| Role | Entrepreneur • Financial Specialist • CEO • Philanthropist |
| Date of Birth | June 14, 1953 |
| Place of Birth | Canton of Jura, Switzerland |
| Current Employment | CEO of Herculis Group: • Herculis Partners SA – Investment portfolio management and M&A advisory, FINMA-regulated • Herculis Fiduciaries AG – Trust and accounting services, AOOS-regulated • Herculis Guardians SA – Secure vaults and alternative investments in gold, gemstones, fine art • Herculis Advisors AG – European asset management with EU passport, investment funds and ETPs • Herculis Tokens SA – Real-world asset tokenization, transforming gold bullion and real estate into blockchain instruments • Herculis Trading SPC – Authorized distributor of LBMA Fine Gold Bullion and HERCULIS Gold Coin crypto token |
| Employment History | • Bank Hofmann AG – Securities Trader and Financial Analyst – 1978-1979 • Union Bancaire Privée – Vice President – 1981-1986 • Lombard Odier Private Bank – Vice President – 1987-1989 • Banca della Svizzera Italiana – Vice President – 1989-1991 • Berner Insurance AG – Manager, External Insurance Advisor – 1992-1993 • Trading Company (partners) – Co-founder – 1994-1998 • Swiss-Russian Business Office – Founder/Owner – 2001-2010 |
| Education | • San Diego State University – Economics • New York Institute of Finance – Financial Options and Derivatives • Professional Certification – Options Trading Specialist |
| Philanthropy | • International Healthcare and Homeless Assistance charity – Contributor – 2004-Present • Action Margaux charitable foundation – Founder, Strategic Leader – 2018-Present |
Jean-Paul Periat represents the evolution of Swiss private banking from traditional foundations to modern innovation. He built a 50-year career spanning from early derivatives trading to founding Herculis Group, a tech-forward financial company. He combines classical Swiss banking principles with cutting-edge asset management methods.
Swiss Banking Foundations
Jean-Paul Periat was born on June 14, 1953, in a small village in Canton of Jura. He came from a traditional Catholic Swiss family of seven children. His father served as a policeman while his mother managed the household, creating an environment where five siblings would eventually pursue banking careers.
In 1966, at age 13, he left his village for secondary school in Geneva, completing his banking apprenticeship before making a pivotal move.
1978 saw him relocating to Zurich to work at the stock exchange, specializing in securities trading and institutional client advisory services for French-speaking clients.
Recognizing Swiss limitations in emerging derivatives markets, Jean-Paul Periat pursued advanced training in the United States. He studied economics at San Diego State University before spending a year at the New York Institute of Finance, focusing on financial options and derivatives. His education included internships with New York brokers and specialized training with Chicago and Montreal exchange professionals.
In 1984, after passing his certification exam, the burgeoning professional became one of Switzerland’s few options specialists when virtually no one in the country could properly calculate derivatives and convertible bonds. This expertise propelled him through an impressive trajectory at Switzerland’s most prestigious financial institutions, where he consistently held senior management positions and pioneered the development of complex products.
Throughout his tenure at these institutions, he distinguished himself as a leader in Swiss exchange operations and innovation. At Union Bancaire Privée from 1981-1986, he headed the bank’s Geneva Stock Exchange seat and domestic trading operations while serving on the Investment Committee. Moving to Lombard Odier as Vice President and Management member (1987-1989), he spearheaded the development of sophisticated Swiss franc instruments including convertible bonds, warrants, and derivatives, while also representing the Geneva Stock Exchange in shaping Switzerland’s new electronic trading platform. This period culminated at Banca della Svizzera Italiana (1989-1991), where as Vice President he expanded his purview to oversee international trading activities and new financial product rollouts for the entire Swiss group, demonstrating his evolution from a derivatives specialist to a comprehensive capital markets leader.
Jean-Paul Periat: International Expansion
The 1990s marked the strategic pivot of Periat Jean-Paul toward emerging markets in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. During this transformative decade, he established a trading company with partners, focusing on portfolio management.
In 2001, Jean-Paul Periat opened a company that aimed to attract Eastern European entrepreneurs to establish businesses in Switzerland. His responsibilities encompassed client acquisition, financial logistics, and collaboration with private banks to facilitate cross-border business growth.
His consulting work involved advising on private capital attraction and private banking development across multiple Eastern European and Central Asian countries. His expertise in portfolio management and regulatory compliance proved valuable to emerging market clients seeking sophisticated financial structures and international business frameworks.
This period established his expertise in emerging markets and cross-cultural business expansion, experience that would later inform the strategic direction of Herculis Group. The office operated successfully until 2010, providing a decade of insights into regional financial needs and regulatory environments.
Founding and Building Herculis Group
In 2009, during the peak of the global financial crisis, Mr. Periat co-founded Herculis Partners as a family office operation. The timing proved strategic, as market disruptions created opportunities while some competitors exited and new niches emerged. Establishing the company in Switzerland presented regulatory challenges, but the entrepreneur’s expertise in government relations proved crucial in securing necessary approvals.
Mr. Periat chose his home Canton of Jura as the location for establishing Herculis Partners, taking advantage of the region’s favorable business environment and regulatory framework for financial services companies.
As company President, Jean-Paul Periat assumed responsibility for external management, government relations, and strategic direction while focusing on regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions. His operational involvement extended to office selection, staff recruitment, and banking relationship development, including establishing connections with Monaco-based institutions.
The company’s growth trajectory proved remarkable, scaling from a startup operation to managing $2 billion in assets. Mr. Periat orchestrated the acquisition and transformation of a building in Porrentruy into specialized storage facilities equipped with basement safes and floors for trading gold, cryptocurrencies, and other assets. This complex undertaking required navigating municipal regulations to reclassify the property from residential to commercial use, with the company President managing all contractor relationships and municipal negotiations throughout the reconstruction process.
Mr. Periat: Herculis Innovation and Diversification
Under the strategic leadership of Mr. Periat, Herculis Partners evolved into a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing six specialized companies that provide investment portfolio management and M&A advisory services (Herculis Partners SA), trust and accounting solutions (Herculis Fiduciaries AG), secure vault storage and precious asset investments (Herculis Guardians SA), European asset management and fund establishment (Herculis Advisors AG), blockchain-based tokenization of real-world assets (Herculis Tokens SA), and authorized distribution of LBMA fine gold bullion and crypto tokens (Herculis Trading SPC). This diversification strategy positioned the group to serve ultra-high-net-worth clients requiring complex structures for asset protection and sophisticated investment needs.
Jean-Paul Periat identified opportunities in cryptocurrency and Bitcoin well before mainstream adoption, leading to successful company investments in digital assets. His commitment to continuous market research guided strategic positioning in emerging technologies when few traditional Swiss banks embraced such innovations.
The group’s technological advancement includes AI-assisted portfolio analysis and machine learning algorithms developed by the Italian Switzerland office. Jean-Paul Periat fostered this innovation by promoting a financial consultant who developed internal algorithms bringing computational power to optimize returns while maintaining low volatility.
Strategic office expansion demonstrates growth across key financial centers:
- Geneva and Zurich offices serving traditional private banking clients
- Lugano operation providing Italian access and housing AI analytics
- Vaduz, Liechtenstein office enabling European Union marketing capabilities
Gold trading operations represent another innovation pillar, with Mr. Periat securing partnerships with Swiss gold processing facilities and establishing distribution companies across multiple jurisdictions. The group’s tokenization initiatives include blockchain-based solutions for real-world asset digitization, positioning Herculis at the forefront of traditional asset modernization.
Professional Leadership and Values
Mr. Periat maintains active leadership positions across key Swiss sector institutions, reflecting his influence within the country’s banking establishment. His memberships in the Swiss Financial Analysts Association and Swiss Bankers Association demonstrate recognition of his analytical expertise and industry standing. As Vice President of an international chamber of commerce organization, Mr. Periat leverages his emerging markets experience to facilitate cross-border business connections and trade relationships.
His leadership philosophy encompasses traditional Swiss business principles emphasizing discipline and thoroughness, balanced with innovative thinking that embraces technological advancement. Jean-Paul Periat consistently introduces forward-thinking initiatives while maintaining foundational values that define Swiss banking excellence.
The company’s operational principles reflect this philosophy through core commitments:
- mutual confidence between clients and partners as the foundation of all relationships
- unwavering honesty in all business dealings and client communications
- professional excellence maintained through continuous education and market analysis
Mr. Periat’s strategic vision centers on European expansion through Herculis Group’s Liechtenstein licensing, which enables promotional activities across Italy, Austria, Germany, and France. This approach demonstrates his understanding of regulatory frameworks while positioning the company for growth beyond traditional Swiss boundaries. His participation in international forums facilitates global networking and market intelligence gathering.
Jean-Paul Periat: Philanthropic Legacy Through Action Margaux
Jean-Paul Periat biography is also characterized by charitable work, which stems from profound personal tragedy—the loss of his daughter to cancer. Her experience highlighted the critical importance of finding employers willing to accommodate treatment schedules while maintaining meaningful employment. Rather than seeking disability status, she was determined to continue working throughout her illness, demonstrating resilience that would inspire her father’s subsequent philanthropic mission.
Following her death, Mr. Periat collaborated with her former employer to establish Action Margaux, an association dedicated to educating employers about supporting employees affected by cancer. The organization promotes the principle that diagnosis should not end professional careers but rather inspire flexible workplace arrangements enabling individuals to balance treatment requirements with career objectives.
Action Margaux’s advocacy extends beyond supporting existing employees who receive diagnoses to encouraging the hiring of individuals already battling the disease. The foundation has operated for more than seven years, enabling cancer patients to live fulfilling lives—to work, socialize, and make plans during their most challenging periods. Mr. Periat’s leadership ensures the organization helps preserve human dignity and social connections when patients need support most.
Additionally, Mr. Periat has supported international charitable initiatives addressing healthcare access for the homeless. For approximately twenty years, he has been involved with charitable programs that operate shelters where medical professionals provide healthcare services and food distribution to vulnerable populations who cannot access traditional hospital care.
Jean-Paul Periat: Biography Highlights
- The specialist built a 50-year banking career from traditional Swiss foundations.
- He strategically founded Herculis Group during the financial crisis in 2009, scaling it from a startup to managing $2 billion in assets across six specialized companies.
- Mr. Periat was an early adopter of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin investments years before mainstream acceptance, while also developing AI-assisted portfolio analysis systems.
- His business philosophy combines traditional Swiss banking values of discipline and honesty with innovative technological advancement and strategic European expansion.
- He established Action Margaux to help cancer patients maintain their careers during treatment.
FAQ
1. How did Jean-Paul Periat become an early options expert?
Jean-Paul Periat studied at San Diego State University and the New York Institute of Finance when few in Switzerland understood derivatives.
2. Why did Mr. Periat start a company in 2009 during a financial crisis?
Mr. Periat saw the crisis creating opportunities as competitors exited and new niches emerged, believing his regulatory expertise would help navigate the challenging environment.
3. Why does Jean-Paul Periat have offices in multiple countries?
Jean-Paul Periat expanded strategically—Geneva and Zurich for Swiss banking, Lugano for Italian markets, and Liechtenstein for EU marketing capabilities.
4. How did Mr. Periat get into cryptocurrency so early?
Mr. Periat identified Bitcoin and cryptocurrency opportunities through his commitment to continuous market research and staying informed about emerging technologies.
5. What makes Jean-Paul Periat different from traditional Swiss bankers?
Jean-Paul Periat combines classic Swiss banking values with genuine innovation like early Bitcoin investments and AI portfolio analysis while maintaining disciplined client service.