Lausanne-based alternative asset manager Gottex Fund Management has appointed Dr Dominique Kuettel as a managing director responsible for managing institutional business in Switzerland and has opened a marketing office in Zurich to focus mainly on the German-speaking regions of Europe.

Kuettel, who will be based in Zurich, will play an active role in marketing and business development with particular focus on Swiss distribution, the firm says.

He joins Gottex from UBS Wealth Management, where he was an executive director and functional product head for alternative investments and distribution in Switzerland. Kuettel has been a member of the alternative investment team at UBS since 2001 with a particular focus on client management and product development in Europe.

Gottex says the opening of the Zurich office represents part of its strategy to strengthen the firm's institutional business amid an ongoing trend in Switzerland toward alternative investments with superior risk-adjusted returns and a low correlation to traditional markets. The office will also boost Gottex's presence in German-speaking markets.