Steve Bernat

 

Company

Carne Group (Luxembourg)

 

Position

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Life with an international perspective

 

He could have spent his entire career working for the Luxembourg government, but Steve Bernat decided to leave the Ministry of Education for a life with a more international flavor.

 

Discovering the world

 

Over the years Steve Bernat’s career has often required him to spend more time abroad than at home in Luxembourg, and it has allowed him to experience new and interesting cultural challenges. The first time the Luxembourg national met with an Asian asset manager for instance more than a decade ago, he made sure he arrived well prepared. Having asked his client at the end of the meeting whether they were satisfied, he was pleased to be told they were very happy. It was only after returning to his office 30 minutes later that he discovered an email in his inbox explaining that in fact they were not happy at all. But they couldn’t tell him face-to-face. Experiences like this one and others he made on his travels around the world, have helped to shape Steve’s personality: he is curious to learn about other cultures, mentalities and working approaches, and he is always keen to deliver what his clients require, taking into account the local market nuances. Most recently, he went on holiday off the beaten track – to Myanmar. “I like to discover places that not everybody has been to” he says.

 

The road less traveled

 

Leaving the well-trodden path is a goal that Steve has pursued most of his professional life, too. He started out working for Luxembourg’s Ministry of Education, which could have been a life time career, but in reality, he aspired to work in an international environment. He joined a German fund management company, then moved on after a few years to IFDS/State Street, and subsequently spent seven years with Citibank, building a team, working on cutting edge projects and spending a lot of his time in Asia, as well as in other financial hubs around the world. After more than 10 years in fund services operations, relationship and product management, Steve discovered his true niche in business development, as he has always been strong in building relationships with people from around the globe. After working for a big global custodian, he has decided to work for a third-party management company in Luxembourg, where he has taken the business to another level by significantly growing their asset base. Subsequently he was offered the position of CEO for fund management solutions specialist Carne Group in Luxembourg, which he has held since June 2015.

 

Serving a global asset management clientele

 

Carne seems to be the perfect fit for an enthusiast like Steve, who has helped the firm win recognition as an independent third-party party fund management company of genuinely global scale, with an international network of offices serving some of the biggest asset managers in the traditional and alternative space. While Carne enjoys strong brand recognition in seven countries, its business in the Grand-Duchy is now the fastest growing entity in the group. As the business is growing, Steve has made sure to have the right senior team in place, because he is convinced that it is all about teamwork. “Our biggest investment in the firm is the people” he says.

 

Facts & Figures

 

• Birthday: 9/03/1978

• Place of birth: Esch sur Alzette (Luxembourg)

• Nationality: Luxembourger

• Children: 1 son, whose name is Noé

• Languages: Luxembourgish, English, French, German

• Hobbies: Travelling, tennis, sailing, golf and skiing

 

My favourite

 

• Cities: Hong Kong

• Restaurants: Owstellgleis (Hostert)

• Places: Whitsunday Islands (Australia), Railay beach (Thailand), Bagan (Myanmar)

• Music: Coldplay

• Artwork: Photography by Sebastião Salgado