The family that controls Swiss private bank Vontobel has re-pledged its attachment to the company and decided to restructure the group’s shareholder base.
The move allays takeover rumors following the death of clan patriarch Hans Vontobel in January this year.
The Vontobel and de la Cour families have signed all the necessary agreements to restructure the shareholder base of Vontobel, which offers wealth management, investment banking and asset management services.
As part of the restructuring, a follow-up shareholder pool will be created, consisting of a core shareholder pool and an extended shareholder pool that will combine a total of 50.7% of votes. 43.9% of votes are tied in the core pool, for which the earliest possible date of termination is the end of 2026, the Swiss group said in a statement.
In addition to the Vontobel Foundation and Pellegrinus Holding, which hold a total of 19.6% of Vontobel shares, and the family holding company Vontrust, which accounts for 14.3% of shares, 10% of Vontobel shares will now be held by the new holding company Advontes. It mainly comprises the shares of Hans Vontobel, which were transferred to the new holding company.
The new shareholder pooling agreements is expected to result in a clearer shareholder structure.
The restructuring will be completed once all regulatory approvals have been obtained.
Maja Baumann, a member of the Board of Directors of Vontobel Holding and granddaughter of Hans Vontobel, said: “The aim of the restructuring is to ensure that the shares are bundled even more strongly than before in professionally managed companies and, at the same time, to create clarity and stability for Vontobel through agreements between its shareholders. The family remains firmly committed to the company and to their role as anchor shareholders now and in the future.”
