HLB Launches Flagship CIO Fund via Strategic Lombard Odier Alliance
HLB Private Bank introduces its flagship CIO Fund through a strategic alliance with Lombard Odier to provide premium global asset access.
HLB Private Bank has officially unveiled its landmark HLB Chief Investment Office Fund (HLB CIO Fund), marking a significant milestone in its wealth management evolution. This wholesale fund, developed by the Bank's Chief Investment Office, is designed to serve as the primary foundation for all future portfolio constructions within the institution.
The launch is powered by a strategic alliance that merges HLB's 120 years of regional agility and expertise with the 230-year global investment heritage and institutional scale of Lombard Odier.
A Fusion of Global Pedigree and Regional Agility
The HLB CIO Fund leverages the combined strengths of two highly decorated investment offices. Lombard Odier brings its award-winning research and portfolio engineering to the partnership, having been recognized as the World's Best Chief Investment Office at the 2025 Euromoney Private Banking Awards. Additionally, the firm was named Best Pure Play Private Bank for CIO Office & Discretionary Portfolio Management at the Asian Private Banker Awards for Distinction 2025.
By integrating this international research capability into HLB's wealth engine, the fund offers a robust Discretionary Portfolio Management solution. It provides investors with broad multi-asset diversification across several key areas:
- Global equities
- Fixed income
- Specialised market instruments
Precision Curation from 50,000 Global Funds
At the core of the HLB CIO Fund is a sophisticated curation engine. This process allows clients to access elite global opportunities by filtering through a vast open-architecture universe of more than 50,000 global funds. The selection process includes:
- Active fund managers: For targeted market participation.
- Passive instruments: For efficient market exposure.
- High-conviction direct equity holdings: Handpicked for specific growth potential.
To complement capital growth, the fund utilizes integrated yield overlays. These are designed to enhance cash generation through systematic options strategies, fixed-income coupons, and equity dividends, ensuring consistent portfolio income.
Leadership Perspectives on the Strategic Launch
Jeffrey Yap, Managing Director and Regional Head of Wealth Management at HLB, emphasized that the fund's strength lies in its ability to deliver elite, curated solutions. He noted that the fund provides institutional rigor through premium portfolios specifically handpicked for Singapore and the broader region, aiming to provide investors with confidence across various market cycles.
Marc Giesbrecht, Deputy Global CIO and Head of Investment Management at Lombard Odier Group, highlighted that the strategy embodies the "House View" of Lombard Odier. He stated that the collaboration brings together global research and portfolio construction expertise to create a differentiated solution aimed at achieving resilient and sustainable investment outcomes in an increasingly complex global environment.
HLB's Accelerating Wealth Management Growth
The launch of the HLB CIO Fund is a key component of HLB's 3-to-5-year strategic transformation. The bank has seen significant recent success in the wealth management sector, including:
- Best Private Bank in Malaysia and Singapore at the WealthBriefingAsia Awards.
- Rising Star Private Bank Award for Malaysia.
- Best Private Bank for Wealth Creation & Preservation at the Global Private Banking Innovation Awards.