Elena Howarth

Chair of Creative Women in the French-Speaking Switzerland

Elena Howarth is a Senior Private Banker and Head of Eastern Europe, Geneva at Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd. She has been in international banking and finance for over 20 years with global expertise in private banking, including many years of leadership and management responsibilities. 

Elena is currently a Senior Vice-President and Head of Eastern Europe, Geneva at Lombard Odier, the oldest Private bank in Geneva that was founded in 1796. Lombard Odier is one of the largest Swiss private banks with CHF 316 billion of clients’ assets under management. Elena manages a substantial portfolio of UHNW clients and working with intermediaries, focusing on long-standing relationships whilst constantly growing and acquiring new relationships as well as providing expertise in areas of wealth management, estate planning and family governance. 

She is a member of The Woman Leadership Programme, which is inspiring women and promoting the tangible value of female talents and professionals within Lombard Odier. Elena participates in Gender Initiative events featuring women in key positions in Switzerland through areas of research, science, charity, and entrepreneurship. She has also been responsible for organizing events and thematic seminars for clients, prospects, and business partners for several years and has established close cooperation with PR agencies obtaining a better experience of communicating with mass media.

Before joining the bank, Lombard Odier, Elena worked as an Associate Director at HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) S.A and prior to that as the Deputy Head of the Moscow representative office at Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd.

She played an active role in asset management and in establishing, developing, and expanding a network of potential clients and intermediary contacts

In previous roles, Elena managed large teams of over 150 people and was a member of executive management boards of banks. Elena holds an M.S. in social sciences in international banking and financial studies from the University of Southampton and an M.S. in international economic relations from Moscow State Open University.

She lives in Geneva with her husband and two children. Likes walking in mountains together with their dog and in her leisure time studying psychology, reads and plays piano.