The Julius Baer Group has announced the appointment of Francis Hoefman as Chief Human Resources Officer and as a member of the Global Wealth Management Committee. She will take up her new role on January 11, 2027, succeeding Guido Ruoss, who is moving on to pursue a new professional challenge outside the firm following a structured transition period.
Hoefman brings more than two decades of international human resources expertise spanning corporate strategy, organizational transformation, and personnel management. She joins from Reckitt, a global consumer goods company operating across more than 80 countries with a workforce of roughly 36,000 people. In her most recent position at Reckitt, she directed global talent acquisition, executive development, category management capability building, and research and development human resources operations, overseeing a global human resources team of around 500 professionals. Her prior responsibilities at the company included leading human resources for the hygiene and health divisions, alongside various regional leadership postings. Earlier in her career, she held senior personnel roles at H.J. Heinz and Mars Inc., and began her professional journey leading an association representing executives from Philips. She holds a Master of Laws in employment and corporate law from Maastricht University and completed a postgraduate qualification in labor law at the Grotius Academy.
Stefan Bollinger, Chief Executive Officer of Julius Baer, stated that the organization sought the most suitable human resources leader across industries and geographies because employees represent the firm's most valuable asset. Bollinger noted that Hoefman's background in driving high-performing teams, fostering a growth mindset in competitive environments, and cultivating an entrepreneurial culture will help advance the company's personnel strategy and strengthen its position as an employer of choice for top talent. Furthermore, Bollinger expressed gratitude to outgoing human resources head Guido Ruoss for his contributions during an 18-year tenure with the group, including 11 years leading the human resources division.
Headquartered in Zurich, Julius Baer is a prominent wealth management institution with origins dating back to 1890, operating in approximately 25 countries across roughly 60 locations. As of the end of June 2026, the group reported CHF 547 billion in assets under management. The principal operating entity, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., is a subsidiary of Julius Baer Group Ltd., whose shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol BAER and are a component of the Swiss Leader Index.
