As it celebrates three decades in business, global financial services consultancy Synpulse is doubling down on Asia-Pacific.
The firm has promoted Hong Kong–based leaders Andreas Mettenberger and Adrien Thonet to Partner, reinforcing its North Asia bench at a time when APAC is emerging as a central growth pillar for the company’s global operations.
The announcement coincides with Synpulse’s 30-year anniversary—a milestone the firm is using to spotlight both its expansion into new markets and its increasing focus on digital transformation in financial services.
APAC Takes Center Stage
While Synpulse maintains a global footprint, the Asia-Pacific region has rapidly evolved from a growth opportunity into a strategic anchor.
According to Managing Partner and Head of North Asia Salomon Wettstein, the promotions reflect both the maturity of Synpulse’s Hong Kong platform and its long-term investment in the region.
For consultancies serving banks, insurers, and asset managers, APAC represents a high-growth arena: digital-first challengers, evolving regulatory regimes, and rising wealth management demand are reshaping the competitive landscape.
Strengthening leadership locally signals that Synpulse sees sustained momentum—not just incremental expansion.
Andreas Mettenberger: Scaling WealthCockpit Across Regions
Based in Hong Kong, Andreas Mettenberger has led the expansion of Synpulse’s APAC wealth and asset management practice. A key focus has been flagship deployments of WealthCockpit, the firm’s digital wealth management platform.
His mandate as Partner is clear: deepen Synpulse’s positioning as a strategic and technology partner for external asset managers and family offices while accelerating WealthCockpit rollouts across APAC, the Middle East, and Europe.
Wealth management is undergoing structural change, driven by:
- Digital onboarding and advisory tools
- Regulatory modernization
- Increased demand for scalable portfolio platforms
- Competitive pressure from fintech entrants
Mettenberger’s promotion underscores Synpulse’s intent to combine advisory expertise with technology execution—an increasingly necessary blend in large-scale wealth transformations.
Adrien Thonet: Expanding the Avaloq Footprint
Adrien Thonet, also based in Hong Kong, has been instrumental in building Synpulse’s strategy around Avaloq, the Swiss core banking platform widely used by private banks and wealth managers.
With over a decade of experience across Avaloq, wealth management, and private banking transformation, Thonet has led complex core modernization programs and ecosystem collaborations.
As Partner, he will focus on expanding Synpulse’s Avaloq footprint across APAC and the Middle East and Africa (MEA), driving pipeline growth and overseeing large-scale delivery programs.
Core banking transformation remains one of the most capital-intensive and risk-sensitive initiatives for financial institutions. Expertise in platforms like Avaloq positions consultancies to play a central role in modernization strategies—particularly as banks migrate toward cloud-native and API-driven architectures.
A Broader Global Momentum
The APAC promotions follow additional leadership moves globally, including Joel Smith’s promotion to Partner in Europe and Marcel Lötscher’s advancement to Senior Partner in the Americas.
Together, these changes suggest a coordinated leadership expansion strategy rather than isolated regional decisions.
For Synpulse, the message is clear: deepen regional expertise while strengthening cross-border collaboration. Financial institutions increasingly operate across jurisdictions, and consulting partners must mirror that global connectivity.
Why It Matters
Consultancies in financial services are navigating a period of heightened demand and scrutiny. Clients expect not only strategic guidance but measurable delivery impact—particularly in digitalization, operating model design, and regulatory readiness.
By promoting leaders with hands-on transformation experience in wealth and core banking, Synpulse is reinforcing its positioning as both advisor and execution partner.
At 30 years, the firm appears to be transitioning from growth-phase expansion to structured global scale—investing in leadership depth to sustain long-term momentum.
In a sector where credibility hinges on expertise and execution track record, strengthening the partner bench—especially in a dynamic region like APAC—may prove as strategic as any technology investment.
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