Swiss and international certifications
SAQ CWMA certification: requirements and practice at the heart of teaching, according to Alexandre Amichia
December 17, 2025
As a lecturer in the SAQ CWMA Certification program, Alexandre Amichia shares a vision deeply rooted in the practice and requirements of a rapidly evolving profession. Combining active teaching methods, international expertise, and a commitment to continuing education, he looks back on his career and the issues that shape the consulting relationship today.
Alexandre Amichia, you are a lecturer in the SAQ CWMA Certification program. What are your expectations and what approach will you take as a lecturer?
Being involved in the SAQ CWMA program is both exciting and very rewarding for me. I particularly appreciate the diversity of profiles we encounter at ISFB: each participant brings their own experience, questions, and sensibilities to the table. This creates a lively learning environment that is grounded in reality.
What drives me is making sometimes complex and/or abstract concepts concrete. When I was starting out, fresh out of college, I was fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant professionals who shared their expertise with immense generosity. This experience had a profound impact on me: it showed me how sharing knowledge can transform a career.
My approach is therefore based on a clear balance: theory to provide structure, concrete examples to give meaning, and sharing experiences to anchor understanding.
Can you tell us about your academic and professional background?
As someone from Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Ivory Coast, I have vivid memories of the devaluation of the CFA franc in Ivory Coast. This event probably marked the beginning of my interest in economics and finance.
Later, I enrolled at HEC Lausanne, then, at the same time, joined the Edmond de Rothschild Group as a quantitative management analyst.
In 2007, a few months before the financial crisis, I joined what would become the wealth management division of St. Galler Kantonalbank in Geneva, where I worked as a fund selection analyst, junior banker, and then portfolio manager. I also had the opportunity to set up the Investment Consulting & Portfolio Management department, covering all asset classes.
I then resumed my studies to complete my university education and obtain a Master's degree (MSc.) in Banking & Finance from the University of Luxembourg, before joining JPMorgan Switzerland, where I oversaw the internal distribution of UCITS funds internationally.
Since 2021, I have been advising UHNWI clients on cash management and liquidity management solutions for several markets.
Throughout my career, I have maintained a strong commitment to continuing education, notably obtaining CAIA and FRM certifications, as well as the COS (Applied Machine Learning) certificate from the EPFL Extension School.
At every stage, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by passionate professionals. Their influence continues to guide my approach to communication and teaching.
The next session of the SAQ CWMA program will take place in February 2026. How does this program offer concrete solutions, and what are its strengths and unique features?
It provides a very concrete response to current challenges: more demanding customers, a dense regulatory framework, and profound digital transformation. In this context, continuing education is essential to remain relevant and confident.
What I particularly appreciate is that it stands out for its practical focus. It is not just another theoretical qualification, but a validation of skills that are actually used on a daily basis, based on a framework developed in collaboration with Swiss banks.
I also like its continuous development approach: recertification encourages you to stay up to date, nurture your critical thinking, and adopt a lifelong learning mindset—which is essential in a fast-paced industry.
What is the main objective of the "Financial Advisor" module that you will be teaching?
This module summarizes the curriculum and provides a comprehensive overview of the role of the advisor today. We discuss what makes a difference in practice: the value chain, the value proposition of consulting, advising entrepreneurs, and managing vulnerable clients.
The goal is to reposition advisors in a changing environment—digitalization, regulation, sustainable finance, and more complex expectations. This includes supporting UHNW clients with their specific challenges: family governance, succession planning, and coordination with experts.
We will also discuss technology: not as a substitute for advisors, but as a way to enhance their value.
