Cerina began his career by acquiring a 34% stake in Banque de Participations et de Placements, Geneva.[1] He later sold it to Lebanese buyer Al-Mashreg Bank.
He spent the majority of his career in Geneva (CH) and London (GB).[2][3] In 1982 he acquired Attel Bank, in which he invested CHF1.5 million (US$1.53 million), eventually listing the holding company on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in 1987 at a value of approximately CHF130 million (US$132.6 million).[4]
In the 1990s Cerina was dubbed "a banker and a gentleman"[5][6] by Swiss and international press when, as the controlling shareholder of Attel Bank, he voluntarily refunded clients out of his own pocket after a rogue trader caused losses amounting to CHF45 million (US$46 million). The trader stole money from clients, as well as dealing in unauthorized junk bonds and NASDAQ securities.[1][6]
Cerina merged and developed the business into Crédit des Alpes, an investment bank that advises on large international transactions. The bank put together the US$4.2 billion acquisition by Vivendi (VIV:FP)[7] of Brazilian broadband market-leader company GVT in 2009 — then the largest world's telecoms deal.[8]
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