Head of Advisory BSISA

Head of Advisory BSISA

Country: Switzerland

The Head of Advisory is responsible for leading and overseeing the Advisory function within Banco Santander International’s Private Banking division. Reporting directly to the Chief Investment Officer, this role ensures the development, implementation and supervision of the Banks portfolio advisory framework, servicing Latin American and European clients (with a view to also grow the Bank’s Middle Eastern advisory business going forward). 
The Head of Advisory is accountable for defining the advisory strategy, strengthening investment advisory capabilities, ensuring suitability and regulatory compliance, and driving profitability and growth through high-quality, client-centric portfolio construction and recommendations. The role ensures alignment between advisory practices and the Bank’s global asset allocation views, investment policies and strategic objectives.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

•    Lead the Advisory function across the international private banking network, ensuring consistent implementation of the Bank’s investment strategy and asset allocation guidelines in non-discretionary accounts.
•    Oversee the advisory team in multiple jurisdictions, ensuring best-in-class advisory practices and coordination with the CIO office.
•    Translate asset allocation frameworks and investment themes into actionable advisory proposals tailored to client segments and risk profiles.
•    Ensure that portfolio recommendations are aligned with clients’ investment objectives, risk tolerance and regulatory suitability requirements.
•    Establish and maintain strong collaboration with Private Bankers, Trading, Risk, Compliance and Operations to ensure efficient advisory execution and governance.
•    Supervise the preparation and distribution of advisory materials, including portfolio proposals, investment themes, tactical investment ideas and product recommendations.
•    Monitor portfolio positioning across advisory accounts, identifying concentration risks, performance deviations and rebalancing opportunities.
•    Drive high-priority business and investment projects related to advisory transformation, ensuring delivery on time, within budget and within scope.
•    Oversee the day-to-day activities of the Advisory Department, including budgeting, planning, performance monitoring and process optimization.
•    Actively participate in key client/prospect meetings and travel to the regions, when necessary. 
•    Promote a culture of high performance, collaboration and continuous improvement, fostering technical excellence and strong risk awareness.

PROFILE:

•    Strong knowledge of asset allocation, portfolio construction, financial (fixed income, equities, derivatives, alternative investments, among others), macroeconomic analysis and risk management.
•    Deep understanding of advisory models within Private Banking and Wealth Management.
•    Deep understanding of banking activities and client relationships in Latin America and Europe and Middle East.
•    Solid knowledge of regulatory frameworks affecting Private Banking & Wealth Management across multiple jurisdictions, including suitability and cross-border requirements.
•    Proven experience translating investment strategy into scalable advisory solutions aligned with business growth objectives.
•    Strong leadership skills with experience managing multi-location teams in complex international environments.
•    Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present investment strategies to clients, senior management and represent Santander Group at conferences and industry forums.
•     Strategic mindset with the ability to balance commercial objectives, risk management and regulatory compliance.
•    Experience in driving advisory transformation initiatives, digital advisory platforms, process optimization and client value proposition enhancement are key.  
•    Fluent English and advanced Spanish are a must. Additional languages such as French, or Portuguese will be considered a strong asset.            
•    Professional certifications such as CWMA, CFA or CAIA, will be positively valued.