Jean-Christophe Gerard

Spear’s Review

‘I feel like the guardian of a very rich heritage with the duty to stick to modernity and bring the best to our clients’, Jean-Christophe Gerard of Barclays Private Bank tells Spear’s. He joined the bank in 2017 as its global head of investments after spending 24 years at HSBC. 

Now as Chairman Private Bank & Wealth Management of Barclays Private Bank, he has witnessed the industry becoming ever more challenging. ‘In the past, it was taking generations to create a dynasty. Today, I know some 30-year-olds who started from scratch and are now billionaires. Those clients have a very particular mindset and are expecting banks to adapt quickly to their needs,’ he says. 

He’s optimistic about Barclays’ ability to cater to these young wealth creators and believes that while ‘digitalisation will continue to be at the forefront’ of providing quality service to clients, ‘the human side of banking has not changed’.

Gerard is focused on ensuring that Barclays continues to anticipate the needs of its clients, especially as the nature of wealth — and wealth creators — changes. ‘I am focused on steering a forward-looking bank to meet the modern world and I’m convinced that the mix of a very old bank with modernity is part of the success of Barclays Private Bank,’ he says. 

Regardless of Barclays’ success, Gerard avoids complacency. ‘Private banking cannot leave room to be mediocre — this is my everyday battle.’