Fabrizio Cerina (born in Piacenza, Italy) is the chairman of international investment banking group Crédit des Alpes.
Fabrizio Cerina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Investment banker |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Title | Crédit des Alpes Group, Chairman |
Career
editCerina began his career by acquiring a 34% stake in Banque de Participations et de Placements, Geneva.[1] He later sold it to Lebanese buyer Al-Mashreg Bank.
Most of his career took place in Geneva (CH) and London (GB).[2][3] In 1982 he acquired Attel Bank, in which he invested CHF1.5 million (US$1.53 million), eventually listing the holding company on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in 1987 at a value of approximately CHF130 million (US$132.6 million).[4]
In the 1990s Cerina was dubbed "a banker and a gentleman"[5][6] by Swiss and international press when, as the controlling shareholder of Attel Bank, he voluntarily refunded clients out of his own pocket after a rogue trader caused losses amounting to CHF45 million (US$46 million). The trader stole money from clients, as well as dealing in unauthorized junk bonds and NASDAQ securities.[1][6]
Cerina merged and developed the business into Crédit des Alpes, an investment bank that advises on large international transactions. The bank put together the US$4.2 billion acquisition by Vivendi (VIV:FP)[7] of Brazilian broadband market-leader company GVT in 2009 — then the largest world's telecoms deal.[8] [9]
References
edit- ^ a b "First Person: Fabrizio Cerina". Financial Times (London, UK). 21 July 2013.
- ^ "Private Equity, investors focused on Italy - Cerina (Crédit des Alpes): smaller transactions, but higher returns". archiviostorico-corriere.it.
- ^ Stefano Righi (21 June 2022). "Private Equity, gli investitori puntano sull'Italia - Cerina (Crédit des Alpes): operazioni più piccole, ma rendimenti più alti". Il Corriere della Sera (Italy).
- ^ Corrado Bianchi Porro (2 May 2021). "Finanza sostenibile in crescita". L'Osservatore (Switzerland).
- ^ "The banker and gentleman lives in Lugano". NewsgateNY.com.
- ^ a b "Il "banchiere gentiluomo" abita a Lugano". Il Messaggero (Italy). 25 October 1993.
- ^ "Vivendi Company Profile Bloomberg". Bloomberg (28 March 2020).
- ^ "Crédit des Alpes: Vivendi reprend GVT au Brésil (Crédit des Alpes leads on Vivendi deal to buy GVT in Brazil)". archiviostorico-corriere.it.
- ^ "Crédit des Alpes: Vivendi reprend GVT au Brésil". L'Agefi (Switzerland). 3 December 2009.