CIFA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Wealth Manager and Financial Analyst
Cosima F. Barone, a seasoned wealth manager and financial analyst based in Geneva, has worked in the global financial industry for over four decades, during which she covered multiple positions and with several major international companies. Her most recent endeavors of the 21st century include the following: - Founder and Chairman of FINARC (Financial Analysis Research Consulting) SA - www.finarc.ch - since 2003; - Board Member of GSCGI/SAIFA - www.gscgi.ch - since 2003 and Director since 2012; - Member of the Executive Committee of CIFA since 2014 - www.cifango.org; Author of the "INFERENTIAL FOCUS" since 2002, she is also the Editor in Chief of "The IFA's WealthGram" monthly magazine of GSCGI/SAIFA, as well as of CIFA's "TRUSTING" bi-annual magazine. She has published articles in various financial magazines. Cosima F. Barone is often invited to speak at national and international conferences. In August 2011, she was a guest speaker at the Banco Central del Uruguay in Montevideo annual economic conference, invited by Ec. Fernando Lorenzo, Minister of Economy and Finance, and Ec. Mario Bergara, Governor of the central bank.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Center for Freedom and Prosperity, Washington
- Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute
Daniel J. Mitchell is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in fiscal policy, particularly tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review. Dan's work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Villanova Law Review, Public Choice, Emory Law Journal, Forbes, USA Today, Offshore Investment, Playboy, and Investor's Business Daily. He has appeared on all the major TV networks, and has given speeches in almost 40 states and more than 30 countries. Dan earned a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
- Chairman of ‘CC & a Finance Patrimoine Formation
- President of ANACOFI, Paris, and Chair of FECIF Advisory Committee, Brussels
David Charlet is Chair of ‘CC&A Finance Patrimoine Formation (CC&A)' since 2004, a global asset management company whose particularity is its advisory work, most of which is remunerated by fees, having formed with CC&A UK (sold in 2008) one of the few companies to have been licensed to operate both in France and in the United Kingdom. Moreover, he is also Chair of the ‘Association Nationale des Conseils Financiers (ANACOFI)' since 2004, the main association representing so-called "independent" professionals in the financial and wealth management sector, representing approximately 5,000 companies and 40,000 jobs. In March 2017, he was named Honorary President and VP of ANACOFI-CIF, the main "co-regulatory" association of Financial Investment Advisors (CIF) with 46% of the approved professionals under its responsibility. ANACOFI-CIF is the structure placed between the Autorité des Marchés Financiers and ANACOFI following the Financial Security Law of September 2003, whose mission is to approve and partly regulate Financial Investment Advisors. David Charlet is in charge of the Advisory Board of the ‘Fédération Européenne des Conseils et Intermédiaires Financiers (FECIF)', after having been the President since 2017 and previously the Vice-President. FECIF is the European representative body for Financial Advisors and equivalent Asset Management Advisors at the European level. It brings together 30 national organizations and represents more than 250,000 advisors for more than 600,000 jobs in their companies.
Didier de Montmollin is a founding partner, together with André Gruber, Philippe Eigenheer and Niels Schindler, of DGE Attorneys at law. He graduated from Neuch tel University in 1981 and was admitted to the Neuch tel Bar in 1983 and to the Geneva Bar in 1986.
After gaining legal experience in Dallas, Texas, he was legal counsel at the Swiss Bankers Association, the major trade association of the Swiss banking industry, from 1983 to 1986. He then joined an internationally-oriented commercial law firm with offices in Geneva, London and Moscow first as an associate, and, as of 1992, as a partner. Within the context of the split of the above firm, he decided, as from January 2011, to continue his career and to further take care of his clients in the renewed and dynamic environment of DGE Attorneys at law.
Didier de Montmollin is recognized as an expert on Swiss banking law. In 1998, he became a member of the Executive Committee of the Swiss Bar Association's Anti-Money Laundering Regulatory Authority. Since 1989, Didier has been one of the four counsel appointed by the Swiss Bankers Association for investigations of violations by member banks of the agreement on the Swiss bank's Code of Conduct regarding the exercise of due diligence.
Didier\'s practice is focused on advising banks and other financial intermediaries directly or indirectly subject to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and their clients. He is also active in administrative and international judicial assistance, in international and national arbitration, as sole arbitrator, chairman, party-appointed arbitrator and counsel, and in certain complex commercial / banking litigations. He regularly advises on contractual and corporate law.
He has been a member of the Arbitration Committee of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry and of the National Arbitration Committee (Swiss Rules of International Arbitration) and is lecturer within the framework of the executive education program on Compliance Management organized by the University of Geneva.
Didier de Montmollin is fluent in French and English, with a very good working knowledge of German.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of PrivateBanking.Com, Chair of CIFA Communication, Zurich
Franco has extensive experience in the private banking and wealth advisory industry. He held senior positions in various Swiss banks before he co-founded and became managing partner at Rise Invest AG a Zurich based wealth advisory and private equity firm. Over the course of his time at Rise Invest Franco focused on wealth management services to high net worth individuals and specialized in setting up compliant wealth preservation and wealth protection structures, in addition he also arranged private equity transactions and successfully organized financing for high tech companies, most notably he was the leading force behind Euroseek's IPO the largest European internet search engine in the late nineties. In 2002 Franco founded www.privatebanking.com a finance industry centered social media and business development internet platform. Concurrently to his involvement with Privatebanking.com Franco is also managing partner at Prévis AG, a Swiss based boutique firm that offers a wide range of specialized wealth management and private equity solutions. Franco is fluent in Italian, German, English and Spanish. He studied at ITST Venice, Italy and he holds a BBA of the University of Southern California (Magna Cum Laude).
Job Titles:
- Team Leader
- SDGs Human Rights Advocate, Vice President of BAIGO, Montreal
François Loriot is a team leader and UN senior Court practitioner, at the international level. Since 1972, he was involved in the design of accountability policies, control and transparency systems. He held top management, personnel and financial responsibilities of increasing complexity at the United Nations, involving MDG training, and in UN legal and justice matters. He has been liaising with governments, international organizations and external/internal agencies. Since 1992, he covered high level positions at the United Nations in the fields of administration of justice, accountability, ethics and first Executive Secretary of the United Nations Governance and Public Administration permanent Committee of Experts in 2002. His publications and achievements in international public administrative law, justice systems, governance and technical cooperation, enhanced by advanced degrees, have received worldwide recognition. He has obtained in 1971 a Doctorat d'Etat (Ph.D.) in International Public Law, in 1968 a Master Degree (DES), Public Administrative Law, at the Université de Paris and, in 1966, License in Law (LL.L.) & Bar Admission, Université de Montréal.
Georges Ugeux, former Executive Vice President at the NYSE, is Chairman and CEO of Galileo Global Advisors, a New-York based boutique advisory investment bank specialising in cross border advisory services, Mergers and Acquisitions and capital raising with a strong focus on emerging markets. A lawyer and economist by training, Georges Ugeux has focused his entire 40 year career on the global dimensions of business, government and finance. He has a deep understanding of the international dimension of negotiations, networks and partnerships. He teaches European Banking and Finance at Columbian Law School. He is a frequent public speaker and educator on global issues (at the College of Europe in Bruges and Harvard Law School). Georges holds a Doctorate in Law and is Licentiate in Economics from the Catholic University of Louvain. He chairs, and sits on, Boards of numerous transatlantic organizations.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador for France, Paris
- Vice - President of a.NA.CO.FI
Guy Raymond Cohen is Vice-President of A.NA.CO.FI. (Association Nationale des Conseils Financiers) that he co-founded back in 1995 in Paris, France. Guy is the Chief Executive Officer of Ingénierie Sociale Consultants SARL since 1992. Over the period spanning from 1984 to 1992, Guy was first the Principal Broker and Founder of Longchamp Realty Inc., then in 1988 he held the role of Security Broker at Vanguard Capital USA. He has been also the Founder and CEO of Tennis de Longchamp in Paris, France, since 1971 up to 1983. His education/experience includes Etudes Juridiques Supérieures de l'Université de Droit d'Aix-en-Provence (Law University); Licensed Investment Financial Advisor (= French CIF + IOSB); Licensed French Insurance Broker; former Licensed Real Estate Broker (District of Columbia, Florida); Mortgage Banker Florida and Security Broker Type II - U.S.A.
Born in Monaco on F1 Grand Prix day, started his carrier in 1990 by auditing major French Banks. Then, he worked in M&A department of Nomura London before moving to New York, taking a position with Bear Stearns in the Financial Asset structured Transactions group. After few years on Wall Street, he created a marketing and financial 'boutique' in midtown Manhattan specialized in cross-border dealing with European manufacturing companies. In 1997, after selling his company to one of his trading partner, he returned to the banking industry. He was named, in 1999, Head of the European Private Banking in North America at HSBC Americas (Formerly Republic National Bank of New York). He returned to Monaco in 2002 as Head of the International Group at HSBC Private Bank Monaco. Since 2006 and up to 2014, Mr. Levy-Soussan was Co-Head of Private banking at Bank J. SAFRA SARASIN (Monaco) SA. Then, in 2015, Guy Thomas became the Chief Executive and Trustee of preeminent Private Management Company based in Monaco, with overall responsibility and general management of all private assets. In September 2016, he join UBP Bank in Monaco as Managing Director and he is responsible to develop the business of the bank in the Principality. furthermore, Guy Thomas is Co-founder and General Secretary of MVCA, Founder and President of the Wine and Business of Monaco, Co-founder and Vice-President of CREM (Club des Résident étranger de Monaco), member of the Commission des Activités de Gestion (AMAF), Vice-Chairman of the Financial and Banking committee of the Economic and Social council of Monaco (CES-ECOSOC) and Board member of the Grimaldi Forum (State-owned company). Guy Thomas was named 'Chevallier du Tastevin' at Clos Vougeot in 2011, and, in 2012, 'Chevallier' dans l'Ordre de Saint-Charles (Monaco Légion D'honneur). Guy Thomas is member of the Foundation Board of CIFA.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador for the ECOSOC and UN Agencies, New York
Hanifa Mezoui, PhD, has enjoyed a distinguished career with the United Nations for the past 28 years. In the last ten of those years, she has been Chief of the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) where she has established an impressive record of accomplishments. The Informal Regional NGO network (UN-NGO-IRENE) was developed under her guidance as a critical channel for communicating key themes and programs between the UN and the NGO community, including marginalized groups in developing countries. From 15 January 2010 to January 2011, she was an Associate Fellow at UNITAR specializing on MDG Training & Teaching and has been for several years the Secretary General of the "Association Culturelle Française" of the United Nations. From February 2009 to June 2011, Dr. Mezoui taught at the French University, Sciences Po, Paris, France, a course on "United Nations from theory to practice". From September 2011 to September 2012, she joined the Office of the President of the Sixty Six General Assembly as the Special Coordinator for the Third Committee and Civil Society. From March 2013 to December 2018, she was a Senior Advisor to the UN High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations, H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, in charge of Humanitarian affairs and Civil Society. Dr. Mezoui engaged the Alliance of Civilizations as a platform on which the international community could build greater understanding and communication to stem the tide of intolerance and misunderstanding. She is actively cooperating with the "Convention of the Independent Financial Advisors"(CIFA), NGO in General Consultative Status with ECOSOC, and she promotes its Annual Forum and Advises CIFA Executive Committee on the preparation and progress of the UN 2030 Development Agenda, especially in regards to the "Financial Situation and its Impact on Youth Unemployment and Women's Empowerment. Since Mars 2009 to date, she has been designated as the New York Representative of the "International Association of the Economic and Social Councils and Similar institutions" (AICESIS), IGO in Observer status with ECOSOC. Dr. Hanifa Mezoui holds a Doctorate in French Linguistics, an MA in French Literature, an MA in applied Linguistics and an MA in Business Administration from the University of Aix-en-Provence, France. She has received numerous awards for her work with Civil Society.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador for SE Asia, Jakarta
- Representative for SE Asia
Indira C. Tasan is CIFA representative for SE Asia, in Jakarta, where she is based since 2014. Journalist by trade, she co-founded Forward SA in Switzerland (the publisher of BANCO, the Swiss Asset Management Magazine) in 1995 and Forward Services & Consulting Ltd in the UK in 2007. Indira is Chairman of Forward's Group of companies and Editor-in-Chief of BANCO. Together with her husband, Selim R. Chanderli, she launched The Swiss Village, which aims at promoting exchanges between the Swiss and Indonesian independent financial advisors, as well as introducing Swiss financial actors to potential partners and clients in Indonesia. Born in Bangkok, of Indonesian descent (on her father's side), Indira is a Swiss and Italian national.
Jaques Potdevin is a certified public accountant, auditor. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of JPA Paris. He is the founder and chairman of JPA International and JPA Consulting International, a network of certified public accountants and auditors representing 130 member firms in 42 countries. He was the vice-president of the European Federation of Accountants (F.E.E.) from 2000-2004, the deputy-president from 2004 to 2006 and the president from 2006 to 2008. He is a Member of the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens, European Commission and a Member of IFAC Board (International Federation of Accountants). Jacques Potdevin is Officer of the French National Order of Merit and Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador for UN New York and Vienna, Bratislava
Janka has an extensive experience working with executives and Boards to drive growth in financial services and banking industry for various global multinational banking and financial services companies, such as Citigroup, HSBC, ING and SMBC. She has robust experience overseeing and leading compliance and risk management teams as well as executing global corporate governance policies. At the beginning of her career, Janka also worked for the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development in Switzerland. Janka holds an LLM degree from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University, Toronto, Canada), MBA degree from RIT (Rochester, NY, USA) and Engineering degree from the University of Zilina (Slovakia). She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).
Job Titles:
- Auditor
- Certified Public Accountant
Job Titles:
- Member of the FOUNDATION BOARD
- Secretary - General
- Founding Partner of Fidurhone SA
Jean-Pierre Diserens is Founding Partner of Fidurhone SA, Geneva, an asset management and fiduciary trust company licensed by the Swiss Federal Banking Commission. Before founding Fidurhone in 1976, he held executive positions in several financial companies specialised in all areas of asset management. He is a Swiss citizen.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Institute of Administrative Management, Singapore
Leong Sze Hian, an alumnus of Harvard University, was the Past President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. He has authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media. He has been host of a money radio show, a daily newspaper column, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for Malaysiakini, executive producer of the movie Ilo Ilo (26 international awards). He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Brunei and Indonesia. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors and 13 professional qualifications.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador for Canada, Toronto
Lilly joined TD Asset Management Inc. (TDAM) in March 2013. She is a member of the external distribution team and has responsibility for TDAM's business development for institutional channel on Ontario and Western Canada. Lilly has worked in the financial services industry since 1993, and specializes in the distribution of investment solutions via pension plans, corporate plans, endowments and foundations. Lilly holds a Masters of Business Administration from University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics from McGill University in Canada. Lilly earned a Certified Investement Management Analyst from IMCA and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst from CAIA.
Patrick Dufour, after 10 years in the oil industry, moved to the Financial sector, first as area manager for a Dallas, Texas, based Trust. Back to France, the Financial planning was starting and he got involved into developing all the needs for this new industry: Learning (university and developing a new concept for distance Learning), certification (creating the French Certification in Financial Planning (CFP), and the ISO standards (22222) as expert co-writer. Currently, he is running his own corporation bringing all the services a Financial planners may need to serve his clients with extension to corporate finance.
Job Titles:
- Global Executive Director CRT, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Global Executive Director of the Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism
Young was educated at Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He served as an Assistant Dean at the Harvard Law School and as the third Dean of the Hamline University School of Law. He has taught at the University of Minnesota and at the SASIN Graduate School of Management in Bangkok and spoken at many workshops and conferences on corporate social responsibility and business ethics.
Young has also taught at the University of Minnesota Law School, Carlson School of Management, the College of Liberal Arts and Minnesota State University - Mankato. He has written numerous opinion articles for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota Journal on Law and Politics, St. Paul Legal Ledger and has been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and the Washington Post.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FOUNDATION BOARD
- President
- Chairman and CEO of Canfin Financial Group of Companies
Chief Executive Officer, Canfin Financial Group of Companies MBA, CMC, CIM, RRC, CFP). Tony is the Chairman and CEO of Canfin Financial Group of Companies, an entity which provides professional wealth management advisory services to businesses, professionals and individuals across Canada and globally. Outside of work, he is passionate about the profession and financial literacy, so he gives back by serving as the Chairman for The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning, volunteering as a Director of The Financial Planning Association in the USA, while sitting concurrently on the Board of Governors for Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning. He was also the past Director and past Chair of the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners in Canada. Over the last two decades, Tony has been invited to share his passion, knowledge and experiences across Canada and internationally on Strategy, Cultural Diversity, The Wealth Management Industry, Standards of Care and Cross-Border Financial Planning for Multinational Clients. Tony has earned an MBA, is a Certified Management Consultant, Certified Financial Planner, and Chartered Investment Manager and is the recipient of Fellow of FPSC (Financial Planning Standards Council)
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Ambassador for the EU, Brussels
Vania Franceschelli is a Board member and the Vice-President of FECIF (The European Federation of Financial Advisers and Financial Intermediaries, Brussels) on behalf of ANASF, the national association representing financial advisers in Italy. Vania obtained her Law degree at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. She is a certified European Financial Advisor, European Financial Planner and Private Banker at Allianz Bank. Her main interests relate to the European legislation (MiFID, IDD, KID - PRIIP, UCITS and AIF) and women's empowerment in the financial sector. In December 2016, Vania became a member of the Marisa Bellisario Foundation, whose purpose is to enhance female professionalism. She was awarded international prizes: Woman Profile (2014) and AI Finance - Best Financial Consultant (2016). Vania acts as key speaker at several conferences and meetings, both in Italy and Europe. She holds a Master in Wealth Management with the MiFID2 approach of the Bologna Business School of the Alma Mater of Bologna; her thesis focused on "To believe in ESG: present and future of sustainable finance". Vania deals with financial education for students with the project Economic@mente and financial planning for adults with the Pianicalamente project; both are projects of ANASF.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
- Honorary Chairman of FECIF and Former Chair of FECIF Advisory Board, Brussels
Vincent J. Derudder (72) is French and a jurist by training with a considerable experience in financial services. Vincent was a member till recently of the European Commission Expert Group on automatic exchange of financial account information. He was also a guest professor at the University of Nice (France), teaching European Law (Financial services regulation) after teaching at Paris (Dauphine) for a few years. Serving FECIF "Fédération Européenne des Conseils et Intermédiaires Financiers" (www.fecif.eu - pan European trade body of the European financial services/insurance intermediaries - 300,000 members) since 1999 in various executive roles, he was lately made Honorary Chairman and appointed Chair of the Development Committee. A resident in Luxembourg since 1998, he is the Managing Partner of Nucleus Management Sàrl, the General Partner of Nucleus Holding II SC Sp, Chairman of the Board of Nucleus Life AG. He is the Co-author of several books and regular contributor to trade magazines. Vincent is member of the editorial board of "TRUSTING".
Job Titles:
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
- Associate Professor of Economics and Law, University of Missouri, Kansas City
William K. Black teaches Economics and Law at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC). He is a white-collar criminologist. He directed the Institute for Fraud Prevention. His regulatory career is profiled in Professor Riccucci's book Unsung Heroes. George Akerlof called his book, The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One (University of Texas Press 2005, 2014), "a classic." Paul Volcker wrote: One of those lessons really sticks out: one brave man with a conscience could stand up for us all. Black helped the World Bank develop anti-corruption initiatives and testified to Congress five times about the financial crisis. He is also the "Distinguished Scholar for Financial Regulation" at the University of Minnesota's Law School and a Professor at IAEN in Quito, Ecuador.