What happens to private banking when Gen Z inherits the world with Rom Atapattu

In Episode 90 of Banking Reinvented, host Heidi Custers speaks with Rom Atapattu, Co-founder and Group CEO of the Patronus Group, about how private banking is changing and what that means in practice.

Drawing on more than 25 years across Swiss and UAE private banking, Rom shares his perspective on the Great Wealth Transfer, AI-supported relationship banking, shifting client expectations, and why trust, judgment, and personal context still sit at the heart of wealth advice.

The conversation also explores what private banks often get wrong, why most client conversations are not about money, and how new wealth hubs like Mauritius are emerging alongside more established markets.

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Timestamps(00:00) – Welcome to Banking Reinvented

(00:24) – Introduction to Rom Atapattu

(02:15) – The evolution of Swiss private banking: from secrecy to compliance

(06:40) – The single biggest shift in 25 years of wealth management

(11:20) – The Great Wealth Transfer: $83 trillion moving to Millennials and Gen Z

(13:55) – How next-gen wealth clients are fundamentally different

(18:14) – AI won't replace advisors - it will make them superhuman

(21:30) – Every client has a story: why personalization matters in private banking

(25:15) – Building Banque Patronus: disrupting wealth in Mauritius

(32:39) – Why most private banking conversations aren't about portfolios

(34:02) – Private banking as the original "beyond banking" experience

(35:19) – The biggest mistake banks make: one-size-fits-all wealth management

(38:09) – What happens when digital fails the next generation of clients

(43:15) – Key takeaways and final thoughts

(45:30) – Episode wrap-up