The newly announced tie-up, as reported by finews.com last week, attracted interest not least because of the striking similarity between the two names. Behind it, however, lies a deeper story of succession, long-standing relationships, and a Swiss wealth manager preparing for its next phase of growth.

The transaction, already approved by Finma, brings Amasus’ entire client base under the Amadeus brand. The combined firm oversees around 2.3 billion Swiss francs in assets and employs 26 people serving approximately 130 clients. For CEO Tim Brockmann, whose father founded the original company in 1983, the step into Zurich is both symbolic and strategic.

Three Decades of Familiarity

«We wanted to do it with partners we have known for more than 30 years,» he told finews.com in a comprehensive interview last week. «If something pinches, you need enough knowledge of each other to know how to deal with it.»

Amadeus began life as Experta Administration, part of a group eventually sold to Deloitte and Dexia. In 1990, the family changed the name to Amadeus, continuing to serve a small circle of client families. Brockmann, originally a lawyer before moving to J.P. Morgan, took over in 2000 after his father fell ill.

A Private Banking Infusion

The encounter with Laurent Timonier, Amadeus Capital's Deputy CEO, happened in 2005. Timonier, who had spent two decades in private banking at Paribas, CCF, and HSBC Guyerzeller, had just launched his own firm, Nucleo Capital. The two collaborated closely for more than a decade before finally merging in 2018.

«We had 13 years of being engaged before we got married,» Timonier says with a smile. «By the time we merged, it was a natural step because we already knew each other’s strengths.»

Culinary Metaphors

The partnership also had a philosophical foundation. «My team usually puts it that I enjoy being in the kitchen, and Laurent is good in the dining room,» Brockmann says. «That’s how we organize ourselves.»

Asked how they define the firm, both executives resist the usual labels. For Timonier, Amadeus remains «somewhat of a unique animal» in Switzerland.

A Broader Set of Capabilities

«We were born as a closed single family office before that concept even existed,» he says. «We integrated asset management capabilities and wealth management capabilities right from the start. Most multifamily offices do not manage assets themselves. We do both.»

For Brockmann, the internal metaphor remains culinary. «, «We cook, we try it ourselves, and if it’s good enough to make us proud, that’s when we serve it to the client» he says. «If we don’t have the expertise in-house, we will not do it. What we offer is only what we believe we can deliver at a high level of quality.»

From Family Office to Wealth Manager

In recent years, Amadeus has also moved beyond the traditional boundaries of a multifamily office. What began as a tightly focused platform for a handful of families has gradually expanded into a broader independent wealth management model. The firm now serves a wider spectrum of clients through a fully institutionalized investment process, a scalable technology backbone, and an ambition to compete directly with Switzerland’s established independent wealth managers.

Their investment philosophy rests on a global market portfolio constructed from the bottom up using the full universe of listed companies. «We do not believe in market timing. We do not believe in stock picking,» Brockmann says. The core portfolio aims at achieving diversified global exposure without the US and tech dominance of major world indices, replicated through a carefully curated selection of ETFs.

The Core Portfolio Strategy

This core is complemented by a set of «satellite» strategies including options-based income generation, merger arbitrage, convertible arbitrage, short-term trading, and decorrelated hedge fund allocations.

«All the strategies we offer have already been tested for the benefit of the founding families,» Timonier notes. «This alignment of interests differentiates us.»

Succession at the Heart of the Deal

The Zurich acquisition was, at its heart, about succession. Amasus’ three partners had reached different stages of their careers: two approaching retirement within the next few years, and one looking for a long-term home.

«For them, it was important to find a transition solution,» Brockmann explains. «For us, it was a way to test scalability with partners we trust.»

Leveraging the Platform

Amadeus spent years building a sophisticated technology and risk-management platform designed to reduce administrative burden, maintain margins, and free up time for client work. But the firm had rarely scaled beyond a limited number of families. The Amasus integration offers a controlled way to test whether those systems are ready for broader deployment.

«If this works well, it gives us a model for the future,» Brockmann says. «And Amasus brings something we did not have: the ability to attract bankers and integrate them successfully. That knowledge is very valuable.»

Zurich as a Gateway to New Client Circles

Geographically, Zurich opens new doors. «We think we can tap into more of an Eastern European crowd of clients from Zurich,» Timonier notes. «It complements our strong base of Western European families.»

Both executives believe the industry is shifting from boutique craftsmanship to institutional robustness. Technology, transparency, and risk management standards have risen across the board.

Young Mathematicians and Engineers

Amadeus has responded with its own in-house platform built by a team of young mathematicians and engineers. «Those people are key to our future,» Brockmann says. «We want to build a business that resembles them, because chances are they will be replacing us at some point.»

Brockmann is also outspoken about the structural difficulties many independent wealth managers face. «A lot of firms are basically a collection of bankers sharing a platform,» he says. «It’s very difficult to create value for the company itself. It becomes like a law firm. When the lawyer leaves, the value leaves with him.»

A Culture of Discipline and Process

Amadeus wants to break that pattern through disciplined processes, scalable technology, and long-term governance. «We are not trying to just grow the business and then take our share and go away,» Timonier says. «We want to build an ecosystem that will still be there for our clients’ children.»

Growth will come from both directions: internal and external. But internal growth takes time, especially when dealing with large family relationships.

«A Balancing Act»

«From the moment we put the foot in the door to the moment we get the signature, it takes around 18 months,» Timonier says. «If we relied only on that, we wouldn’t grow fast enough.»

With the new technology platform in place and the Amasus integration underway, Amadeus is open to additional hires and selective acquisitions. But the two executives insist that quality, not speed, governs their expansion. «It’s a balancing act,» Brockmann says. «We want to grow, but we also want to protect what makes us who we are.»