Fiera Sees EMEA as a Key Growth Region
Canadian-headquartered asset manager Fiera Capital is setting the stage for international expansion. Under the leadership of a new global CEO, the company sees the EMEA region as a central pillar of its growth strategy. Zurich serves as one of its key European hubs.
Fiera Capital is an independent Global asset management firm with approximately $112.3 billion in assets under management. Maxime Ménard, who served as CEO of Fiera Canada and also led Fiera Global Private Wealth for over a year before recently being appointed Global CEO, aims to strengthen the firm’s global presence.
Ménard is supportive of the changes introduced by founder and outgoing Global CEO Jean Guy Desjardins and EMEA CEO Klaus Schuster in early 2024 which saw Fiera reorganize its structure into four global regions, with EMEA playing a central role in its growth strategy.
Maxime Ménard (Image: provided)
“We are a global asset manager with a multi-style investment platform and an entrepreneurial spirit,” Ménard said in an interview with finews.com. “Our investment teams span public and private markets and are present around the world, allowing us to partner with top talent wherever it resides. We’ve decentralized our distribution through four regional hubs.”
“I believe EMEA presents a tremendous opportunity for us, given what we have to offer,” he added. Ménard wants to capitalize on Fiera’s strengths as a niche provider outside its home market. “We are able to respond to client needs based on their specific investment objectives. That may sound like a generic claim in this industry, but we’re not solely focused on growing AUM—we’re focused on delivering the right investment solutions. Our ability to customize offerings is a clear value-add.”
Fiera Capital offers investment solutions across both private and public markets. These include a pan-European real estate debt strategy and investments in natural capital, such as agriculture and timber.
“We have a very robust investment platform, with US$14.7 billion in private market assets,” Ménard noted. “Our offerings span real estate, infrastructure and private equity, as well as industry-leading natural capital investments, including one of the largest global open-ended agriculture funds and joint ventures in agriculture and timber.
“Our funds are designed to deliver strong returns while thoughtfully integrating sustainability considerations into the investment process. The open-ended nature of our products appeals to high-net-worth individuals, as well as institutional and mid-market clients,” he said. “As a Canadian-based firm, our ability to offer the right investment solutions in Europe is especially compelling given the current geopolitical environment.”
“We want to emulate the private banking model and serve our clients exceptionally well,” said Klaus Schuster, Executive Director and CEO of EMEA. “Switzerland is our hub for wealth management distribution, and I want to connect Zurich and Geneva with London and Abu Dhabi.”
Klaus Schuster (Image: provided)
“This is clearly one of our growth markets, and we see significant opportunities ahead”, Schuster added.“The largest market for us in EMEA is the UK, particularly with insurance companies and pension funds. But London is also a very important wealth management distribution center. In Germany, we’re seeing strong demand for private market solutions,” he said.
“Our platform was previously centralized in Canada, but we’re now evolving through regionalization – bringing our capabilities closer to clients. Our recent expansion into the Middle East reflects this approach and is already showing encouraging results.
Maxime Ménard was appointed Global CEO in May 2025, succeeding founder Jean-Guy Desjardins, who now serves as Executive Chair of the Board. In this role, Desjardins continues to provide strategic oversight, shape the firm’s investment philosophy, and guide global asset allocation across public and multi-asset strategies.
Fiera Capital is headquartered in Montreal and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Zurich office was opened in February 2024