Alexander Ruis manages SK Family Office GmbH according to the principles of a family business. For him, this means a clear focus on first-class, customised services paired with close personal client relationships. In doing so, he relies on two values: transparency and discipline.
Another principle that makes SKFO stand out: customised work instead of industrial production. The technological backbone is the QPLIX wealth management platform. QPLIX guarantees that the company complies with the two most important guidelines in operational wealth management at all times: transparency and discipline.
QPLIX: "Mr Ruis, what sets SK Family Office GmbH apart from competition in the market?"
Alexander Ruis: "The company was founded in 2011 by an entrepreneurial family from Karlsruhe and myself, and today it offers a wide range of services for different clients based on our own entrepreneurial experience. The focus is on preserving and increasing large family assets. However, every family office mandate is not just about large and complex portfolios, it is also always about a family, so, in the end, about people. Our core competence is to perfectly align wealth management with the different circumstances and plans of the respective wealth holders. Only those who keep an eye on all asset holders in a family group can successfully manage the overall portfolio. Our close customer relationships are therefore the basis of our business."
QPLIX: "Since 2019, QPLIX has formed the technological foundation as a standardised software platform. How did the decision come about?"
Alexander Ruis. "We had growing requirements in terms of software. I have always seen technology as one of my main responsibilities. We were looking for a system for our portfolio management that could cover all asset classes. Even though the focus of our investments is on securities, i.e. liquid assets, it was important for us to choose a platform that would allow us to optimally manage all types of asset classes. We found the software for the complete range of asset management in QPLIX. So today I can say with a clear conscience: we have the best of both worlds and therefore the best software solution available."
"For us, QPLIX is the linchpin of managing our clients' portfolios: through transparency and discipline. Ultimately, transparency is the necessary basis for making the right decisions for every wealth management strategy."
Alexander Ruis, Managing Director SK Family Office GmbH
QPLIX: "You turned your former challenge into your strength?"
Alexander Ruis: "You could say that. QPLIX is the system that can do everything, including supplying tax firms with the relevant data. But there is another aspect to the whole thing: family offices are often small entities and QPLIX is a completely hosted system. This was also an important argument, as we were still living on the servers of our sister company at the time. We were able to move to the QPLIX infrastructure relatively easily and did not need our own servers or our own IT experts. The maintenance, the service, the security: when I talk about QPLIX as a complete solution, that also includes the infrastructure. Our customers' data is literally in the best hands - even physically. And QPLIX scales very well, not only in terms of functionality, but also in terms of infrastructure. We concentrate on our core expertise."
QPLIX: "Wealth strategy?"
Alexander Ruis: "Exactly. I come from the wealth controlling world. And I stick to clear rules: investment needs transparency. Transparency comes from the IT system. The controlling that I get quickly and transparently from the system results in discipline. In concrete terms, we are using more and more interfaces: into our system from the custodian banks, for example. And interfaces out: for example, to a client's tax advisor. For us, QPLIX is the linchpin of managing our clients' assets: through transparency and discipline. Ultimately, transparency is the necessary basis for making the right decisions for every wealth management strategy. I will only be able to make these decisions in the best possible way if I have a complete overview of the portfolio situation. And that's exactly what it's all about.”
QPLIX: "How does this discipline manifest itself?"
Alexander Ruis: "We agree clear targets with our clients and the responsible wealth managers. Discipline therefore means: are we doing what we agreed beforehand? A strategy is first and foremost a theoretical construct that then has to be filled with life on a day-to-day basis. For example: you have to be careful not to make any mistakes, especially in times of crisis. Ensure that the strategy is properly implemented. That's why we apply the principle: if you manage assets, you don't control them - and vice versa. However, discipline often also means self-protection: not taking too much risk on the basis of a momentary impulse such as a stock market high. Or, often even more dangerous: in a crisis, such as a stock market downturn or a current crisis, leaving markets prematurely out of panic - because then I take the downturn in full, and only the downturn."
QPLIX: "So defending the long-term strategy that suits the client's plans against short-term fluctuations?"
Alexander Ruis: "Exactly. Our job is to work out what is best for each client in the long term. The basis is the preservation of the family's assets after costs, taxes and inflation. We must always ensure this. And there must be no black boxes or blind spots in the portfolio. And I can only achieve that with transparency and discipline."
The interview was conducted by Sebastian Deck.
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