Renaud Oury (Apex Group): building the financial infrastructure of the next generation

Renaud Oury, Regional Head of Apex Group Luxembourg, presents the group’s integrated services and shares his views on the future of fund distribution, the convergence of traditional and decentralised finance, and Luxembourg’s continued role as a leading international asset-management centre.

Can you present your company in a few words?

Apex Group is a leading global financial services provider delivering integrated solutions to asset managers, private equity firms, hedge funds, institutional investors and corporations. Founded in 2003, the Group has a presence in more than 50 countries and services more than $3.5 trillion of assets. We help fund managers and institutions take charge of their future, from fund structuring to operations and distribution. What makes us really unique is how we use technology to unify data, elevate intelligence, future-proof operations, and drive growth.

In Luxembourg, Apex Group offers, with more than 1,000 professionals, a comprehensive range of services, including fund distribution, fund administration, banking, ManCo, ESG solutions, capital markets support and financial technology. Via the brand Fundrock, Apex Group operates the largest third Party Manco in Luxembourg with $250bn serviced on our platform.

Our single-source model allows clients to access multiple services through one partner, helping them simplify their operating models while responding to increasingly complex regulatory and investor requirements.

DeFi and TradFi should increasingly be seen as complementary rather than competing worlds.

What are the new challenges and opportunities that you identify?

The fund industry is entering an exciting period of transformation. Distribution will increasingly be at the centre of the asset-management model. Investors expect easier access, greater transparency and more digital experiences, while asset managers need scalable solutions that allow them to reach investors across multiple markets efficiently. Luxembourg, with its international ecosystem and longstanding expertise in cross-border distribution, is exceptionally well positioned for this evolution.

At the same time, it is important to look beyond the traditional distinction between traditional finance (known as TradFi) and decentralised finance (known as DeFi). DeFi and TradFi should increasingly be seen as complementary rather than competing worlds. The opportunity is not simply to digitise existing processes, but to create a more connected financial ecosystem in which traditional and digital infrastructures can interact. Specifically, we see more and more requests for tokenisation of fund shares and assets such as private equity, real estate and infrastructure with the objective to broaden access, improve transparency and automate parts of the investment and distribution value chain.

How do you see the future of Luxembourg?

I am very positive about Luxembourg’s future as an international asset-management centre. Its strength is not based on a single trend, but on the combination of regulatory expertise, international connectivity, a highly skilled and multicultural workforce, and decades of experience in cross-border fund distribution.

The next phase will be about combining these established strengths with innovation. Luxembourg can play a central role in the development of tokenised funds, digital assets, private markets and new distribution models, while continuing to serve the traditional fund industry.

As investors become more international and technology reshapes how capital is raised, managed and distributed, Luxembourg has an opportunity to remain a bridge between global investment managers and European investors. The future of the Luxembourg asset-management industry is therefore not only about preserving its leadership, but about using its existing strengths to build the financial infrastructure of the next generation.