Why did you found 3rd-eyes analytics?

There are two main reasons which led me to my decision:

First: Early in my career, which I started as a portfolio manager in institutional asset management, I realised that advisors who assist clients in their asset management have no solutions available to provide realistic and individual advice to these clients. This starts with the fact that financial advice is often not concerned with a client’s goals, but focuses on the investment product, which should only be the means to an end to achieve a client’s goals. Additionally, the industry still suffers from the unrealistic assumption that stock markets behave normally, for example, that stock markets cannot decline more than they increase in good times. Especially if there are market movements such as the current one, clients should still be able to achieve their goals, such as a pension.

The second reason was a very personal one. I have been working in the field of sustainable investments for more than 15 years. I have learned that if you offer the topic to clients without selling it to them, they often opt for the sustainable option. That is why we integrate sustainability into every step of the advisory process, including, for example, simulating assets and goals in the light of climate change, without highlighting it as something special. If we manage to attract a large number of banks and insurance clients, all of whom give their clients the opportunity to invest sustainably in a very simple way, we will have achieved a significant “impact” as a company. That is what drives me.

What do you do when you are not working?

Outside of 3rd-eyes analytics, I take care of my family. I have two children and I encourage my family to be active and do sports, preferably in the mountains, because I love nature. We enjoy mountaineering, mountain biking, climbing, running and ski touring if there is snow. My favourite aspect of sports is that I don’t think about my work-related tasks for a second. Instead, I can relax. If I would be on a beach somewhere, I would probably be working on my computer constantly, whereas I can tune this out when I am exercising. We Bavarians also appreciate a certain pleasure, like a good beer after work.

Additionally, I find luxury rather burdensome. As a family, we have a camper van with which we travel and this is like I would push the reset button. When all the possessions we have in our everyday lives are suddenly not available, you begin to realise that you did not need them to begin with.

What is your motivation?

The things I do must be challenging and of high quality. I have failed as well in the past, and I have learned how to deal with it. Failure might hurt for a moment, but then it is over and life goes on. Also, I am aware that this beautiful life will be over at some point with 100% certainty and that is why I want to live an intensive life in the time that I have.

Another motivation certainly also is to work with an outstanding team in Zurich and Belgrade that spares no effort to implement something quickly and is fantastically innovative.

What do you want to achieve with 3rd-eyes analytics?

I would be proud if at some point in time a good market share of financial service providers were to use our solutions because then I would have made a significant personal contribution to making investing more sustainable. Naturally, I want to be successful, too.

What was your personal highlight with 3rd-eyes analytics?

When despite all the adversities we had to overcome, we won our first customer. Another highlight to me is the fact that my work colleagues all stand by the company even in difficult times. That is fantastic.

You have mentioned that you are often in nature and enjoy ski tours. What is your favourite ski tour? Where does it take place, what is so special about it?

I can recommend the ski tour in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: It starts at the Jungfraujoch, which can be reached comfortably by train, over Konkordiaplatz and up to the Lötschenlücke and finally, another beautiful descent to Blatten. This tour is a high alpine tour and is very comfortable to do, but you need a guide, because of the crevasses. Unfortunately, what is frightening about this tour is to see how the glacier gets smaller and smaller every year. Where one could ski down in former times, today one has to descend over scree fields.