Swiss private bank Julius Baer has appointed Boris Collardi as new chief executive officer, taking over from Johannes de Gier, who had temporarily held the post following the death last December of CEO Alex Widmer in tragic circumstances.

Mr Collardi is currently the chief operating officer of Julius Baer. He takes up his new role on 1 May.

"As an experienced manager deeply rooted in private banking, Boris Collardi complements these skills with a multicultural and international background," said Raymond Baer, chairman of the bank’s board.

Mr Collardi joined the firm as its COO at the start of 2006, following Julius Baer's acquisition of three private banks and GAM from UBS at the end of 2005. Prior to that, he gained extensive leadership experience in various functions during his 12 years at Credit Suisse both in Europe and Asia, including the positions of global chief financial officer and COO EMEA of Credit Suisse Private Banking.

Following the handover, Mr de Gier will continue in his role as chairman of GAM.