Sycomore Asset Management has appointed Denis Panel (pictured) as its chief executive.
Panel is moving to the firm from BNP Paribas Asset Management, where he was most recently global head of the multi-asset, quantitative and solutions division. He will succeed Emeric Préaubert, co-founder of Sycomore AM, who steps down from his operational role but remains a member of the supervisory board.
In addition, Christine Kolb and Cyril Charlot, co-founders of the firm and head of business development and CIO, respectively, will maintain their current responsibilities and functions, supporting Panel.
Panel said: “I am very happy to be joining the teams at Sycomore AM, a leading player in the field of sustainable investment, and supporting the firm as it writes a new chapter in its development. Together, we shall build upon a rich history of strong performances and meaningful investments as we lead the company forward into a new stage of growth.”
Panel began his career in 1994 at Société Générale AM where he served as a fixed income fund manager before joining Crédit Agricole AM in 1997, where he was later appointed global head of multi-asset investments in 2004. Denis was recruited by BNP Paribas Asset Management in 2007 to head the Sigma group, where he steered the unit’s global development; he was then appointed CEO of Theam in 2013, an index-linked and quantitative asset management firm, which included teams of portfolio managers, analysts, and specialist sales professionals.
Founded in 2001, Sycomore Asset Management is an asset manager specialised in listed investments and driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, part of Generali Investments’ ecosystem of asset management firms.
Talks for Generali Investments to acquire Sycomore began in 2018 when a ‘strategic partnership’ between the two firms was spoken about by the latter. The deal went through a few months later at the beginning of 2019 when Generali purchased a majority stake in the Sycomore’s controlling company.
