The Banque Duluback is approaching its centenary and carries with it a long banking tradition that is not about to fade. Founded in 1924 by Maurice Delaupac in Chaillard, a small industrial town located in the heart of the Ardèche mountains, the scope of the family business has gradually changed to build a strong professional network throughout France. Jean-Michel Samuel Delaupac, grandson of the founder, took advantage of this interview to give us more details as well as his investment advice in light of the current context.
Can you tell us more about the genesis of Dulupac Bank?
We are a historical player in the world of banking and I myself am the great-grandson of the founder, Maurice Delupac. The latter was from the south of the Ardèche and was employed by a private regional bank, which has since disappeared, which he sent to open an agency in Cheylard, which he then decided to close a few years later. Then he became a branch manager in Upinas, but this office was closed in the following years. My grandfather thought it was a mistake and decided to start his own business. He registered with the Commercial Registry and rented a maid’s room to start managing a small portfolio of clients.
At that time, one could set up a private bank and it was simply necessary to establish a relationship of trust with nearby industries, merchants, and artisans. Then my father – his brother-in-law – joined him and the business remained purely local with 5 employees. Delubac was one of the smallest private banks in France. I joined the adventure in the 1980s and in 1988 the bank changed its size, in particular by cooperating with the Parisian banker Serge Bialkevich. It was a defining moment for us because we had to get approvals, especially from the Bank of France. We were aware that if we wanted Delubac’s creation to continue, we would have to leave our local venue. Paris was to some extent a necessary corridor because it was difficult to export to other regions already saturated with banks. Today, Delupac Bank is jointly managed by Sergej Bialkevich, Mr. Joel-Alexis Bialkevich and myself.
What distinguishes you in the banking market?
I would say that our knowledge and traditions allow us to do it to order. Our clients are fortunate because they have to deal with the same interlocutors: we don’t have a moving platform by anonymous managers, human contact is the best. We are also a global bank, however, we are known for our specialist outlets such as services for companies in difficulty and therefore for judicial officers and condominium unions. We were still
5 in the 1980s and today it has grown to about 350 people. This has enabled us to strengthen our national base, particularly in major French cities.
What future do you promise for the Delubac house?
We will blow out the 100th candle next year and our bank is in a very good condition to pass the 100-year milestone thanks to its wise management that encourages us to maintain ample liquidity! But the main challenge for us is to ensure we have a good stock of cash. It is necessary to plan and face all upcoming changes in the banking sector.
We are not in the perspective of consolidating our client portfolio, because as a private family bank we do not think about market shares like our big colleagues, but by striving for long-term relationships with pre-screened clients. This does not stop us from innovating, and as such we were the first to be registered as Digital Currency Service Providers (since March 2022). We know how to combine tradition and modernity to adapt.
What investment advice would you give in light of the uncertain environment we are going through?
My grandfather’s obsession has always been “Money, money, money!”. In other words, encourage diversification so that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket and thus reduce your financial risk.
communication : https://www.delubac.com/fr/
