Scottish investment firm Baillie Gifford is expanding its European presence and has promoted Switzerland head Anna Bretschneider to the newly created role of Head of Europe. Based in Zurich, she will drive growth among institutional and private clients across Europe, the company said in a statement.

Bretschneider assumed her new role on 1 May.

Expanding Presence in Europe

At the same time, Bretschneider will remain responsible for Baillie Gifford’s Swiss business. From Zurich, she will now oversee business and client development activities across the European markets.

According to the company, the appointment underlines Baillie Gifford’s commitment to expanding its presence in Europe. The firm added that Bretschneider has played a key role in building up the Swiss market for the company.

The manager has been with Baillie Gifford since 2019 and also serves on the board of directors of Baillie Gifford Investment Management (Europe). Before joining the company, she was Head of Distribution Switzerland at Macquarie Investment Management and spent 14 years in various senior management roles at MFS Investment Management.

Baillie Gifford was among the first investors in Tesla and Spotify. Today, the Edinburgh-based company manages assets of around 190 billion francs and focuses on long-term growth investments in listed and private companies. The firm opened an office on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse in 2019.