Alexandre de Rothschild became the new executive chairman of the investment bank Rothschild & Co in 2018, at the age of 37, after succeeding his father David de Rothschild. He thus represents the eighth generation of bankers in the company. Focus on the journey of an emblematic figure in the world of finance and investment banking.
The history of Rothschild & Co
Rothschild & Co was established in 1838 under the name Paris Orléans. Basically, the company was involved in the railway sector. The activity was then transformed following the nationalization of the railway sector in 1938.
Today, the Rothschild & Co group is controlled by family shareholders and operates in 3 main businesses: private banking, asset management and private equity and private debt.
The company offers advice on strategy and financing, mergers and acquisitions and finally investment solutions to different players (large companies, entrepreneurs, governments, etc.).
The group has more than 3,600 employees spread across 50 offices in all four corners of the world. The know-how and excellence of the company no longer need to be presented.
Furthermore, the founding values have not changed even after several decades of existence. The members of the company have remained faithful to their motto which revolves around “unity, integrity and entrepreneurship: Concordia, Integritas, Industria. »
The professional career of Alexandre de Rothschild
Alexandre de Rothschild’s journey before investment banking
Alexander of Rothschild was born on December 3, 1980, in Paris. He graduated from the Higher School of Foreign Trade (ESCE). At the age of 24, he began his career as as a financial analyst at Bear Stearns in New York, like several other Rothschilds before him.
In 2005, he held the position of business manager at Argan Capital, in Private Equity, in London. Alexandre changed continents for the third time in 2008 and this time went to Asia, to Hong Kong, for a position as strategy director at Jardine Matheson.
His four years of experience in the field of finance and banking have allowed him to acquire exceptional expertise in private equity and investment banking.
2008: start of the Rothschild adventure
It was in 2008, after only a few months at Jardine Matheson, that Alexandre de Rothschild joined the family group to create, within the bank, a new activity, that of private equity and private debt, which he co-directed for a long time with Marc-Olivier Laurent, member of the Board of Directors of the investment activity. This new activity contributes to the growth and development of the group, since in 2017, it represented 35% of the company’s profits.. “ It’s a great success », Announced David de Rothschild at Figaro.
In 2011, Alexandre de Rothschild joined the Group Executive Committee. Two years later, he was appointed Managing Partner of Rothschild & Cie Banque and Rothschild & Cie and became a member of several boards and committees within the Rothschild & Co group.
In 2014, Alexandre de Rothschild joined the Management Board of Rothschild & Co Gestion. In 2017, he served as executive vice-president. One year later, on May 17, 2018, Alexandre de Rothschild was appointed executive chairman of Rothschild & Co Gestion in succession to his father, David de Rothschild. Alexandre recognizes during an exchange with Le Figaro: “I spent a lot of time observing, meeting people. I always told myself that either this (succession) would happen naturally, because I wanted it and because the system would accept me, or it would not happen. We cannot establish ourselves in professions like ours just in the name of family continuity. »
His father did not fail to share his feelings when his son was nominated: “This handover was prepared for a long time. Alexandre, after 15 years of experience, has demonstrated his abilities both in human relations and in understanding all our professions,”
Alexandre de Rothschild, in addition to being at the head of a very large family group, is also in charge of own-account investments and sits on the board of directors of the Bouygues group.
The personality of Alexandre de Rothschild
David de Rothschild recognizes his only son “a mixture of gift and experience. He inherited from his mother this same extraordinarily piercing eye which gives him an understanding of people and situations. Then, he has fifteen years of experience which makes him perfectly qualified. » This opinion is shared by those close to Alexandre de Rothschild. Indeed, François Henrot, David’s accomplice, also announces: “Alexandre fashioned from his father this essential quality that we do not learn in schools and which is called judgment. » All the people who knew Alexandre can testify to this and admit “not being able to refuse him anything”.
The new boss shows great courtesy without ever being excessive. He shows great balance. David de Rothschild shares his secrets to a successful career as Chairman of Rothschild: “You need humanity, camaraderie, a form of complicity, moments of laughter, time spent. When you’re in my situation, and now in Alexandre’s, you have to be obsessed with surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you. A big part of the job is convincing smart people to come, and creating a culture that will make them stay. »
