Money & Me: Swiss precision in financial planning

Swiss executive says working in sales at a young age taught him a valuable lesson: the bigger the effort on his part, the bigger the earnings in his bank account.

Marco Gantenbein, the managing partner of Henley & Partners Middle East, learned the fundamentals of financial planning early in life. Antonie Robertson / The National

Marco Gantenbein is the managing partner of Swiss international consulting firm Henley & Partners Middle East, which specialises in property, residency and citizenship services. Mr Gantenbein, 40, a private client specialist in residence and citizenship planning from Switzerland, moved to the UAE since 2011.

Describe your financial journey so far.

I started earning money early in life. From the age of 12, as a natural entrepreneur, I earned an income picking fruit in my father’s garden and selling these on to friends and families in my neighbourhood. I earned from several small jobs while completing my studies, which supplemented the money from premiums and payments I earned playing football. After completing my duty to the Swiss military service, I secured a place in sales at the largest Swiss insurance company which only selected two young motivated novices as part of programme designed to deliver a specialist sales team. I was 20 and immensely proud of this achievement. It was here I learnt a vital business lesson that would help shape my financial future: it was only through sales that I was able to control my income and that the bigger the effort on my part, the bigger the earnings in my bank account. I’ve never forgotten this simple but vital business lesson and choose to keep one foot very firmly entrenched in sales. Although the product [I sell in my current role] is slightly different from the fruit I sold as a boy, or the insurance programmes, the principles remain the same. I love sales, and I love the direct correlation to my earning potential. I earn by living by my No 1 rule: always come in first, second place is not an option.

Are you a spender or saver?

I am unquestionably a saver. The Swiss are taught the fundamentals of financial planning early in life; they tend to err on the side of caution with regards to spending and are usually very careful when it comes to investments. Armed with war cry “look before you leap”, we evaluate our possibilities carefully, then reconsider before making a commitment.

What is your philosophy towards money?

Only spend what I have. I have only borrowed money once for private reasons, and that was 15 years ago when I was living in Switzerland and needed money for a down payment on a home. I’ve settled and repaid the mortgage already.

Have you made any financial mistakes along the way?

Yes. I was young and thought I’d earn a quick buck playing the stock market. It was a tough lesson to learn but I’ll never spend on something again without knowing its ins and outs intimately. It was fortunately a relatively insignificant amount of money.

If you won Dh1 million, what would you do with it?

After saving what I need to, I would donate a large percentage to a cause close to my heart – the treatment and development of medication for ALS, a serious muscular degenerative disease. Giving back costs little and collectively makes a difference.

What has been your best investment?

The time I invest for family and loved ones. There are a few things that money can’t buy and one of those is time. I dedicate a lot of my personal time to my 15-year-old daughter. A solid and happy family foundation coupled with the best education possibly takes top spot.

Do you plan for the future?

Absolutely, the trick is defining when the future is. For me, the future is now. Although it’s impossible to plan for every eventuality, living wisely and making the best possible choices today paves the way for the best possible future.

What do you enjoy spending money on?

There is one thing that sees me reaching for my wallet more than I’d like – books. In my opinion, all great “leaders are readers”, a guilt-free way to justify my spending.

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