David Burt helped Apex Group highlight its progression from a Bermuda-founded business to a global financial services provider, as a speaker at Apex Invest Europe 2026 in Switzerland.

The Premier and Minister of Finance joined an international audience of institutional investors, family offices and private-market specialists at the event, which was held at The Dolder Grand in Zurich on Monday and Tuesday this week.

The conference brought together more than 100 allocators and 50 managers, with $1.5 trillion in allocator assets under management registered for the event. It provided a platform for investment discussions, fund opportunities and connections between allocators and managers.

Established in Bermuda in 2003, Apex Group now services more than $3.5 trillion in assets and has more than 13,000 professionals across 52 countries. Its growth provides the backdrop to a wider conversation about how financial centres can support businesses as they expand internationally and respond to changing investor needs.

Mr Burt said: “It is always a source of pride to see companies established in Bermuda achieve success internationally. Apex Group is a great example of what Bermuda can produce, having grown from its beginnings here into a major international business.

“We will continue to support the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s efforts to strengthen Bermuda’s position as a leading domicile for investment funds, particularly as the industry evolves and new opportunities emerge in tokenised funds.”

Yesterday, Mr Burt joined Marc Degen, board member of Telecom Liechtenstein, for a fireside discussion titled, “Why innovation matters: building economies that attract investment.”

The conversation explored similarities between Bermuda and Lichtenstein, who despite both being relatively small jurisdictions in size, have been able to become major hubs for financial services, including digital assets.

Discussion also centred on Bermuda's approach to innovation, regulation and creating an environment that supports investment and business growth.

Bermuda has regulated digital-asset businesses under the Digital Asset Business Act since 2018. Against that backdrop, the discussion brought Bermuda’s perspective on financial innovation to an international private-markets audience.

Bermuda’s participation also included David Parker, head of business development at the Bermuda Business Development Agency.

On Monday, Mr Parker took part in a panel supported by Penrose Partners, “The world’s investment landscape in uncertain times.”

The session examined geopolitical uncertainty, shifting interest rates and global growth expectations, and their implications for investment markets, capital allocation and emerging opportunities.

These discussions formed part of a broader Apex Invest Europe programme spanning private credit, real estate, digital assets, AI and biotechnology. Attendees had access to primary fund investment, secondary and co-investment opportunities, alongside dedicated one-to-one meetings between allocators and managers.

Georges Archibald, chief executive officer of Apex Distribution, said: “The most successful financial centres are not simply places where innovation happens. They are places where innovation can scale because investors trust the regulatory environment. Bermuda has demonstrated that principle for decades, and it continues to do so in emerging areas such as digital assets and AI.”

For Apex Group, the conference connected its Bermuda origins with its international role supporting asset managers, allocators, financial institutions and family offices across the investment life cycle.