Société Générale Private Banking , the wealth management arm of the Paris-listed bank, has strengthened its teams dedicated to wealthy Russian clients with eight new appointments and created a Zurich-based “Russian clientele” department.

This should improve the overall structure that the private bank has put in place to respond to the specific requirements of this international client base, the firm said in a statement. The bank’s Geneva- and Zurich-based teams of advisors now include 28 staff fully dedicated to this client line.

The newly-created team in Zurich comprises Avy Burstin and Yuri Smelyanskiy, who have respectively been appointed manager and deputy manager of the Russian clientele department, together with private bankers Natalya Clemen, Iryna Semenets, Giancarlo Antonucci and Christopher Delsman.

Additionally, two new private bankers, Victoria Arsene-Calugaru and Dmitriy Luzanov, have been appointed to reinforce the team in Geneva.

These teams report to Jean-Gabriel Arqueros, global market manager for Russian clients, who is based in Geneva.

Société Générale Private Banking also has teams of private bankers focused on Russian clients in London, Monaco and Singapore.