The Board of BlueOrchard has appointed Michael Wehrle, Head of Investment Solutions & Private Equity at BlueOrchard and member of the Executive Management Team, as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Philipp Mueller, subject to regulatory approval. BlueOrchard’s Chief Impact and Blended Finance Officer, Maria Teresa Zappia, has been nominated to join the Board of Directors at the upcoming General Assembly, subject to pre-approval of the regulator.

Michael joined the business in 2021. He is currently responsible for overseeing the portfolio management and asset allocation of the firm’s funds and mandates, as well as the development of product solutions. Additionally, he chairs several Investment Committees. Michael has over 20 years of comprehensive knowledge and substantial experience in the management of investments across public and private markets. Prior to joining BlueOrchard, Michael held various management roles at Partners Group in Switzerland and the UK. He is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master’s degree in Banking & Finance from the University of Zurich.

Michael Wehrle, newly appointed CEO of BlueOrchard, said:
“BlueOrchard has supported hundreds of millions of people in emerging and frontier markets. It is an honour to lead the firm into the next chapter. I thank the Board for its trust and look forward to strengthening BlueOrchard’s position as a market leader in impact investing.”

Peter Fanconi, Chairman of BlueOrchard, said:
“With Michael we are delighted to promote a strong and proven internal successor as our new CEO. Michael’s mandate will be to position us for future growth, advancing towards our strategic goal to deliver impact investment solutions that meet our clients’ needs. Together with our highly talented staff, he will continue to serve our clients and write the next chapter in our 25-year history.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Philipp for his exceptional contribution to BlueOrchard over the past years. Under Philipp’s leadership, BlueOrchard further enhanced its impact investment offering and increased its AuM to USD 5 billion, achieving a major milestone. We wish him the very best for his future endeavours.

We are very pleased to welcome Maria Teresa to the Board. Maria Teresa has been with BlueOrchard since 2008 in various positions. Her elevation to the Board will ensure continuity and, as one of the most influential voices in the impact investing space, Maria Teresa’s expertise will significantly contribute to the Board. I congratulate Maria Teresa on her expanded role.”

Georg Wunderlin, CEO of Schroders Capital, commented:
“BlueOrchard is a global leader in impact investment, delivering both impact and financial returns at scale through private and public credit and private equity strategies. We aim to build on this strong foundation and further expand BlueOrchard’s leadership in the impact industry. With Michael as CEO and Maria Teresa Zappia as a new Board member, we are taking the next step in our long-term succession plan, ensuring we have a proven and experienced team to drive our growth strategy. We wish Michael and Maria Teresa every success in their new roles.”

 

Key biographies

Michael Wehrle
Chief Executive Officer, BlueOrchard
Michael is Head Investment Solutions & Private Equity at BlueOrchard. In this function, he is the Chair of the Private Debt Global Investment Committee, Chair of the Private Equity Investment Committee, and is overseeing the portfolio management and asset allocation of BlueOrchard’s funds and mandates as well as the development of product solutions.
He has over 20 years of in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in public and private markets investment management and design and development of product and investment solutions. Prior to joining BlueOrchard, Michael held several management positions at Partners Group in Switzerland and UK.
Michael is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master in Banking & Finance from the University of Zurich.

Maria Teresa Zappia
Chief Impact & Blended Finance Officer, Deputy CEO, BlueOrchard Finance
Head of Sustainability and Impact, Schroders Capital
Global Head of Impact, Schroders
Maria Teresa has held various positions at BlueOrchard since 2008, including head of the investment team and chief investment officer. She oversees BlueOrchard’s blended finance mandates and impact management practices. Additionally, she is Head of Sustainability and Impact at Schroders Capital and Global Head of Schroders Group, where she has developed a proprietary impact management framework for Schroders’ private and listed assets, leveraging BlueOrchard’s 25 years of impact investing expertise.
With over 25 years of experience in emerging and frontier markets, she has authored numerous publications and speaks at various universities. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Operating Principles for Impact Management, as a Board member of Swiss Sustainable Finance, and on the Impact Investing Institute Advisory Council. Prior to BlueOrchard, she was a senior banker at the EBRD and holds degrees in Development Studies and Economics.

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For further information, please contact: 
BlueOrchard
Tahmina Theis, Head of Communications
+41 22 596 47 69
tahmina.theis@blueorchard.com

 

About BlueOrchard Finance Ltd
BlueOrchard is a leading global impact investment manager and member of the Schroders Group. As a pioneer of impact investing, the firm is dedicated to generating lasting positive impact for communities and the environment, while aiming at providing attractive returns to investors. BlueOrchard was founded in 2001, by initiative of the UN, as the first commercial manager of microfinance debt investments worldwide. Today, the firm offers impact investment solutions across asset classes, connecting millions of entrepreneurs in emerging and frontier markets with investors with the aim to make impact investment solutions accessible to all and to advance the conscious use of capital. Being a professional investment manager and expert in innovative blended finance mandates, BlueOrchard has a sophisticated international investor base and is a trusted partner of leading global development finance institutions. To date, BlueOrchard has invested over USD 11 billion across more than 100 countries. As of December 2023, BlueOrchard supported over 300 million people in emerging and frontier markets with its investments. For additional information, please visit: www.blueorchard.com. 

 

About Schroders Capital
Schroders Capital provides investors with access to a broad range of private market investment opportunities, portfolio building blocks and customised private market strategies. Its team focuses on delivering best-in-class, risk-adjusted returns and executing investments through a combination of direct investment capabilities and broader solutions in all private market asset classes, through comingled funds and customised private market mandates.
The team aims to achieve sustainable returns through a rigorous approach and in alignment with a culture characterised by performance, collaboration and integrity.
With $99.3 billion (£79.3 billion; €95.9 billion)* assets under management, Schroders Capital offers a diversified range of investment strategies, including real estate, private equity, secondaries, venture capital, infrastructure, securitised products and asset-based finance, private debt, insurance-linked securities and BlueOrchard (Impact Specialists).

*Assets under management as of 31 December 2024 (including non-fee earning dry powder and in-house cross holdings)

 

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