Private banking at a crossroads: wealth, digital assets and family governance

Private banking is being asked to do more.

Clients are changing, new generations are bringing different expectations, digital assets are entering the conversation and families increasingly expect support that extends beyond traditional portfolio management.

For Luxembourg’s wealth management industry, these developments raise a broader question: how can the sector evolve its value proposition while building on the financial centre’s strengths?

This will be at the heart of the ABBL Private Banking & Wealth Management Annual Conference, taking place on 26 November 2026 at Société Générale Luxembourg.

The annual gathering of the ABBL Private Banking Cluster will combine perspectives from private banks, digital finance, entrepreneurship, family offices and philanthropy to examine where the industry is heading next.

Understanding a changing wealth landscape

The evening will begin by looking at the bigger picture.

Following opening remarks from Yves Stein, Chair of the ABBL Private Banking Cluster, Anthony Simcic from Private Wealth Square will present key findings on wealth trends, market developments and the outlook amid changing global wealth dynamics.

For private banks, understanding these shifts is becoming increasingly important. Changes in how wealth is created, transferred and invested are influencing both client expectations and the services institutions need to provide.

Digital assets meet NextGen expectations

Technology is one of the forces accelerating that change.

Digital assets are gradually moving beyond experimentation, while a new generation of clients is bringing different expectations around access, technology and investment opportunities.

But the question for private banks is not simply whether digital assets have a role to play. It is how they can fit into a trusted, relevant and sustainable client proposition.

The first panel will bring together:

• Shane O’Neill, Head of Sales and Private Wealth, Swissquote
• Clément Milville, Head of Technologies, Coinbase
• Elisa Thollet, Société Générale
• Ermin Kocan, Entrepreneur, Three52

Moderated by Lionel Dormann, Deutsche Bank, the discussion will also bring in the perspective of a technology entrepreneur building and growing a business in Luxembourg.

Beyond wealth management: supporting families

At the same time, the relationship between private banks and wealthy families is becoming broader.

Managing assets remains central, but families increasingly need support around governance, succession, long-term planning and the preservation of wealth across generations.

This creates new questions for both private banks and family offices.

How should their respective roles evolve? Where can stronger collaboration create value? And how can Luxembourg further develop its position as an international wealth management centre?

A second panel will explore these questions with:

• Olivier Gérard, Société Générale
• Anne Canel, Luxembourg Initiative for Enterprises and Family Offices
• Tonika Hirdman, Fondation de Luxembourg

The discussion will be moderated by Sandrine Roux, ABBL.

Connecting the different parts of the ecosystem

What links these discussions is not a single technology or client segment.

It is the need for private banking to evolve alongside the people it serves.

Digital assets, entrepreneurship, family governance and changing global wealth patterns may appear to be separate trends, but together they are reshaping expectations around advice, expertise and long-term relationships.

For Luxembourg, the opportunity lies in connecting these different capabilities within an ecosystem that already combines international private banking, investment expertise, technology and cross-border experience.

The conference will conclude with key takeaways from Sandrine De Vuyst, Vice Chair of the ABBL Private Banking Cluster, followed by a networking reception from 19:45.