Thierry Grosjean (Japan Fund Management Luxembourg) : Pragmatism and professionalism
The conducting officer of Japan Fund Management Luxembourg, Thierry Grosjean glides through life with the poise of the outstanding skier he is. He says his philosophy involves forging ahead, being inventive while taking measured risks, and knowing how to learn from his mistakes.
From law to fund services
Born in Metz, Thierry Grosjean discovered rock music at the age of four, when he was taken to a private concert by his uncle, and he remains a fan to this day of groups such as the Rolling Stones. While he would have liked to make a life in music, instead he opted to study at his hometown university. Having obtained a master’s degree in law, he entered Luxembourg’s financial industry, spending eight years with a fiduciary firm in the Grand Duchy before becoming CEO in 2008 of Centuria Capital Luxembourg, a financial sector professional entity providing domiciliation services. Last September he was appointed as conducting officer of Japan Fund Management Luxembourg, the Super ManCo business of the Mizuho banking group, with special responsibility for compliance and risk supervision. “I like finding pragmatic solutions adapted to increasingly demanding and sophisticated products,” he says.
A drive to succeed
As a boy, Thierry dreamed of becoming a pilot, but the qualities of precision and rigour that are essential to the job are equally important in his current role. He says he has acquired from the great captains of industry a taste for management and the drive to succeed in business. He says that today the Luxembourg fund industry represents an internationally-recognised label with a reputation for high quality and professionalism that has made the industry a global leader.
Into the wide open spaces
Thierry was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the Luxembourg Association of Compliance Officers in 2015, with the main task of promoting the Grand Duchy as one of the leading jurisdictions for compliance in the EU. Since then, he has been a director of the organisation with responsibility for communication. In a world where the fund industry is subject to higher levels of regulation, he is increasingly focusing on compliance with environmental, social and governance investment criteria. And when he has a chance to escape from the office, Thierry heads for adventure in wide open spaces, whether skiing in Patagonia, diving among great white sharks off Gansbaai in South Africa, or riding a motorbike along California’s Pacific Coast Highway. Even in the heart of Luxembourg’s financial industry, the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll lives on.