Conviction

After more than fifteen years in Private Banking, I made the conscious decision to leave it behind – not because I had to, but because I wanted to build something I could genuinely believe in. That decision has shaped everything that followed.

In the beginning, there were five of us. A small group of people who believed that investors deserved better: a Wealth Office acting entirely in their interests, with no proprietary products and no conflicts of interest. The idea was simple: to help clients plan with confidence, find the right partners and remain in control of their wealth over the long term. What started as an idea has since become a reality. That is what continues to motivate me every single day.

Honesty and a genuine desire to do better are at the heart of every relationship I build with my clients. I am not the kind of person who presents things more favourably than they really are. The people I work with usually recognise very quickly when something does not feel right to me. They do not receive a perfectly polished story, but an honest approach. One in which I constantly ask myself whether we can do even better, hold myself to high standards and support my clients over the long term.

I work primarily with families and entrepreneurs in French-speaking Switzerland who are looking for a trusted adviser who understands their overall situation and stands firmly on their side.

Education and professional career

James Wood began his career in finance in the late 1990s as part of the UBS Junior Key People Programme in Geneva. He advised international clients before taking on the role of Business Development Executive for a key Sub-Saharan African market, eventually reaching the rank of Executive Director. His commitment to delivering outstanding advice was recognised, among other distinctions, through a nomination for the UBS Circle of Excellence Award.

He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Fribourg. He also completed the UBS Wealth Management Diploma in Switzerland and the UBS Investment Bank Foundation Module in London.

Languages

French and English (fluent in both)

Personal

James Wood lives in Lausanne with his wife and their three children. He is passionate about sport, particularly rugby, and is an avid traveller in both his professional and private life. Beyond finance, he has a strong entrepreneurial spirit that has led him to pursue a variety of ventures. He co-founded a high ropes course company and, together with three friends, launched a wine label in the south of France. Not everything has to become a business – sometimes the greatest value lies in the experience itself.