Investec pioneers one place

Ryan Tholet and Henry Blumenthal.

Investec, South Africa’s leading Private Bank and Wealth & Investment manager has today announced a pioneering development in its business. Known as One Place, the enhanced offering gives clients seamless, integrated access to banking and investment services, both locally and internationally.

“One Place is more than a marketing campaign or digital platform. It is a fundamental shift in our philosophy – a new way of doing things,” says Head of Investec Private Bank SA, Ryan Tholet.

According to Head of Investec Wealth & Investment SA, Henry Blumenthal, “The creation of One Place has brought together the top minds across the business to deliver a fully integrated service offering internationally that includes Banking (lending, cash investments, personal transactional banking, Forex, Private Capital and Property Finance), as well as Investments (Wealth Management, Portfolio Management, Stockbroking and Offshore Investments).”

“When you interact with us, all the dots will have been joined up to offer huge benefits to South Africans who are seeking to consolidate their private banking and investments, locally and internationally. Having tested this across every dimension of our business, investors can now bring the management of their wealth together under one roof through their preferred channel – whether it’s our mobile or tablet apps, the Investec Online platform, our 24/7 Global Client Support Centre or our specialist Private Bankers and Investment Managers,” says Tholet.

This change in positioning has been primarily driven by private client banking and investments needs both locally and internationally. In addition, it has come as a result of the growing capabilities that the Investec business has developed in South Africa and in the United Kingdom. In the UK, Wealth & Investment is the 3rd largest private client investment manager with £27 billion under management whilst the South African business holds the leading position with assets of R256 billion in SA.

“Simultaneously we’ve upgraded our digital platforms so that one dashboard allows you to see all your Investec banking and investment accounts, both local and international, in the currency of your choice. Clients can also access the ‘Personal Portfolio’ tool, which allows them to import their external accounts, investments, rewards, insurance and assets in order to view their complete balance sheet. The income and spend tools allow clients to analyse and manage their expenses in real time,” says Tholet.

Blumenthal continues, “We have endeavored to find out what our private clients, who are largely international citizens, really want. Put simply, One Place gives our clients a seamless, integrated banking and investment service experience through the channel they choose. In a commoditised market, that’s a compelling proposition and it’s one that we believe truly differentiates us.”