A seasoned finance professional, Laurent Scherer brings over two decades of experience in the investment fund landscape. Currently leading as the Managing Director at Juniper Square, Laurent is acclaimed for his client-centric approach in the field. Juniper Square is a renowned name globally in driving transformation in the private markets. By centralizing data and connecting LPs and GPs, the unified platform has enhanced the investor experience to an unprecedented level. Leveraging his expertise at Juniper Square, Laurent Scherer plays a crucial role in carrying the company forward.
Spark Behind Joining Juniper Square
We started the interview by asking, “What inspired you to join the leadership team of Juniper Square, and how has the journey surprised you?”
Laurent mentioned, “In 2013, I had the chance to be part of a team that shaped the market practice for a whole new suite of products in Europe. AIFMD had just come into effect, and financial institutions had to adapt to the regulation of private market funds and new structures, for example, in Luxembourg, the RAIF and the Special Limited Partnership regime. It was an intense time of rapid market growth and personal development.
When my friend Arnaud Brive, who leads Juniper Square’s operations in Europe, put me in contact with the wider leadership team, I quickly realized this was another one of those pivotal opportunities. There is a new market disruption happening right now, and Juniper Square is not only a thought leader but already a major player. It serves as an example to peers and competitors on how the private markets are transforming and how to stay ahead.”
He added, “Since joining, I have been in awe. For example, I used to be able to impress colleagues with my Excel VBA and Macro skills, which sounds silly from today’s perspective. The other day, in a company-wide all-hands, colleagues showcased how they combine the power of our private LLMs, AI agents, and other tools to automate nearly every aspect of their work.
In one instance alone, an operational team reduced two days of work down to two hours. This disruption happens behind the scenes almost every day at Juniper Square, and it is absolutely mind-boggling in the best way possible.”
Advice for Younger Self
We then asked, “If you could go back to your first year in a leadership role, what advice would you give yourself?”
Laurent shared, “My advice would be to trade ego for analysis. Early in my career, I mistook speed for progress and individual conviction for leadership. I would tell my younger self to be more humble and patient. To realize that ‘getting to the bottom’ of a problem is a team sport.
When you stop forcing your personal vision and start facilitating a shared path, you don’t just solve the problem at hand; you build a culture of trust and collective ownership that is far more valuable than any single win.”
Navigating through Challenges
Interested to learn how Laurent Scherer deals with uncertainties in his professional path, we asked, “How do you approach solving problems that don’t have clear solutions?”
He explained, “Though it seems tough, in my opinion, it’s actually very straightforward. This is my checklist:
- Necessity: Do we have to find a solution, or can we live with the issue? What is the risk?
- Timing: Do we need a solution now, or can it wait until we have more information? What is the risk of waiting?
- Competence: Do I have the authority and knowledge to make this decision, or do I need to involve someone else?
- Options: What are the choices? Can we compare cost/effort versus impact/risk?
- Execution: Make a decision and monitor it to see if it needs adjusting or revoking.
Following this checklist, I have been handling challenges coming my way.”
Evolution of Laurent Scherer’s Leadership Approach
To learn more about the unique experiences that shaped his current approach as a leader, we asked Laurent Scherer to share a glimpse of it with our readers.
He responded, “Starting out, I viewed the corporate world as a grand chessboard. I love strategy, so I was ready to play. But as I reached higher leadership levels, I was shocked by what I found. Managers weren’t always pulling in the same direction. Behind the scenes, it was often a web of hidden agendas, political mind games, and peers secretly competing against the very company they served.
I realized I had the skill to win at these games, but I quickly grew tired of the hypocrisy. Maintaining a facade felt heavy and false. I am an honest person by nature; I’d much rather have friends and partners in the trenches than ‘allies’ I have to watch my back around.
This shaped me into a leader who chooses authenticity over exploitation. I decided to stop playing games and instead lead with total transparency. Don’t get me wrong, I fight for my goals. But I’ve found that while others waste energy on politics, I move faster because no one has to second-guess my motives. People know they can trust me.”
Building Long-term Success as a Leader
To understand more about Laurent Scherer as a leader, we asked, “If you had to describe your leadership style in one word, what would it be, and why?”
“Consistency. Many things contribute to success: skills, timing, funding, experience, culture, vision, and luck. But if you cannot show up every day and bring the required effort, you are setting yourself up for failure. If a team takes it easy for a few weeks and then has to rush to meet a deadline, the chance of missing incremental goals rises. Achieving those small, incremental goals is what builds long-term success,” he reflected.
A Wave of Transformation
Lastly, we asked, “If you could change one thing about the industry you work in, what would it be?”
Laurent mentioned, “If I could change one thing, it would be the hypocrisy in retail investor protection. Currently, a retail investor can easily trade highly leveraged, liquid products like CFDs, where data shows the vast majority of people lose money. Yet, they are ‘protected’ from professionally managed, long-term private market assets simply because of illiquidity. This is a fundamental misalignment of risk.
I advocate for a shift from ‘Liquidity-Based’ rules to ‘Qualification-Based’ access. Instead of forcing private funds to create complex, semi-liquid structures that can jeopardize investment strategies, we should allow retail investors into traditional closed-ended funds based on two criteria: proven knowledge of long-term capital lock-ups and capital allocation specifically intended for a 10+ year horizon.
By focusing on investor suitability at the front end rather than forcing liquidity on the product side, we can democratize wealth creation while reducing the administrative burden on firms. An investor is far safer in a 10-year professional fund than in a 10-minute leveraged trade.”
Connect with Laurent Scherer on LinkedIn to gain industry insights.
Find Juniper Square on LinkedIn and visit https://www.junipersquare.com/ to learn more.
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