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Our Team

Our way of working is characterized by expertise, determination, commitment, and experience since 2010. We act out of conviction.

Dr. Rainer Grünig

Managing Partner I CEO I Senior Portfolio Manager

Rainer Gruenig studied Risk Management & Insurance at the University of St Gallen (HSG), followed by a PhD in Business Administration. In 1990 Rainer started his professional career as a consultant with the Institute of Insurance Economy (I.VW, St Gallen) and later with PwC in their insurance practice. He held various positions at Zurich Financial Services and Julius Baer Asset Management, where he was head of marketing and later heading their fund unit in the UK. Rainer joined Plenum Investments Ltd. on 1st September 2010. Since 2015 he is responsible for its “Life” investment solutions.

„The capital market has become indispensable as a responsible reinsurance risk carrier.“

Nico Rischmann

Managing Partner I Founder I Institutional Investor Services

Nico Rischmann studied business administration with a focus on capital market research at the University of Innsbruck. Right after achieving his MBA degree Nico co-founded Plenum in 1993. In his function as executive board member he built up Plenum Group. Since then he held various management and executive functions within the Plenum Group. From 2005 to 2011 he was CEO of the group life insurance company. Since 2009 Nico Rischmann is a member of the executive board of Plenum Investments Ltd. and holds several supervisory mandates.

„Plenum is more than just doing something together. We act from conviction and sometimes we anticipate the future.“

Dirk Schmelzer

Managing Partner I Senior Portfolio Manager

Dirk Schmelzer joined Plenum Investments in 2010 as senior portfolio manager for insurance-linked securities (ILS). Since 2005 he led the insurance-linked securities team at Falcon Private Bank (formerly AIG Private Bank) and was the responsible portfolio manager for funds and asset management mandates in the ILS area. Dirk started his career at VZ VermögensZentrum, where he was deputy head of fund research and responsible for selecting and monitoring alternative investments. He graduated from Braunschweig Technical University in 2000 as an industrial engineer and is certified as a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Hedge Fund Advisor (EBS/BAI).

„The CAT bond market still has enormous potential ahead of it. In the foreseeable future, new types of risk and regions will complement the existing range of ILS products.“

Daniel Grieger

Managing Partner I Senior Portfolio Manager

Daniel Grieger has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He started his career as an underwriter for structured credit transactions at Swiss Re and from 2007 he managed ILS portfolios at Horizon21. Daniel was a co-founder of Twelve Capital in 2010. Before joining Plenum Investments AG in May 2020, he managed both insurance debt and ILS portfolios and was responsible for the strategy development of the firm. He holds a degree from the University of St. Gallen (Lic. Oec. HSG), a degree in banking and the ICMA Fixed Income Certificate.

«It is particularly important to me that our investors understand what we are doing. No questions should be left unanswered. That's why we often maintain close relationships with our clients.»

Rötger Franz

Partner I Portfolio Manager I Senior Insurance Analyst

Rötger Franz has more than 20 years of international experience in the coverage of the insurance sector. Mr. Franz was sell side credit analyst at Société Générale and 10 times in a row he was ranked as the best insurance analyst in the Euromoney Fixed Income Research Survey. Previously, he was as lead analyst responsible for the coverage of the leading primary insurers and reinsurers at the rating agency A.M. Best and has experience in M&A, Equities and Accounting. He holds a master-equivalent degree from the University of Cologne (Dipl.-Kfm.) with a focus on insurance science. He joined Plenum Investments AG in April 2020 and is responsible for insurance bonds.

«Subordinated insurance debt continues to offer significantly higher returns than other sectors with comparable ratings. Traditional asset managers generally do not have the necessary specialist knowledge. My experience shows that there are always new opportunities to be found here.»

David Strasser

Senior Portfolio Manager I Underwriter

David Strasser holds an MSc in Physics Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology with a master’s thesis in Plasma Physics. He has over 10 years experience in the management of natural catastrophe risks in the reinsurance business. He started his career in 2001 at the reinsurer PartnerRe, where he was a member of the research team of the CAT department and developed insurance portfolio models. He pursued his career in New York at the reinsurance brokerage firm Marsh & McLennan, where he developed mathematical models for the optimization of risk/return profiles of CAT exposed insurance policies portfolios. In 2008, David worked as an ILS quantitative portfolio Manager at the swiss private bank Clariden Leu. Since 2010, he works for Plenum Investments as an ILS portfolio manager.

„Since the US market account for a large share of the global ILS market, quantitative portfolio optimization is a key component of our investment strategy.“

Robert Holzreiter

Senior Relationship Manager

Robert Holzreiter worked for 22 years at UBS AG in Zurich and Geneva. From 1998 he worked for 15 years for a foreign bank from the Middle East, where he was responsible for the acquisition of UHNI. Then he moved to an asset manager in Zurich. There he took over the acquisition of new customers. Since March 2019, Robert Holzreiter has been working for Plenum Investments AG as Senior Sales Manager with the aim to enhance the quality of customer service.

„We not do only contact our potential customers, we also have something to say.“

Elia Di Nardo

Sales Manager

Elia Di Nardo completed his business studies at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), where he worked for four years as a scientific project manager at the Institute for Insurance Economics thereafter. He has various further training courses in the areas of fund consultant, financial planning, derivative products and digital banking. He started his professional career in 1996 in financial sales. After positions at Allianz, UBS, Vontobel and GAM. He will strengthen the Institutional Investor Services Team at Plenum Investments AG as Sales Manager from November 2022.

"In an increasingly uncertain world, market volatility will remain high. With CAT bonds and US life policies, we offer stable, low correlations with attractive returns. My goal is to increase awareness of these solutions."

Christoph Zitt

Sales Manager

Christoph J. Zitt has more than 25 years of experience in sales and relationship management for exclusively foreign investment companies within the D-A-CH region. The qualified business economist started his career at the Swiss Bank Company, and further positions in asset management included: J.P. Morgan, Pictet, Comgest, ING Asset Management, where he held leadership roles in market and product launches for various institutional investor groups. As a certified financial service provider for sustainability, he acted as the central contact within a German-French partnership between two renowned asset managers, including for press work and marketing on the topics of climate and ESG. In the past decades, the certified foundation consultant has always focused on products and topics in the area of sustainability.

""The alignment of company and investor interests is essential for specialized niche providers when it comes to credibility and common goals."

Markus Moser

Sales Manager

Markus Moser began his professional career with an apprenticeship in banking and completed his business administration studies at the HWV Zurich (‘zhaw’) in 1988. He also completed further training at the Swiss Banking School and a DAS in Compliance Management from the HSLU. From 1988 he worked for 20 years in international private banking at Citibank, UBS and Swissfirst Bank. Since 2008 he has worked for two hedge fund managers. From 2020 to the end of February 2024, he worked in sales for an ILS/CAT bond manager. Since March 2024, he has strengthened the Institutional Investor Services team at Plenum Investments AG as Client Director.

"Anyone who invests in investment niches asks the question of the optimal fund capacity. Ultimately, it's about maintaining selectivity to deal efficiently with tail risks. This is what sets us apart."

Stefan Teubler

Life-Actuary

Stefan Teubler studied financial and economic mathematics at the Technical University of Munich. He earned his diploma in 2007. Stefan joined the Lifebond Group in January 2008. He is responsible for the actuarial and statistical evaluation and modelling in connection with policy valuation and administration, portfolio analysis and the development of longevity-linked products.

„The determination of capital requirements in relation to life expectancy estimates is an essential component of portfolio optimisation.”

Dr. Nicola-Alexander Sittaro

Medical Underwriter I Specialist Internal Medicine

Dr. Sittaro studied  Medicine in Hannover and Bristol. Post graduate qualification in Internal Medicine and Cardiology in Hamburg. 1993 to 2013 Medical Director of Hannover Re and Head Medical Service Department. His work was focused on longevity risks (Enhanced Annuities), Life and Non-Life product development and Automated Underwriting Systems. Own research and publications in Fuzzy Underwriting, Long Term Care, Long Term Outcome of Personal Injuries and Outcome of Mental Disorders. He is lecturer for Insurance Medicine at the University of Muenster, Germany. Since 2013 he is running his own operation VMS-Hannover which is specialized in Insurance Medicine.  

„In order to make reliable life expectancy estimates, it is crucial to take into account the latest medical knowledge as well as social and economic factors.“

Susanne Costigan

Head Risk & Compliance

Susanne has assumed the role as Risk & Compliance as of the 1. August 2014 at Plenum Investments AG. In 2018 Susanne became Head Risk & Compliance. In 2019 she completed the post-graduate Compliance Management at University of St Gallen (CM-HSG). Prior to joining us, she worked as an auditor with Ernst & Young and Andersen, before taking up a position as corporate accountant and regulatory controller for two of the largest Swiss Banks  UBS and CS for five years. Susanne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics and Accounting from the University of Sydney and has additionally completed further education in the areas of Compliance, Anti Money Laundering, FINMA Solvency I, Swiss Solvency Test, Solvency II, Basel I and Basel II, IFRS, US GAAP, Swiss Code of Obligation.

"Risk and motivation are inseparably connected. Risk management in the future will call for increased awareness."

Christa Hägeli

Head Accounting

Christa Haegeli is a certified accountant with a Swiss diploma. She has more than 20 years experience in finance and accounting. She started her career at Telekurs AG (today SIX Financial Information) where besides her job in accounting she was also involved in the implementation of a new corporate and financial software. She then joined Siemens where she was responsible for the financial and project controlling in an international project in the VoIP-area. The past 10 years before joining Plenum in June 2014 she was working as a fiduciary.

„We manage financial risks also on company level. Experience is one thing, but identifying risk is another.“

Victor Lorenz Gnehm

Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Victor Lorenz Gnehm, attorney at law and partner at Schnurrenberger Tobler Gnehm & Partner in Zug/CH, where he focuses on the planning, establishment and legal management of international and national corporate structures. He studied law and economics at the University of Bern and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. He was admitted to the bars of Bern and Switzerland in 1992. Victor joined the investment banking arm of one of Switzerland’s top banks. In 1995, Victor was seconded to Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine, where he helped build the local affiliate of his employer as the local Vice Chairman in charge of Lending and Structured and Trade Finance. In 1998, Victor moved back to Switzerland in order to join a globally active management consulting firm, for which he worked as a Director in Zurich and London until 2001. In 2002, he rejoined the legal world in order to practice as an attorney at law.

„The insurance-linked securities asset class has become an indispensable component of the reinsurance business.“

Dr. Giuseppe Benelli

Supervisory Board

Mr. Benelli is an independent consultant and president of the SFAA (Swiss Financial Analyst Association). He received his PhD in 1982 from the Economics Institute of the University of Bern. From 1982 to 1988, he was Head of the Research for financial analysis and fund management at UBS. In 1988 he joined Bank Leu as Chief Investment Officer and served on the executive board during his time there. From 2000 to 2003 he was CIO and responsible for asset management and also member of the executive board at Swiss Re. In November 2003 he joined Vontobel Asset Management as CIO and was a member of group executive management. From January 2008, Mr. Benelli served as a consultant for the Vontobel Group. In July 2008 he founded Benelli Consulting which advises banking, insurance and institutional clients. He sits on various boards of directors and has been published in numerous journals.

„We are looking for alternative investments that really do not correlate. Insurance-linked securities (ILS) are the best example of this.“

Dr. Andreas Rickert

Supervisory Board

Dr Andreas Rickert has been consistently committed to an open, social and sustainable world for years. With unique expertise in philanthropy, social impact and private equity as well as a large network in business, politics and civil society, he is a committed bridge builder, a convinced impact ambassador and a passionate lobbyist for a better world. His path from PhD in molecular biologist to engagement manager at McKinsey to a philanthropy and social impact expert is unusual. International studies in Davis (USA) and doctoral work in Stanford, Palo Alto and Cologne were followed by leadership and management positions in the foundation sector, in business and – after founding the think-&-do-tank PHINEO – in the non-profit world. Beyond his work as CEO of PHINEO. Dr Andreas Rickert is active as Co-CEO of Nixdorf Kapital AG as well as a business angel in the startup and impact investing world. Whether as a founder, board member, investor, publisher, author or lecturer: together with the PHINEO team and many others Dr Andreas Rickert develops and realises ideas with impact – for an open, sustainable and peaceful society in which doing good with impact guides collective action.

"The potential of the reinsurance industry in the transformation towards sustainability must be addressed."

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