Can Singapore family-owned property empires last far beyond three generations?

I JOINED a small Asian media party who visited the headquarters of Pictet Group in Geneva, Switzerland, in late June / early July. The group, which is active in wealth management, asset management, alternative investments and asset services, is Switzerland’s second-largest financial institution, behind UBS, and Europe’s largest privately held financial institution.

The visit was enlightening – I gained valuable insights from the group’s various leaders on the global investment and wealth management landscape. 

However, what left an indelible mark is that a ninth generation of the Pictets continues to be at the top management echelon of the 220-year-old group – a business the family first became associated with in 1841.