When Yves Oltramare, former Partner at Lombard Odier, left Europe for America in 1950, the world was on the cusp of change. After a nine-day journey by boat across the Atlantic, he arrived in America to find a land buzzing with innovation and new ideas. “It was a resolutely entrepreneurial approach,” he says, “quite different from that which prevailed in Swiss banks at the time.”
The entrepreneurialism he discovered was to have a profound impact on the young Yves and, through him, Lombard Odier and the wider Swiss finance sector. After a decade working in finance in New York, he returned to Geneva and became a Partner at Lombard Odier, bringing with him US-style financial research. During his more than thirty years with Lombard Odier he went on to found the European Group for Financial Studies, and helped to establish the Swiss Society of Financial Analysts.
Watch Yves Oltramare’s full address at the inauguration of our new headquarters in Bellevue:
On 3 September 2025, one month before his one-hundredth birthday, Mr Oltramare joined distinguished guests for the official opening of Lombard Odier’s prestigious new headquarters on the banks of Lake Geneva in Bellevue. Designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, the new headquarters’ open and welcoming aspect and deep commitment to sustainability are a symbol of the future of Swiss banking.
As we look ahead to the transition, it is useful to look back at the path that we, as a firm and an industry, have travelled, so we can better discern the forces of change that surround us today
Taking to the stage in the building’s dramatic 500-seat auditorium, with its sweeping curves of bare concrete, expansive high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling glass, Mr Oltramare said, “We come from the discreet and hushed setting of our home in 11 rue de la Corraterie, and we cross the harbour to discover, in awe, our new headquarters, No.1 Chemin Messidor. As we look ahead to the transition, it is useful to look back at the path that we, as a firm and an industry, have travelled, so we can better discern the forces of change that surround us today.”
A time of radical change
Mr Oltramare began, “In the space of my lifetime our profession has undergone radical change. For example, in the banking world of the years after the Second World War, accounting was done by hand, and accountants were highly respected executives. But they were replaced by the arrival of young computer scientists, who were considered the geniuses of the new world. However, they were just as reluctant to adapt to subsequent technological developments. It is as if each generation, once it has mastered its new tools, then becomes wary of change.”
He explained that having joined Lombard Odier in 1961, he recognised the need to adapt to a changing world. He was quickly entrusted with “shaking up old habits and encouraging our employees to embrace change and strive for excellence.”
“My time in America had allowed me to see how far behind European banks were in terms of management and marketing,” he said. “We were convinced of the need to put structures in place for the future, bringing in young, dynamic people who were open to new ideas. I created – from scratch but with complete freedom – a financial research department and an asset management system that complied with new international standards.”
Mr Oltramare was also in the vanguard of the move to a more open, transparent outlook for the Swiss banking sector. “Very early on, we were also convinced that the needs that banking secrecy had served were no longer relevant, and that it would soon have run its course,” he said.
We can only survive by constantly reinventing ourselves
Survival through reinvention
Mr Oltramare continued, “I remain convinced that it is always wiser to take the risk of making a mistake by seeking something revolutionary than to persist in the comfort of old habits, which will eventually become obsolete.”
“We were pioneers in financial analysis, in building partnerships with institutional clients, and in IT development. Of course, what we created then is now completely outdated, due to technological advances and changes in the business world – we can only survive by constantly reinventing ourselves.”
Though reinvention is essential, Mr Oltramare explained that there are, however, fundamentals that must survive and that underpin Lombard Odier’s long-term success – entrepreneurship, teamwork, and innovation. “This is the only way to meet the challenges facing today’s generation. These challenges are far greater than those I faced, but I see here the same spirit of openness that drove us back then.”
Putting people first
At Lombard Odier, we have long been convinced that, even as many financial institutions move towards standardised offerings, it is essential that we retain our commitment to building deep, long-term relationships with our clients. This commitment was key to the open, transparent design of our new headquarters, a place of welcome, warmth, elegance, and discretion, where our clients will feel at home.
Yves Oltramare echoed the importance of this approach. “In an increasingly automated world, I am convinced that personal relationships and empathy will constitute essential added value,” he said.
“This is precisely where Lombard Odier’s long-standing culture expresses its vocation. Knowing your clients, understanding them, building a relationship of trust through listening, empathy and excellence. This is not only a matter of training, it is first and foremost a question of atmosphere, working environment and corporate culture. This will prove increasingly essential for the future.”
Today, we are at the dawn of a veritable mutagenesis of humanity – a process of radical and profound transformation of societies and thinking
A new building ready for a new world
As the audience of invited guests prepared for the moment the new headquarters were officially opened, Yves Oltramare turned to the significance of the building’s radical design.
“What does this change in architecture represent in symbolic terms?” he asked. “For me, it is a new message, open to a new world. Today, we are at the dawn of a veritable mutagenesis of humanity – a process of radical and profound transformation of societies and thinking. A change not only in ‘structure’, but also in ‘nature’. This ambitious, transparent building – which invites contemplation – is a message of openness and hope for this new world.”
“Lombard Odier has been in existence for 229 years. […] In order to survive, we have constantly adapted to change,” Mr Oltramare continued. “Our institution has always thrived on dialogue, in collegiate governance, and in the trust we place in each other. Here, in our new home, this culture will find a new expression. I am confident it will continue to thrive and inspire future generations. The challenges ahead are formidable, but they are exciting. And how I regret not being at your side for this new chapter in Lombard Odier’s history.”
rethink everything®
As our Genevan teams gather together in our new headquarters, coming from across six different offices to work and collaborate under one roof, we are ready for the challenges Mr Oltramare described.
With its open, outward-looking, flexible design, the new headquarters is itself both a symbol and a realisation of our ‘rethink everything®’ philosophy, a philosophy of adaptation and reinvention that has guided us since our founding in 1796.
Read more: our history
As the ribbon was cut, marking the realisation of a decade-long vision, Hubert Keller, Lombard Odier Senior Managing Partner, echoed Mr Oltramare’s emphasis on adapting, embracing change, and putting client relationships at the heart of everything we do.
“Our new Home is forward-looking,” he said. “Looking towards a future we want to help shape, and which we approach with confidence and a sense of responsibility. A future that will unfold in this open, sustainable place, capable of reinventing itself. A place that brings together our teams, our expertise, and our talents. Above all, a place where our clients will also feel ‘at Home’.”
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