We continue our series getting to know the constituents of 2021 PAM 50 Most Influential, an annual list of those at the forefront of shaping private client wealth management in the UK and Crown Dependencies.

Today we hear from Mouhammed 'Mo' Choukeir: A regular constituent of our ’50 Most’ list, Mr Choukeir appeared as a chief executive for the first time this year. He now heads Kleinwort Hambros, having previously been its deputy chief executive and chief investment officer (CIO).

Mr Choukeir has set himself a series of ambitious targets for the bank, including growing it from managing £15 billion (including loans) at present to more than £20 billion within five years.

He plans to implement a digital roadmap and transform Kleinwort into a leading institution that is responsible in all aspects in its dealings with clients, employees, and the wider world. Under his leadership as CIO, the investment team secured multiple industry awards and accolades for excellent investment performance.

Client contact was up more than 70 percent in 2020, as part of push to reassure clients virtually during the pandemic.

Prior to joining Kleinwort, he was head of multi-asset class investing at Morgan Stanley for Europe, Middle East, and Asia, and spent his early career in the fixed income division of Citigroup’s investment bank in New York, London, and Madrid.

What team or personal achievement over the past year are you most proud of? 

Without a doubt, the incredible response to the pandemic from the Kleinwort Hambros teams is a huge source of pride for me. Across the board, we saw individuals and teams respond to the prevailing environment with courage and commitment.

Looking back on what was to come, it felt like an impossible task. However, by working closely together and supporting each another, we all learnt to adjust our way of living and working in a very short period of time.

The teams at Kleinwort Hambros are now fully equipped to work remotely and assist clients as we navigate the challenges the world currently faces. We continue to focus on reassuring our existing clients and helping them navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Our bankers swiftly moved to using interactive technology with Zoom and Skype to continue assisting our existing and future clients. This resulted in a 72 percent year-on-year increase in client contact.  We have also harnessed the power of technology in our digital marketing strategy via the launch a series of podcasts demonstrating how we are driving innovation in the UK private banking sector.

The pandemic has not halted the roll out of our ambition to be a leading responsible bank and we launched some exciting new initiatives for our staff. 

We launched our Kleinwort Hambros Gender Equality Forum which focused primarily on our female colleagues. With staff of all gender identities encouraged to participate, the forum seeks to offer support and guidance, opportunities to develop new skills and professional connections, as well as providing a platform for sharing ideas and experiences.

The importance of diversity of thinking also underpins some of our initiatives to support and foster young talent. This is shown through our continued apprenticeship and internship schemes, as well as the launch of our next generation executive committee (Nexco).

This initiative will have the Exco work alongside 13 selected analysts and associates on strategic assignments, providing them an excellent opportunity for learning and increasing their visibility across the organisation.

What do you find most rewarding about your role? 

Kleinwort Hambros is only four years old, but we can trace its roots back centuries. In a way, KH is the toddler with over 200 years of experience, a young organisation that has an exciting future ahead.

Creating a vision to transform Kleinwort Hambros into a more competitive and responsible business and working with staff on this transformation has been tremendously rewarding. I have learned a lot from my colleagues and that has kept me going every day as we seek to find creative solutions to business challenges.

 

What most excites or interests you about the wealth management industry right now? 

Our industry has always prided itself on putting clients first and building long-term relationships based on trust and a first-class personal service.

However, we now live in a world heavily driven by technology – through the conveniences it can bring, the efficiencies it generates, and the entirely new capabilities it enables. It’s fascinating to consider how our industry might embrace technologies to disrupt existing business models and establish new ones.

Equally exciting is considering how we’ll use our knowledge and business intelligence to create a positive impact on the wider community, which is an increasingly key aspect of an appealing value proposition to clients.

What challenges do you see your firm/clients facing in 2021?  

As we have now marked the first year since we went into lockdown, a lot has happened in our professional and personal lives.

The pandemic has brought plenty of anxiety for everyone and it is vital we acknowledge this as an employer and as a financial institution. Our priority has always been the wellbeing of our staff and clients, and we have done a lot to ensure our staff were well supported through lockdown, but we must continue to do so as we head out of lockdown. The return to a new normality – although hugely anticipated by all – will not be easy and will require care, support and planning.

The same applies to working with our clients. There is still a great deal of volatility and uncertainty created by the pandemic. I am pleased to say that our investment performance has remained strong compared to our peers, but we cannot become complacent.

We must remain focused on managing their assets and swiftly adapt as the situation evolves. We must be there to accompany them out of lockdown with confidence in the future and advise them with their best interest in mind.

What’s a valued hobby or interest outside work and how did you get into it? 

My second child was born a few weeks after the start of lockdown. Like many parents, my wife and I have had to juggle childcare and work. It has been challenging but it has made me rethink the way I interact with them.

Entertaining children when stuck at home is no mean feat. This year, I decided to learn how to juggle. It is not only a fun way to entertain my daughters, but also really good for mindfulness. Lose focus and you will drop a ball!

When's the last time you failed spectacularly at something?

A few years ago, I entered a triathlon and I was told my swimming time was too slow, so I was disqualified. I was very disappointed as I had trained a lot in the run up to the race.

Nonetheless, this gave me reason to try harder, so I took lessons and started swimming almost every day. That certainly helped and it set me up to complete a number of long-distance Ironman races. Good life lessons in this experience. 'If at first, you don’t succeed' and all that.

 

Do you have a pet? What’s (s)he like? 

I have two cats. Cute and mischievous at the same time!

 

Was there a particular guilty pleasure which helped you through lockdown? 

Sleeping in has been a positive highlight of the past year. No need for alarms in the morning as we no longer faced the necessity to commute. This has been life-changing and I have felt a lot fresher as a result, although I have young children.

I think that living in lockdown has helped us all to revaluate our work/life balance and the impact it can have on our mental wellbeing.  We have all benefited from slowing down and spending more time with our children or loved ones.

One of the challenges of going back to a new normality will be to try to maintain the right balance work/life balance.