Although there’s been quite a shake-up in the Swiss financial services sector in recent years, the very mention of the Alpine Confederation, which this year celebrates 200 years of peaceful neutrality, still tends to bring to mind its legendary banking sector.
And with good reason – the assets of just the country’s two largest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse both exceed its GDP several times over, with UBS having regained its pre-eminence as the largest global private banker.
However, while banking may make up more than half of the Swiss financial services sector, it certainly doesn’t comprise all of it.
It was perhaps for this reason that MBMG Group last month accepted the invitation to join as a member of a Swiss professional services network called Geneva Group International (GGI).
This is the largest global multidisciplinary alliance of independent financial, accounting, audit, law and consulting firms thereby significantly increasing our international presence and global capabilities by gaining access to GGI’s local professional service experts”.
The alliance spans more than 651 offices of specialists with in-depth knowledge of the legal, fiscal and economic practices, across over 115 countries.
GGI and MBMG seem to be a perfect fit. Both group’s ranges of interests and services are very much aligned and while size isn’t the only factor, it makes sense for Thailand’s largest multi-disciplinary firm to become a member of the largest global network.
A meeting of minds
I co-founded MBMG with my business partner Graham MacDonald in Thailand in 1996 and the business currently provides a wide range of services including financial and investment advisory, wealth management, tax planning, accounting, audit, corporate advisory, legal services, property finance and insurance broking.
The group also has an office in Singapore but is awaiting MAS approval before offering investment services in the city state and plans to open in at least one more ASEAN country within the next 12 months.
From the perspective of Claudio Cocca, founder and chairman of the GGI’s Board of directors. as GGI expands its presence in all major business centres, it was clear that it needed to find a strong organisation that could serve as a lynchpin in Bangkok.
One of the major growth areas for MBMG Group in recent years has been providing diversified services to business owners.
