Lombard Odier has appointed Frédéric Rochat as managing partner of its London office, with the view to develop the firm’s presence in the fields of private and institutional management and help strengthen the next generation of partners.

Rochat will begin his role on 1 October, responsible for Lombard Odier’s London activities and his position as managing partner will take effect on 1 January 2012. Sally Tennant will continue in her role as local managing director.

Rochat has spent most of his career working for the investment banking arm of Goldman Sachs in London and New York, first as an advisor to financial institutions, then industrial companies. He has also covered Swiss corporates with a particular focus on the private banking and financial sectors.

Rochat will be Lombard Odier’s first managing partner in London which a spokesperson from the firm said was “a reflection of the growth and progress of the London office”, as assets under management have doubled in the last two years.

The news follows the appointment of Kevin Corrigan, who joins from Goldman Sachs, as head of credit.

The Lombard Odier Group has a network of 23 offices in 17 countries and assets under management totalling SFr150 billion (around $147 billion).