Silex Shifts Structured Products from Opportunism to Strategy

Founded in Geneva in 2016 by Xavier Laborde, Silex has evolved from an independent investment office into a specialized firm that manages between 5 and 6 billion Swiss francs in annual volume. The firm’s approach rests on a combination of in-house technology and deep derivative expertise. By utilizing proprietary systems like the Spark platform, Silex provides real-time transparency across client portfolios, including assets held with third-party issuers.

Steinherr, who previously led derivatives at UBS, and Fotsch, formerly of Leonteq, emphasize that the market is moving away from products burdened by multiple fee layers. Instead, they advocate for a strategic approach focused on AI, energy, and commodities. This shift involves moving clients away from concentrated risks—such as the over-exposure to US tech stocks often found in legacy reverse convertibles—toward broadly diversified, actively managed mandates.

With a team of over 100 employees, the firm maintains that keeping all technological development in-house is a competitive necessity. As Silex eyes geographic expansion into Dubai and beyond, the leadership team aims to double their volume by 2030, leveraging current market conditions that Steinherr describes as favorable enough to make record-breaking performance nearly inevitable.