Brainvest Wealth Management announces Jan Gunnar Karsten as Brazil CEO and Fernando Gelman as Global CEO

30-year industry veteran to lead the company’s Latin American growth strategy, while Gelman assumes the international leadership position

SÃO PAULO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brainvest Wealth Management (Brainvest) welcomes Jan Gunnar Karsten, CFA, CFP, as Brazil CEO and partner of the company. He takes the place of Fernando Gelman, who will now assume the role of Global CEO. This joint action aims to strengthen and accelerate the national and international growth of the Multi-Family Office, opening a new chapter in the history of the company.

Karsten wants to focus on creating a clear path for Brainvest to scale its ecosystem across Latin America. Simultaneously, Gelman will focus his work around the world supporting the CEOs of each unit, Switzerland, Brazil and the USA.

The hiring solidifies Brainvest as a key player in the global multi-family office space and is executing a strategic plan that began in 2019 with the arrival of Alexander Gorra as partner, followed by the acquisition of 20% of the company by Merchant Investment Management (Merchant) at the end of last year.

”Today, Brainvest carries a portfolio of clients that are increasingly complex in their expectations and goals, and thus, our strategy is to increasingly improve our structure, our services and our human capital,” says Gelman.

Karsten’s deep industry knowledge and impressive experience positions him for success as he assumes the role in Brazil. Since 2016, he has led the Julius Baer Family Office, the largest multi-family office in Brazil, as a result of the merger between GPS and Reliance. Until 2011, he was a bank executive with stints at Matrix, BankBoston, Citi and UBS bringing a history of growth to his position at Brainvest.

“We are thrilled to have Jan joining the team and leading our efforts in Brazil,” says Alex Gorra, Partner and Director of Strategy and Growth. “He is a longtime friend of the company and we admire his career success. As we sought to strengthen the leadership role in our Latin American office, Jan was a clear leader in putting our plans into action.”

“We live in an increasingly interconnected world and Jan’s experience will help further support families in navigating the complex financial landscape both in Brazil and beyond,” added Marc Spilker, Executive Chairman of Merchant. “His global perspective will be invaluable to the Brainvest and Merchant communities.”

Karsten will also support the expansion of Brainvest’s international relationship manager teams, strengthening the company’s core value of providing sophisticated financial management to international investors, who are constantly looking to create unique private investment offerings that go above and beyond standards. As a partner of Merchant Investment Management, Brainvest has a network of more than 55 independent wealth managers and $150 billion in global assets under management (AUM).

Tim Bello, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Merchant, highlights Brainvest’s expansion momentum, “We are focused on a local touch with a global reach and Brainvest is uniquely positioned in the Merchant community to embody that. Brainvest is a global company equipped with local expertise and working with qualified wealth managers to serve clients with extremely different needs. Adding Jan to the team is an incredible added value for the entire Merchant ecosystem.”

“As an independent multi-family office that serves our clients in a unique way, we are positioning ourselves as a natural home for wealth managers in Latin America to expand their practice on an international scale,” concludes Gelman.

About Brainvest Wealth Management

Brainvest, founded in 2003, is a full-service multi-family office and investment firm for families and entrepreneurs. Brainvest has a presence in the U.S., Switzerland and Brazil, serving international and U.S. clients.

Brainvest provides global and independent solutions in areas including Investment Management (liquid and private assets), Succession Planning, Estate/Financial Planning, Consolidation Systems, Risk Management, and Tax and Offshore Entity Management. Brainvest provides concierge and family governance solutions to ensure a complete bespoke solution.

Through its Alternative Capital Management (ACM) division, Brainvest has invested significantly in private assets for over 12 years. Brainvest has a dedicated private asset team on three continents to originate, structure, manage and oversee with governance in all investments.

Contacts

Rodneya Ross

Gregory FCA for Brainvest Wealth Management

brainvest@gregoryfca.com
610-228-2093