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Julien Barral
Senior Director, Private Markets
Julien is a Senior Director within the Private Markets team, specializing in Private Equity and Real Estate. Prior to returning to bfinance in November 2020, Julien was Managing Director of GS Invest, a real assets investment boutique based in London. In this role he was responsible for strategic planning, evaluation and implementation of business opportunities. Julien also managed and coordinated day-to-day activities and was responsible for the long term business strategy implementation.
Prior to joining GS Invest, he spent 11 years with bfinance. Julien focused on equity asset allocation, investment manager reviews, investment manager selection and Smart Beta engagements. He has co-authored a number of articles on Smart Beta. Julien was also heading the team of analysts in charge of supporting research. He has previous experience at Fortis Banque Monaco. Julien has a first class BSc in Applied Mathematics from the Sophia Antipolis - Nice University, France and a Masters in Finance specialising in Risk and Asset Management from Edhec Business School, Lille-Nice, France.
More insights from the team:
Global Asset Owner Survey: Risk and Resilience
A secular macroeconomic transition has created an unenviable series of choices—and potential traps— for pension funds, insurers, endowments, foundations, family offices and other ‘asset owners’...
Diagnosis: Opportunity? Direct Lending in Healthcare
Private debt investors are eyeing apparently superior returns in healthcare lending, with funds’ net IRR targets suggesting a premium of more than 300bps versus conventional direct lending...
Manager Intelligence and Market Trends - November 2024
bfinance’s quarterly report in November 2024: read the team’s latest insights on institutional investor activity, risk appetite, market developments and asset manager performance across all major...
Seeking Diversity from Investment Managers
Diversity (or the lack of) has been a hot topic across the asset management industry for decades. However, a growing number of investors are seeking managers who encourage and display high levels of...
Investors Should Re-evaluate Fees in the ‘Turbulent Twenties’
In a new macroeconomic environment, cost management requires fresh attention from investors. Inflation and higher-for-longer rates have created upward pressure on expenses in a variety of areas,...
Investor Spotlight: AIMCo CIO Goes for ‘Game-changing’ Business Transformation
A major shift is underway at Alberta Investment Management Corporation. The provincially-owned investment manager has commenced a comprehensive overhaul of systems that will support ‘total portfolio...
Manager Intelligence and Market Trends - August 2024
bfinance’s quarterly report in August 2024: read the team’s latest insights on institutional investor activity, risk appetite, market developments and asset manager performance across all major...
Real Estate Dislocation Presents Opportunities, Risks
The property market correction of 2023-24 marks the fourth significant dislocation in this asset class since 1970. Each prior instance—the early 1970s, the oversupply of the 1980s/early 1990s and...
