are typically reserved for large investment houses.

By integrating these elements into a high-touch advisory model, Farro Capital positions itself not only as a wealth manager but also as a trusted partner in preserving values, continuity and unity within ultra-wealthy families worldwide.

Metrics That Matter

• 100+ Number of ultra-high-net worth families served
• $2bn+ Value of assets under management
• 12+ Number of markets served globally

Latin America’s largest private bank is combining scale with digital leadership, global partnerships and a one-stop advisory model to serve more than 10,000 families at home and abroad

Itaú Private Bank remains the clear leader in Brazil’s wealth management market, holding a 30% share and supporting more than 10,000 families across 17 offices worldwide. By the end of 2024, the bank managed over $160bn in assets under management, with net income expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% in recent years.

Despite this scale, client satisfaction has remained high, well above the excellence threshold. These metrics underline Itaú’s ability to balance strong financial performance with close client relationships in a volatile economic environment.

Over the past four years, the bank has also improved efficiency and operating income nearly doubled, while client numbers grew 20%. These gains highlight the bank’s ability to scale without compromising service quality. 

Digital edge

Technology investment has become central to Itaú’s model. Itaú Private Bank is driven to innovate by its desire to offer the best possible experience to its clients. The bank uses customer feedback to help improve the customer journey and its commercial team. The bank’s strategy and vision is to simplify its clients’ daily lives and increase its competitiveness in the market through technological and procedural improvements.

AI and machine learning are also being embedded into advisory tools, allowing relationship managers to deliver just-in-time investment offers tailored to client needs.

Online platforms such as ‘Wealth for All’ further extend the digital ecosystem, giving families a structured way to review assets and succession planning with advisory support.

Partnerships and client solutions

Alongside digital initiatives, Itaú has strengthened its international proposition. A partnership with US-based Avenue Securities provides broader access to offshore markets, while, in Brazil, an exclusive partnership with the US’ Brown Advisory expands the range of global alternative investments available to clients.

These relationships reinforce Itaú’s positioning as a one-stop shop, integrating advisory, credit and investment services across borders. The strengthening of life planning has added depth to the wealth management offering, covering issues from inheritance and family governance to marital transitions and living abroad.

New product launches, including renovation and construction financing, and aircraft insurance, demonstrate how Itaú adapts to client needs. Risk management remains a central pillar, with the bank enhancing know your client (KYC) processes and promoting independent oversight at the board level, reinforcing resilience in a volatile environment.

Looking ahead, Itaú has set a clear ambition to be the leading global private bank for Latin Americans, with a long-term vision built around family values, niche expertise such as agribusiness and the integration of advisory, banking and investment services across geographies.

Engaging the next generation

Looking beyond today’s wealth holders, Itaú has built dedicated programmes to engage and educate the next generation. Initiatives such as the Family Wealth Across Generations event, Summer Programme, Finance Academy and Itaú Connections in addition to other events and meetings are collectively aimed at strengthening ties with clients’ children and with academic networks at colleges and universities, reaching hundreds of people between the ages of 15 and 30 in the past year.

In parallel, the bank has curated over 300 cultural, educational and lifestyle events for clients, attracting thousands of participants. These efforts underscore Itaú’s commitment to combining technical excellence with relationship-driven engagement.

Metrics That Matter

• 30% Share of Brazil’s private banking market held by Itaú
• $160bn+ Value of private banking assets under management in 2024
• 80+ Net promoter score, placing Itaú in the Excellence tier for client satisfaction
• 17 Number of offices worldwide – Latin America, the US and Europe

E.Sun Bank has combined rapid client growth, pioneering technology and a dual-core advisory model to establish itself as the market leader for affluent wealth management

Taiwan’s E.Sun Bank has been recognised with the award for Outstanding Wealth Management Service for the Affluent at this year’s Global Wealth Awards, reflecting its strong performance, innovative platform and commitment to clients with complex financial needs.

The bank’s wealth management business has achieved exceptional momentum. In 2024, fee income reached $406.6m, ranking fourth among peers in Taiwan and posting the highest growth rate among Tier-1 banks at 44.8%.

Non-discretionary money trusts grew to $11.9bn, marking 16 consecutive years of expansion, while custody balances rose to $38.6bn, sustaining 15 years of growth. E.Sun also led the domestic elderly care trust market, with $445.8m in assets.

Affluent client acquisition has accelerated under Taiwan’s Wealth Management 2.0 policy. By August 2025, E.Sun had served 2,829 clients with assets totalling $7.4bn, lifting its market share from just over 7% at the end of 2023 to more than 17% of customers and from 7.2% to13.6% of assets.

Dual-core service model

A key differentiator is E.Sun’s dual-core service model. For high-net-worth families, often business owners with cross-border requirements, the bank brings together relationship managers experienced in corporate finance with client advisers skilled in succession and asset planning. This collaborative approach ensures customers benefit from expertise spanning investment, taxation, inheritance, real estate and international wealth structuring.

In 2024 alone, the bank delivered more than 16,000 investment consultations. Its professional investment strategy team, with average experience exceeding a decade, provided customised portfolio advice. The bank’s recommended US stock portfolio posted returns of  27.8%, comfortably outperforming the S&P 500 stock exchange.

“E.Sun combines sustained growth, personalised services and advanced innovation to deliver a market-leading proposition for affluent clients”

Innovation and technology

E.Sun’s ability to blend innovation with client service has become central to its success. The bank has developed Grace, a proprietary and patented asset allocation engine that cuts proposal preparation times from two hours to just 15 minutes. Grace integrates market insights with multidimensional risk analysis to give clients timely rebalancing advice.

Technology partnerships further strengthen the platform. Working with US technology firm NVIDIA, E.Sun has integrated graphics processing unit (GPU) computing into core infrastructure for advanced data analysis and fraud detection. AI tools such as the Genie platform, Kims customer chatbot and GitHub Copilot for software development have already lifted efficiency by around 30%.

Premium experience

Beyond financial solutions, E.Sun builds enduring relationships through exclusive services and activities. Clients receive invitation-based access to dedicated advisers, tailored seminars on succession and tax planning and premium concierge support ranging from airport limousine transfers to healthcare and lifestyle experiences.

Taken together, these achievements highlight how the bank has redefined wealth management for the affluent segment, combining sustained growth, personalised services and advanced innovation to deliver a market-leading client proposition.

Metrics That Matter

• $406.6m Fee income in 2024, highest growth rate (44.8%) among
  Tier-1 banks
• $11.9bn Non-discretionary money trust balance, 16 years of consecutive growth
• $7.4bn Assets under wealth management 2.0 policy, leading market share by 2025
• 8% Return on E.Sun’s recommended US stock portfolio in 2024, outperforming S&P 500

By combining deep regional roots with bespoke solutions for business owners, Maybank Private has emerged as a leader in Southeast Asia’s private banking landscape

Singapore-based Maybank Private Wealth’s double recognition as Outstanding Private Bank for Entrepreneurs and Outstanding Private Bank – Southeast Asia at the Private Banker International Global Wealth Awards 2025 reflects both the scale of the bank’s regional franchise and the sophistication of its client offering.

Established in 2013 to complete the wider Maybank Group’s wealth proposition, the platform has grown rapidly, serving high-net-worth individuals across all 10 markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as in global centres such as Hong Kong and London. Its strategy combines the group’s universal banking capabilities with a focus on entrepreneurs, many of whom require services that bridge corporate growth and personal wealth.

Tailored support for business owners

Entrepreneurs face a distinct set of challenges that Maybank Private has been adept at solving. Bespoke products such as Substantial Shareholder Financing and Variable Universal Life Financing give clients access to liquidity while preserving family wealth. At the same time, Maybank connects business owners to capital markets through initial public offering (IPO) financing, private placements and structured credit.

The breadth of solutions is reinforced by close integration with the Maybank Group, from investment banking and asset management to insurance and securities. A Forbes-listed entrepreneur moving portfolios from other banks to Maybank illustrates this strength: the relationship generated more than SGD120m ($93.5m) in new assets, supported by IPO advisory, restructuring and family office services.

“Maybank Private’s tailored solutions enable entrepreneurs to unlock business liquidity while safeguarding family wealth for future generations”

Regional scale and momentum

Maybank Private’s Outstanding Private Bank – Southeast Asia award underlines its success in building a strong regional base. The business now serves more than 9,500 clients, with total financial assets of $23.4bn. Since 2016, its client base has grown at a compound annual rate of 15% and assets at 18%.

Booking centres in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, coupled with a London desk, give clients seamless access to regional and global opportunities. The bank’s unique regional relationship manager model removes territorial barriers, encouraging cross-border referrals and enabling clients to pledge assets in one market to seize opportunities in another. The launch of Islamic private banking has added further momentum, reaching $4.5bn in assets within just two years.

Innovation and sustainable growth

Technology and sustainability are central to Maybank Private’s strategy. A fully integrated Avaloq platform streamlines execution, portfolio analysis and compliance, giving bankers a 360-degree view of client needs. Beyond banking, clients are engaged through curated events and seminars across the ASEAN region.

Sustainability commitments include mobilising RM80bn ($19bn) in green and social financing by 2025 and achieving net zero by 2050. Maybank Private is directly contributing by embedding ESG criteria into lending and investments, while scaling thematic funds, green bonds and sustainability-linked loans. This ensures clients can grow wealth while aligning with global transitions.

Metrics That Matter

• 15% Percentage growth of client base since 2016
• 18% Percentage growth of total financial assets since 2016
• $23.4bn Value of total financial assets under management
• 9,500 Number of high-net-worth clients served across ASEAN

CTBC Bank’s Intelligent Dashboard has redefined how financial advisers engage clients, using advanced AI to boost revenues, improve conversion rates and set new standards for innovation

The shift from in-branch consultations to digital engagement has transformed client expectations in wealth management. Taiwan’s CTBC Bank recognised this trend early and responded with the launch of its Intelligent Dashboard, a human–machine collaboration platform designed to support advisers in delivering more personalised and effective client interactions.

By integrating customer data into a 360-degree view, the dashboard helps advisers understand client needs across life stages and behaviours. Its four modules – Customer Profile, Asset Management, Customer Engagement and Association – bring together insights that guide advisers on the ‘Next Best Offer’ for every client.

AI at the core of client engagement

The Intelligent Dashboard leverages natural language processing to mine client conversations, analyses browsing patterns with an ‘AI gene sequence’ approach and uses computer vision to interpret lifestyle indicators. These tools allow advisers to anticipate client needs with greater precision, turning raw data into actionable insights.

Two standout features – Best Offer Search and Proactive Notification – have strengthened advisers’ ability to identify and close opportunities. The result is more relevant conversations, stronger client relationships and improved business outcomes. The platform also adapts to advisers’ working styles through phased implementation. By starting with static search functions and gradually introducing proactive notifications, CTBC has minimised resistance and built confidence among senior advisers, ensuring smoother adoption across teams.

Delivering measurable impact

The results have been significant. Clients managed via the Intelligent Dashboard generated nearly three times the average revenues of those outside the platform, contributing almost a quarter of all adviser-driven revenues in 2024. Conversion rates for ‘Best Offer’ cases were nearly four times higher than those without it.

“Clients managed via the Intelligent Dashboard generated 2.95 times the average revenues compared to those not on the platform, proving its impact on both engagement and performance”

Adoption has also been strong. Weekly usage climbed from just 26% in 2023 to 80.5% by August 2025, reflecting the platform’s growing value to advisers and its seamless integration into daily operations.

Beyond revenues and conversions, the dashboard has streamlined information sharing and reduced manual processes, saving significant time and resources for both advisers and clients. This operational efficiency is as important as the topline gains, reflecting the platform’s holistic value.

Shaping the future with generative AI

CTBC is now extending the platform with generative AI, providing real-time support such as advisory prompts and market summaries. This integration of generative AI is in its initial phase of deployment, carefully managed within the bank‘s systems to protect client data. Even at this stage, it demonstrates how CTBC is preparing its advisers for a future where human expertise and machine intelligence operate seamlessly together, and signals a forward-looking approach that positions the bank at the forefront of wealth management innovation.

This step-by-step transformation highlights CTBC’s ability to align technology with advisory expertise and client insight. With industry recognition across Asia and beyond, the Intelligent Dashboard underscores the bank’s commitment to delivering personalised, high-quality financial services at scale.

Metrics That Matter

• 95x Revenues from clients managed via the Intelligent Dashboard compared to others
• 19% vs 5% Conversion rate for Best Offer cases vs non-dashboard cases
• 5% Weekly usage rate of the dashboard in August 2025, up from 26% in 2023

Through its pioneering NextGen Academy and Leading Generation programme, the bank is redefining how Philippine family businesses prepare the next generation to lead and preserve their legacies

Formally launched in 2019, UnionBank Private Banking’s NextGen Academy is the first structured family wealth education programme in the Philippines’ private banking space. Designed for the next generation of ultra-high-net-worth clients, the initiative reflects the bank’s belief that wealth preservation begins with education and shared understanding among generations.

The academy provides a multi-week, multi-module curriculum that builds entrepreneurial foundations and promotes holistic financial stewardship. Beyond classroom learning, its format blends experiential workshops and real-world discussions that bridge financial literacy with values-based leadership.

With this international and foundational approach, UnionBank Private Banking has shifted the role of private banking from wealth management to wealth mentorship – a deliberate strategy to future-proof family legacies in an evolving market.

Bridging generations

In 2024, UnionBank Private Banking expanded the programme through the launch of LeGen – short for Leading Generation – a complementary programme that brings together the senior and next generation of family business leaders.

LeGen fosters dialogue on topics that traditionally remain unspoken within family enterprises, such as governance structures, wealth transfer and the emotional dimensions of legacy. Sessions co-led by experts from law firms and other international specialists delve into complex issues including family constitutions, citizenship and residence planning, and intergenerational wealth transition.

By creating space for both generations to participate, UnionBank Private Banking has turned succession planning into a collaborative and continuous process rather than a single-event conversation.

“UnionBank Private Banking’s NextGen Academy has transformed wealth education into a catalyst for intergenerational collaboration and legacy building”

Local roots, global reach

UnionBank Private Banking’s approach combines global expertise with deep local understanding – an advantage rooted in its ability to navigate the nuances of Philippine family dynamics while drawing insights from international partners. Workshops held across local and overseas locations connect clients to global best practices and foster a network of peers facing similar succession challenges. This dual perspective has allowed UnionBank Private Banking to position itself as a bridge between local tradition and global sophistication, ensuring Filipino family wealth is managed with world-class standards while retaining its cultural identity.

As a pioneering initiative with proprietary and copyrighted components, UnionBank’s NextGen Academy highlights the bank’s commitment to innovation and thought leadership in a market where such programmes remain limited.

Redefining private banking

UnionBank Private Banking’s focus on empowering families through education exemplifies a modern interpretation of private banking – one that moves beyond portfolio performance to long-term family legacy.

By integrating financial insight, legal knowledge and emotional intelligence into a single platform, the bank has created a model that resonates with clients seeking relevance in a fast-changing world. As intergenerational wealth in Asia continues to expand, the UnionBank NextGen Academy stands as a benchmark for how private banks can shape future leaders and legacies. It is a vision anchored not merely in managing wealth but in transferring wisdom.

Metrics That Matter

• 2019 Launch year of the NextGen Academy
• 1st Structured family wealth education programme in Philippine private banking

The private wealth management firm demonstrates that exclusivity and expansion can coexist in India’s fast-maturing private banking market

Spark Capital Private Wealth Management (PWM) has built a model that challenges the notion that boutique firms must remain small to preserve intimacy. Its client strategy focuses on alignment of values rather than asset size to ensure relationships are built on trust, longevity and cultural understanding. Each client is supported by a dedicated relationship manager with direct access to senior leadership, eliminating the hierarchy that often distances clients from decision-makers in larger institutions.

This emphasis on quality over volume has created enduring partnerships with India’s most sophisticated ultra-high-net-worth families. It has also fuelled organic growth as most new relationships stem from client referrals rather than marketing campaigns. The result is a boutique that scales through advocacy, not acquisition.

Personalisation and scale

At the core of Spark Capital PWM’s service model lies a bespoke architecture that aligns each client’s portfolio with their specific risk profile, life stage and family goals. The firm’s curated investment universe includes exclusive access to opportunities in private equity, private credit and alternative investment funds, complemented by open-architecture structured solutions.

Beyond portfolio management, the firm integrates art advisory, philanthropy, concierge and family office services through partnerships with firms such as Aura Art, Dasra and Quintessentially. These alliances add tangible value to client relationships by addressing wealth in its cultural, social and emotional dimensions. Equally notable is Spark Capital PWM’s disciplined approach to growth. Since 2023, the firm’s assets under management and advisory have increased from Rs3,000 crore ($338,390) to Rs32,000 crore, a ten-fold expansion achieved without compromising service quality. It now employs more than 450 professionals, including 150 relationship managers, across 12 Indian cities and an international office in Dubai.

“Spark Capital PWM shows that boutique intimacy and institutional capability are no longer opposing forces but complementary strengths in modern wealth management”

Technology with touch

Spark Capital PWM views technology as an amplifier of human connection, not its substitute. Its digital infrastructure combines real-time portfolio access with predictive analytics that help relationship managers anticipate client needs and identify opportunities. The firm’s streamlined processes demonstrate how operational excellence can enhance rather than replace personal attention, allowing boutique banks to scale without sacrificing the individualised service that defines them. Its ability to maintain personalised services amid rapid expansion positions it as a model for sustainable boutique growth.

Sustainability and influence

Spark Capital PWM’s success lies in the sustainability of its growth model. By prioritising client alignment over volume, the firm has achieved industry-leading retention and referral rates that attest to the strength of its relationships. Its influence is visible across India’s evolving private wealth landscape, where other firms are now adapting its client-first principles and selective growth philosophy as a blueprint for boutique excellence.

Spark Capital PWM has been highly commended as the Best Boutique Private Bank at the 2025 Private Banker International Global Wealth Awards. More importantly, its achievement underscores a broader shift in the global wealth landscape where scale and selectivity no longer compete, but combine to define the next generation of private banking excellence.

Metrics That Matter

• 1,000% Proportion of asset growth achieved since 2023
• 150 Number of relationship managers serving clients
• 450 Number of professionals across the network
• 12 Number of Indian cities served, plus Dubai