Societe Generale Private Banking has named Yves Thieffry as its new chief executive for Switzerland.

Thieffry has been deputy CEO of Societe Generale Private Banking since 2007. Before this he was chief operating officer for Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking, while before assuming this role in 2003 he had been head of human resources.

Thieffry succeeds Guillaume Lejoindre, who has been appointed chairman of the board of Societe Generale Private Banking (Suisse). Lejoindre is in turn replaces Jean-François Mazaud, head of Societe Generale Private Banking, as chairman of the board. Mazaud will remain a member of the board in Switzerland as vice-president.

In another recent senior appointment at SocGen’s Swiss arm, the start of this month saw Giovanni Ortolani take up the newly-created role of senior private banker for the French firm’s private investment banking activity in Geneva.

He had been chief country officer for Italy since 2007 and joined the firm’s corporate and investment banking business as senior banker and head of public sector coverage in Italy in 2005. He previously worked at firms including Bankers Trust and UBS.

In his new role Ortolani is responsible for launching private investment banking activities by working with large family holding companies and family offices in Switzerland.