Financial Services

Empowering Financial Services Leadership in a Digital Age
In a world of accelerating change, the financial services sector requires leaders who can navigate complexity, drive innovation, and build trust.

The Financial Services Industry: A Sector in Transformation

The financial services sector plays a critical role in the global economy, providing indispensable services that empower individuals, businesses, and governments to prosper. However, the industry is confronting unprecedented hurdles, including technological transformation, shifting customer needs, evolving regulatory landscapes, and the pressing need to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. As the sector adapts to these challenges, innovative leadership and strategic thinking will be essential to navigating this complex landscape and building a resilient future.

Leading the Future of Financial Services

The financial services industry is at a critical juncture, with technological innovation, changing customer expectations, and evolving regulatory requirements driving transformation. To succeed, financial institutions need leaders who can navigate complexity, drive innovation, and build sustainable growth.

Navigating the Future of Financial Services

In a rapidly evolving landscape, the financial services industry requires leaders who can drive innovation, resilience, and growth. At Selion Global, our Financial Services practice combines deep expertise with a global perspective to help clients navigate challenges and seize opportunities.

Trends Shaping the Industry

  • Digital Transformation: Embracing technology to enhance customer experience and drive operational efficiency

  • Sustainability: Integrating ESG considerations into investment decisions and business strategies

  • Regulatory Complexity: Navigating evolving regulatory requirements and ensuring compliance

  • Talent Revolution: Attracting, developing, and retaining diverse, digitally savvy leaders to drive business success

Our Expertise

Our team of seasoned consultants offers a range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of financial services organisations:

  • Executive Search: Identifying and attracting top talent for critical leadership positions

  • Board Consulting: Building high-performing boards that drive strategic growth and effective governance

  • Leadership Development: Unlocking the potential of existing leaders to tackle complex challenges and drive business success

  • Talent Development Strategy: Collaborating with CHROs to design and implement comprehensive talent development strategies that drive business success

  • Family Office Advisory: Providing specialised guidance to family offices on leadership, succession, governance, and talent management

Sector Focus

We have extensive experience serving clients across the financial services ecosystem, including

Wealth Management

  • Private Banks: We help private banks navigate the challenges of digital transformation, regulatory complexity, and talent acquisition while identifying opportunities for growth and innovation.

  • Asset Management Institutions: Our team supports asset managers in developing strategies to address changing investor preferences, embracing ESG considerations, and building diverse and inclusive leadership teams.

  • Investment Banks: We advise investment banks on talent development, regulatory compliance, and strategic growth initiatives, helping them stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Insurance

  • Life Insurance: Our team works with life insurance companies to address changing customer needs, develop digital distribution channels, and build leadership teams that can drive innovation and growth.

  • Non-Life Insurance: We support non-life insurance companies in navigating regulatory changes, developing risk management strategies, and identifying opportunities for expansion and diversification.

  • Reinsurance: Our team advises reinsurance companies on strategic growth initiatives, talent development, and risk management strategies, helping them stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Capital Markets

  • Investment Banks: We advise investment banks on talent development, regulatory compliance, and strategic growth initiatives, helping them stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

  • Asset Managers: Our team supports asset managers in developing strategies to address changing investor preferences, embracing ESG considerations, and building diverse and inclusive leadership teams.

  • FinTech: We help FinTech companies identify and develop leaders who can drive innovation, navigate regulatory complexity, and build strategic partnerships with traditional financial institutions.

A Partnership Built on Trust

At Selion Global, our expert advisors bring decades of experience, insights, and perspectives to the global financial community. We foster collaborative relationships with our clients, working closely with stakeholders to understand their unique needs and goals. Our unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and discretion has earned us the trust of leading financial institutions worldwide.

Meet our consultants

  • Markus Gfeller
    Japan

    Markus Gfeller is Associate Partner and Country Manager of Selion Global Japan and the Managing Partner of G&S Japan K.K., a leading corporate consulting and retained executive search firm dedicated to supporting European businesses in Japan.

    As a seasoned executive with over 27 years of experience in Japan, Markus has built a distinguished career in international corporate finance, change management, and executive search. His expertise spans from his early days in banking with Credit Suisse to his tenure with BayernLB, where he honed his skills in international corporate finance with a strong focus on Asia.

    Markus's passion for Japan has led him to become fluent in Japanese, enabling him to navigate the complex business landscape with ease. He has taken on various leadership roles, including Managing Director and President positions at HARTING and KABA, where he drove change management initiatives. In 2009, he joined G&S Japan K.K. as Senior Partner and later became the Managing Partner, leading the firm's expansion and growth in Japan.

    Under his leadership, G&S Japan K.K. has become a trusted partner to multinational corporations, providing expert guidance in executive search, market entry, expansion, and change management. Markus's extensive network, cultural understanding, and business acumen make him a highly respected advisor to companies navigating the complex Japanese market.

    Professional Associations:

    • Member of German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (GCCIJ), Tokyo

    • Member of Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCIJ), Tokyo

    • Member of Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ), Tokyo

    • Member of Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (CCCJ), Tokyo

    • Member of the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan (FCCJ), Tokyo

    • Member of the Tokyo American Club (TAC), Tokyo

    Others:

    • Former Vice President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan

    • President of the Section of Education of the Swiss Club Tokyo

     

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  • Jenson Fong
    Singapore

    Jenson Fong is a seasoned Consultant who works closely with the founder and global chair of Selion Global and serves as a global resource for knowledge management, quality, and special projects. With a unique blend of project management, client service, and operational expertise, Jenson has developed a deep understanding of the professional services sector. He has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results, building solid relationships with clients and stakeholders, and supporting complex projects to successful outcomes.

    Jenson's expertise spans various industry sectors and functional knowledge, with a focus on talent management and executive search. He has held various client service and support-level positions within private banking and investment management in Singapore, which require the ability to manage stakeholders across all levels locally and abroad.

    He has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor to high-profile clients and has a proven ability to drive complex projects to success. His educational background includes a degree in Business Management (HRM) and a postgraduate diploma in Organizational Psychology.

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  • Phaik Sim Khaw
    Singapore

    Phaik Sim Khaw (Phaik Sim) is a highly experienced finance professional who serves as Finance Manager at Selion Global. With a career and positions spanning esteemed organisations, including as Finance Manager at Amrop Hofer Tan Singapore and in various capacities at the Central Bank and multinational corporations in Malaysia, Phaik Sim brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

    Phaik Sim is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of financial management, ensuring the seamless adoption of accounting principles, and adhering to a strict code of ethics. Her commitment to professionalism has earned her the respect of her peers and the trust of management.

    Outside of her professional pursuits, Phaik Sim advocates for a balanced lifestyle, prioritising regular exercise and finding joy in cooking for her loved ones, nurturing a sense of community and connection.

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  • Cecile Hofer
    South East Asia / Singapore / United Kingdom

    Cecile Hofer is a Founder and Global Managing Partner of Selion Global. With a storied career spanning decades and continents, Cecile has established herself as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, boards, and investors seeking to future-proof their organisations.

    A seasoned management consultant with a profound understanding of the intricacies of human capital, Cecile has cultivated her expertise in C-suite appointments, advisory, and strategic guidance for mid-sized and large corporations, family-owned enterprises, and venture capitalists worldwide. Her extensive experience in board and leadership consulting services has equipped her with a unique understanding of the challenges faced by senior leaders, allowing her to distil complexity into clarity and connect the dots between people, purpose, and profit.

    Cecile's areas of expertise include building and enhancing boards, succession planning, culture and diversity hiring expertise, and senior talent management across various industries. Her ability to identify and develop top talent, advise on strategic leadership initiatives, and foster effective boards and executive teams has earned her a reputation as a trusted confidante to senior leaders.

    Through her leadership, Selion Global Retreats brings together distinguished experts, boards, and business leaders to foster growth, innovation, and collaboration. Her passion for empowering leadership excellence extends beyond her professional pursuits, as she finds inspiration in sports and photography, embracing a philosophy of dynamic living and fostering meaningful connections that resonate

    Cecile has built a reputation as a leader who can navigate complexity, drive results, and inspire others to do the same. Her distinctive strength lies in her ability to discern patterns, connect the dots, and unlock the potential of individuals and organisations alike, fostering sustainable growth and transformation.

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  • Thomas W. Hofer
    South East Asia / Singapore / China

    Thomas Hofer is a Founder and Global Managing Partner of Selion Global, a globally renowned professional services firm in leadership consulting, board advisory and executive search. With decades of extensive experience at the board and senior management levels, Thomas brings a high-level insider perspective to his work. He is highly accomplished in executive search, board consulting, succession planning, and strategic executive talent advisory.

    Thomas has established a reputation for partnering with clients with integrity, agility, discretion, and dedication, fostering enduring relationships with senior management executives and industry insiders worldwide. With a broad span of experience across multiple industries, he is committed to advising clients on informed leadership choices, empowering talented professionals to assume pivotal roles, and guiding them toward insightful decisions that drive success.

    As a former Commanding Officer of a regiment, Thomas brings extensive leadership and management experience, having led four battalions and 2,500 military personnel. He also has a lifelong interest in sports, having voluntarily served as Team Manager of the Swiss National Elite Rowing Team and participated in the World Cup and World Championships during two Olympic Cycles.

    Thomas is passionate about giving back to the community, having served as the Chair of a charity supporting families and children in underprivileged areas and as a Board Member of a Swiss-Indian foundation building schools for slum children. He is a Freeman of the City of London and enjoys visiting his favourite city often.

    As a seasoned professional, Thomas believes in supporting tomorrow's leaders through pro bono mentoring and sharing his expertise. He embraces a philosophy of continuous growth, seeking answers, and unlocking potential. This approach underpins his commitment to delivering exceptional results and making a positive impact in the world of leadership consulting and executive search.

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  • Drs. Katja de Jong
    The Netherlands

    Katja de Jong is Associate Partner Selion Global BeNeLux, and Director and Regional Manager BeNeLux at Board Connect GmbH, based in the Netherlands. With over twelve years of expertise in executive search, she excels in delivering international and pan-European mandates.

    Throughout her distinguished career, Katja has held various senior roles at prominent management and personnel consultancies, including Kienbaum and Amrop. She has developed a broad range of skills, including project management, client acquisition, and cross-sector expertise.

    Katja holds a degree in Criminology from Erasmus University Rotterdam, with a focus on "Crime & Organisations." Committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, Katja is dedicated to advancing women in management and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across cultures. Her industry expertise spans High Tech, Consumer Goods/Retail, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Telecommunications, with a focus on placing top executives, managers, and senior-level experts.

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