Investment Managers
In order to grow as an asset manager in Europe, there is no way around Germany, says Markus Schuwerack, Country Head of Sales Germany and Austria at Sienna Investment Managers. “The German market is one of the largest and most diverse, which makes it an ideal environment for providers with a boutique character like us,” explains Schuwerack in an interview with Fundview . The market is geographically fragmented and investors can be found all over Germany. Over the past three years, the group has acquired several established companies that are now fully integrated and developing synergies through hybrid offerings.
According to Schuwerack, an interesting fact is that the name Sienna IM is still relatively young, but has more than 20 years of experience depending on the asset class. “Over time, we have acquired various specialised investment boutiques and integrated their know-how. For example, we have acquired a real estate boutique with a branch in Germany and an asset management company in France that specialises in private credit,” explains Schuwerack.
These developments reflect GBL and Sienna IM’s philosophy of making strategic investments and fostering partnerships to drive growth. “At the beginning of the year, for example, we acquired an Italian private credit boutique. Our portfolio now includes real estate, among other things, and we are constantly looking for new, interesting investment opportunities,” explains Schuwerack.
Strong focus on sustainability
The company has a strong focus on sustainability and ESG criteria. “For us, sustainable growth also means economic prosperity, which forms the basis for a positive impact in the area of ESG,” explains Schuwerack. Sienna IM currently manages over 37 billion euros in assets, mainly in the liquid sector, with around five billion euros in the real estate sector and more than two billion euros in the private credit sector. Sienna IM operates in Europe with around 300 employees and has a clearly pan-European approach.
More than 80 percent of the products are classified as Article 8 or 9 under the SFDR, which underlines a clear commitment to Sienna IM’s sustainable investment strategy. “We are members of various associations and recently joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which deals with biodiversity and other sustainable topics, among other things,” says Schuwerack.
Sustainability is a key trend in the investment industry and is increasingly being anchored as a necessary element in investors’ strategies. “In Germany, we are particularly active in the area of infrastructure debt, with our focus on renewable energies, particularly the energy transition,” explains Schuwerack. The demand for renewable energies remains high, which shows that investors’ interest is unbroken.
Strong parent company despite current market obscurity
Sienna IM is not yet particularly well known on the market, says Schuwerack, emphasizing: “Interestingly, however, there is a strong parent company behind it: the GBL Group, a listed investment company in Belgium with a relatively large portfolio of around 17 billion euros.” GBL invests in various areas, both in liquid and illiquid investments. In the liquid area, these include well-known names such as Adidas, while in the illiquid area, companies such as Canyon Bicycles in Koblenz are represented. The portfolio is broadly diversified and reflects the philosophy of the families behind it.
Sienna IM was founded in recent years as an extension of the firm’s external investment strategy. “Our goal is to make the investment philosophy of the GBL family accessible to external investors. In Germany, I am currently concentrating mainly on making Sienna better known and addressing institutional investors,” says Schuwerack. In France, the home market, Sienna IM is based in Paris and covers a broad spectrum of investors there, including banks and institutional investors.
