Singapore-based investment management and financial advisory firm Transport Capital has spread its wings to the European financial and commodity trading hub of Geneva with the addition of ship finance veteran Sebastian Wittgenstein.
Wittgenstein, Transport Capital said in a media statement released on Monday, will “reinforce” its “commitment to sustainability and help the company develop and execute new solutions to enable the decarbonisation of the maritime and aviation industries”.
Managing Partner Philip Clausius said: “I have known and interacted with Sebastian for many years. I have always been impressed with his drive and deep understanding of both the Asian and European markets.”.
Wittgenstein, who Clausius described as “passionate about the energy transition”, was said to bring with him over 25 years of financial and operational experience in the transportation and infrastructure-related sectors.
And although Wittgenstein has spent the past two years working for supply chain capital providers, he is perhaps better known in industry circles for the 12 years he spent with Swiss shipping giant MSC in the roles of head of corporate finance, and later, finance director.
Before that Wittgenstein was Standard Chartered Bank’s Singapore-based managing director responsible for coverage for airlines and shipping companies in Asia. He also worked in similar roles at BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong.
Transport Capital, which Clausius founded in Singapore in 2013, is an investment management and financial advisory company focused on maritime and aviation. It describes its core expertise as being in real assets and private capital markets.
Two years ago, the company embarked on an expansion strategy by starting to add key hires in what it deemed important markets.
Clausius told TradeWinds that the company would grow its team opportunistically “if and when we feel that professionals can provide complementary skills, experience or reach”.
In April last year, Transport Capital scored a major coup when it became Hamburg Commercial Bank's exclusive lending agent in Asia, targeting clients small and medium-sized shipping companies with strong operational track records and/or fixed medium-term employment, as well as lessors and financial sponsors in the region.
With Wittgenstein on board, Transport Capital now has a 25-strong team based in Singapore, Beijing, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Athens, New York and Geneva.
