Governance evolution for a new phase of development at Degroof Petercam

Brussels, December 20, 2024 - The Board of Directors of Degroof Petercam has decided today to co-opt Sylvie Huret, the current CEO of Degroof Petercam Asset Services, as CEO of Bank Degroof Petercam, subject to the approval of the European Central Bank. She will ensure the succession to Hugo Lasat, whose tenure as head of the bank is highly praised by the Board of Directors, and who will remain in his position up until the end of the year.

The Board has also decided to submit to the General Shareholders’ Meeting, subject to the approval of the European Central Bank, the appointment of Jean-Christophe Droguet, the current Head of Audit at Indosuez Group, as Deputy CEO and member of the Management Board of Bank Degroof Petercam.

Finally, the Board has acknowledged the decision of Gilles Samyn, the current Chairman of Degroof Petercam, to make his mandate available at the General Shareholders’ Meeting in May 2025. The Board of Directors reaffirms its confidence in him to preside over the bank until that time and to support the new management.

The choice for these seasoned professionals is in line with continuity and will ensure the further development of Degroof Petercam's activities while accelerating its integration into the Indosuez group. Pending the next steps of regulatory and governance approvals, the management is ensured by the current members of the Management Board.

As expressed by Jacques Prost, CEO of Indosuez Wealth Management: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Hugo Lasat and Gilles Samyn for all they have contributed to Degroof Petercam, both before and during the strategic transition of shareholder change. I welcome the upcoming arrival of Sylvie Huret and Jean-Christophe Droguet, who will bring their extensive experience to a new phase of development for Bank Degroof Petercam. They will work towards closer integration of the bank with the Indosuez group and will ensure that Degroof Petercam becomes an even more client-centric company.”

As expressed by Gilles Samyn, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Degroof Petercam: “I would like to thank Hugo Lasat for his commitment as head of the institutional franchise since 2011 and of ​ DPAM and for his contribution to the development of Degroof Petercam as CEO over the past three years. I am grateful for our valuable collaboration and, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to express our deepest gratitude. After guiding the Board through the shareholder transition, which was concluded with the majority takeover by Indosuez, I believe this is the right time to let the chairmanship evolve. Bank Degroof Petercam has a clear strategy, supported by a solid, committed shareholder who respects its Belgian roots. Under the leadership of Sylvie Huret and Jean-Christophe Droguet, Degroof Petercam is now entering a new phase of its development."

As said by Sylvie Huret: "I am very honored by the Board's confidence. I am determined to continue the development of Degroof Petercam, guided by three key success factors: providing our clients with an enriched service offering and an expanded international network while maintaining our local proximity and Belgian roots, successfully completing the integration into the Indosuez group, and continuing to develop talents within our organization. Building on the achievements of Hugo Lasat and the strong support of our shareholders, with Jean-Christophe and the Management Board, all conditions are met to lead Degroof Petercam into a new phase of growth. I look forward to relying on the expertise and commitment of all the staff members who contribute to the success of our company."

As said by Hugo Lasat: "In recent years, with the Management Board and all the teams, whom I thank, we have worked on our strategic positioning and proximity to our clients, the implementation of a new IT platform, as well as the evolution of our shareholding and the integration with Indosuez. All these steps have been successfully completed and are value-creating. I would like to thank everyone I have worked with for their dedication and collaboration, especially our Chairman Gilles Samyn and the members of the Management Board. Under the leadership of Sylvie Huret, Degroof Petercam will continue to strengthen its fundamentals in a spirit of continuity."

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Biographies

Sylvie Huret (Wilrijk, 1966) joined Petercam in 1994 after experience in the legal field and in auditing (PwC). At Petercam, she was in charge of management control, fund administration, and risk management activities. In 2010, she was appointed partner and became CFO and member of the Management Board. During the merger between Degroof and Petercam, she took on the role of Group General Counselor before joining the Luxembourg division, successively as CFO of Banque Degroof Petercam Luxembourg and CEO of Degroof Petercam Asset Services. In 2023, she joined the Executive Committee of the Degroof Petercam Group. Sylvie Huret holds a law degree from KU Leuven (1989) and a degree in business administration from the Institute of Administration and Management of the Catholic University of Louvain (1991).

Jean-Christophe Droguet (1967) began his career in 1992 in asset management at Société Générale and joined the Crédit Agricole group in 1994 in capital markets. During his more than 30-year career within the Group, he has primarily held control (Risk, Audit) or support (Asset-Liability Management, Financial Management) functions. He has also worked internationally, notably in New York, Geneva, and Hong Kong. Since 2019, Jean-Christophe Droguet has been responsible for the General Audit of the Indosuez group, supervising teams in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Asia. Jean-Christophe graduated as ​ an engineer from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (Finance section).

Press Contact: ​
​Arnaud Denis ­| a.denis@degroofpetercam.com | +32 478 99 82 37

About Indosuez Wealth Management

Indosuez Wealth Management is the global wealth management brand of the Crédit Agricole Group, the world’s 9th largest bank by balance sheet (The Banker 2024).

For more than 150 years, Indosuez Wealth Management has supported major private clients, families, entrepreneurs and professional investors in managing their private and professional assets. The bank offers a tailormade approach that enables each of its clients to preserve and develop their wealth in line with their aspirations. Its teams offer a continuum of services and offerings including Advisory, Financing, Investment Management, Fund servicing, Technology and Banking Solutions.

Indosuez Wealth Management has nearly 4,500 employees in 16 locations around the world: In Europe (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Monaco and Switzerland), Asia Pacific (Hong Kong SAR, New Caledonia and Singapore), the Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) and Canada (representative office).

With approximately €200 billion in client assets, the Indosuez Group is one of the European leaders in wealth management.

www.ca-indosuez.com