Obituary: Christophe Ferrand, financier

The tragic death of Christophe Ferrand in a fire at his home near Stirling has robbed the Scottish financial community of a much loved character.

From the start of his career in financial management he had been marked out as a man of outstanding ability and probity. He rapidly rose after qualifying as an accountant in Paris to hold various important executive posts in the City of London, Paris and finally in Edinburgh.

In Scotland, Ferrand worked for Aegon Global Asset Management which he joined 11 years ago. He was the company's European chief operating officer and had built up an enviable reputation for his financial acumen and integrity.

The financier was trapped in his 19th-century home, the Parsonage, at Dunmore Park, Airth after a blaze broke out on Tuesday morning. He was rushed to Stirling Royal Infirmary where he died.

Colleagues at Aegon considered Ferrand "an inspirational figure for those that had the pleasure to work with him".

"Christophe had the rare ability to assess a situation quickly, develop a vision and chart a course of action which gave certainty and direction to the people around him. Doubters were generally won over by his energy as he led by example and made progress."

Christophe Ferrand first attended a local school but then went to a boarding school in Normandy, where he read maths and physics for his Baccalaurat, which he passed with honours. In 1987 he studied accountancy at Ecole Suprieure de Commerce de Nantes and Ohio University.

He practised as an accountant with Ernst & Young in Paris from 1989-92 and then joined the merchant bankers Morgan Stanley in London. During his time in the City Ferrand was project leader for the opening of Morgan Stanley's Paris office.

His wide training and knowledge of financial affairs ensured that Ferrand established, with meticulous care, the various legal and financial demands placed on the bank by the authorities.

He held posts in the investment banking division before in 1994 returning to Paris as head of controllers and compliance and being appointed a vice president and head of European equity derivatives control at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in London.

In 2001 Ferrand came to Scotland when he was appointed European chief operating officer of the newly created Aegon Global Asset Management, where his responsibilities included organisation, IT and reporting in Europe.

Aegon is the brand name for Scottish Equitable plc, which was founded in Edinburgh in 1831 and was incorporated into Aegon in 1998.

Although Ferrand spent most of his career in the UK he remained a proud and resolute Frenchman. He enjoyed the good things in life and had built up a great collection of fine wines in his cellar at Airth.The house was originally built by the Earl of Dunmore as the parsonage for the neighbouring Dunmore Estate in 1863.

Ferrand was particularly keen on sport and avidly followed the fortunes of the French rugby and football teams. At his office in the Gyle in Edinburgh, among the many pictures of his family there was a statue of Zinedine Zidane, the former captain of the French football team.

While at Morgan Stanley Ferrand met and married his Scottish wife Audrey, who also worked with the bank.

In 2000 the two decided to move to Scotland to bring up their family and settled in the Parsonage.

At Aegon Ferrand initially had responsibility for the operational aspects of the company and was appointed to the board in January 2002.

Colleagues recall his keen administrative abilities which he discharged with absolute clarity.

In particular, his transferring and implementing the back office at Aegon into the existing organisation at Citigroup in Edinburgh was done with typical efficiency. Ferrand was also responsible for the introduction of complex new technology.

He was trusted by colleagues both on a personal and business level, preserving a strong sense of loyalty to the company and the family's friends at Airth - especially those they had made through the many local and school functions they attended.

Ferrand had a sure ability to present facts and new projects with a beguiling ease. An associate at Aegon recalls: "Christophe wore his heart on his sleeve and his colleagues were often left in no doubt about his feelings on a subject as he let loose with much Gallic flapping of hands."

During the fire in the house Ferrand had managed to haul his 14-year-old son Lachlan to safety through the front door before collapsing.

His daughter Claudine was saved by a fireman and his wife broke both her legs after leaping out of a window to safety.

Christophe Ferrand, a devoted family man and a much revered colleague, is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.