The founder of the 22-year-old private bank and investment house is stepping down but remains closely involved in the group.

Eric Syz, whose eponymous SYZ Group has become one of the more familiar Swiss names over the past 22 years, is stepping down as its chief executive of the Banque SYZ business. Syz will “oversee strategic vision” of the group. Yvan Gaillard, who joined the firm in 2016 and has been chief operating officer and deputy CEO, will replace Syz.

"Eric Syz has decided to devote all his time to his role as CEO of the Group, to focus primarily on its strategic direction and developing its client base," the group said.

Nicholas Syz - another family member of the business - will take over from Silvan Wyss as private banking head. Wyss left the bank by “mutual agreement”, the firm said in a recent statement. Nicolas Syz joined the group in 2017 as head of business development for SYZ Private Banking.

Each business unit of SYZ Group has its own CEO and a specific type of client. Banque SYZ serves private banking clients; SYZ Asset Management serves institutional investors; and the Group's newest addition, SYZ Capital, serves clients seeking privileged access to private investments.

The newly-appointed figures have a variety of experience. Before joining SYZ, Gaillard worked at Pictet for 18 years, occupying various managerial positions. Gaillard is a qualified engineer with a diploma from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Nicolas Syz also worked for UBS in Zurich and Firmenich in Paris and London. He holds a double Master’s degree in management from HEC Lausanne and Sciences Po in Paris.

SYZ Group recently rejigged its banking tech systems, switching to the platform of Lombard Odier.