Our Mission
UCAP Group offers tailor-made solutions to investors and to their trusted advisors. Our aim is to provide innovative solutions in a world where corporate control has made global banks inflexible and bureaucratic. At UCAP we endeavor removing unnecessary counter productive layers of processes in order to offer a better experience to our clients.
Our partners and relationship managers are industry veterans that understand the value of a highly tailored multi-boutique approach. With UCAP, clients gain access to a global platform of solutions that allow them to meet their specific needs in the most relevant way.
Group Structure
Group Management
Lawrence D. Howell
Founding Partner
Lawrence D. Howell (“Lonnie”) co-founded UCAP Group in 2011.
Lonnie is also the co-founder of EFG International and served as its Chief Executive Officer until June 28, 2011. Prior to EFG, he served as Head of Americas at Coutts & Co. International Private Banking from 1989 to 1995.
Before this, Lonnie held a number of senior management positions at Citibank, Coutts and McKinsey during the 80s and started his career in 1978 at Citibank . Lonnie holds a BA and JD from the University of Virginia.
Clément Ducasse
Founding Partner
Clement Ducasse co-founded UCAP Group in 2011.
Prior to that, Clément co-founded Union Capital Group SA in 2006, a highly successful financial advisory boutique based in Geneva specializing in derivatives & structured solutions.
Clement started his career at HSBC as a derivatives and structured products specialist and holds a bachelor in Business Administration from ESSEC Business School in Paris.
Patrick Zbinden
Global COO – Managing Partner
Patrick Zbinden joined Union Capital Group in September 2021 as Global COO and Managing Partner of UCAP Group as well as CEO of Capital Union Bank Ltd.
Prior to joining UCAP, Patrick was the Global Co-Head of EFG Asset Management, which he co-founded in 2010, and the CEO of EFG Asset Management (Switzerland) SA. Prior to this, he was in charge of M&A Integration activities for EFG International, which he joined in 2002.
Patrick holds a MSc in Economics from the University of Lausanne, HEC, is a CFA Charterholder as well as a certified Financial Risk Manager from the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Capital Union Bank
UCAP Group USA
Ludovic Chéchin-Laurans
Co-Founder Capital Union Bank
Ludovic is the co-Founder and a Director of Capital Union Bank.
Prior to co-founding Capital Union Bank, Ludovic was Deputy CEO of EFG Bank in Switzerland and a member of the Executive Committee of EFG International until September 2013. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of EFG Bank & Trust in the Bahamas as well as CEO of the Caribbean Region where he initiated and managed several banking entities for EFG in Europe.
Prior to joining EFG, Ludovic served in several positions for BNP Paribas Group from 1999 to 2003, and as Head of Private Banking and deputy CEO for UEB Luxembourg, from 2003 to 2005.
Sixto Campano
Managing Director UCAP Group USA
Sixto Campano is the CEO of Union Capital Group in the USA and its subsidiaries, UCAP Securities and UCAP Asset Management.
Prior to joining UCAP, Sixto held senior management positions at EFG International, including Regional Business Head for the Americas from 2002 to 2017 and later as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Americas from 2017 to 2020. Prior to EFG, he was Managing Director of Refco Emerging Markets from 1995 to 2000 and Hencorp Becstone & Co. from 1989 to 1995.
Sixto started his career in 1982 with Bank of Boston and later with Merrill Lynch in 1986. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) from the Boston College School of Management.
UCAP Wealth Management
Joseph Chao
Chairman UCAP Asset Management – Greater China
Chairman UCAP Securities Hong-Kong
Joseph Chao is the General Manager and a Founding Partner of UCAP Taiwan.
Prior to joining UCAP, Joseph was the Joint CEO of EFG Bank in Taiwan. Before his tenure at EFG, Joseph was a Senior VP at Republic National Bank before taking on the same position at HSBC following the purchase of Republic National Bank by HSBC in 1999.
Joseph also served as a VP at Crédit Lyonnais and began his career as an Assistant VP at Citibank’s Merchant Banking Group.
Y.N. Nagendra
Chairman UCAP Asset Management – Asia & Middle East
Y. N. Nagendra joined UCAP Asset Management as Chairman for Asia (Hong-Kong & Singapore) and Middle East in March 2021.
Prior to joining UCAP, Mr. Nagendra was Vice Chairman and Deputy CEO Asia, Global Head of Strategic Resourcing at Bank J. Safra Sarasin. Mr. Nagendra also served as Global Head of India subcontinent, Middle East and Africa at both Bank of Singapore and ING Private Banking
Mr. Nagendra started his career in private banking with BNP before moving to Rabobank.
Sambit Mangaraj
Co-founder and CEO of UCAP Asset Management – Hong-Kong, Singapore and Middle East
Sambit Mangaraj is the Co-founder and CEO of UCAP Asset Management Hong-Kong and non executive Director of UCAP Asset Management Singapore.
Prior to joining UCAP, Sambit served as Managing Director at EFG Bank in Hong-Kong until 2013. He has previously worked in a number of leading regional and global financial institutions from 2000 to 2007 including Darashaw & Company, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and ICICI Bank.
Sambit holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the Goa Institute of Management in India.