Bernhard Koepp is the CEO and Managing Member of C.J. Lawrence^® (“CJL”). At CJL, Bernhard advises high net worth clients, foundations, corporations, and family offices across most investable asset classes.

Bernhard chairs CJL’s investment committee which implements its Bulldog-Equity Strategy. He began applying CJL’s distinct Bulldog-Equity Strategy over 25 years ago across both domestic and international markets. As of Q4 2022, CJL’s Bulldog-Equity Strategy ranked 6-stars among its large cap core pier group within Informa’s PSN database.  Prior to relaunching CJL in 2014, Bernhard spent 16 years at International Strategy & Investment Group (ISI) in a similar role.

Bernhard began his career in 1989 as a corporate banker in London Deutsche Bank AG’s structured finance division. There he gained multi-sector experience in project and asset-based finance deals for large multi-national corporations. After German unification in 1991, Bernhard spearheaded an initiative to match UK investors with opportunities offered by the newly formed Treuhandanstalt, a Trust Agency established by the German government in Berlin to privatize approximately 8500 state-owned enterprises.

In 1993, he joined the Asset Management Products Group at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York. His responsibilities included structuring and launching numerous Irish-based, investment companies for predominantly German Corporates. In 1994, he helped lead a Rights Offering for The New Germany Fund, Inc., one of Deutsche Bank’s flagship closed-end funds. In 1996, he launched the DB Brazil Investment Fund.  In 1997, Bernhard brought to market the DB New World Fund, an emerging market local currency fund. In 1997, Bernhard fully transitioned to asset management, co-managing the DB Top 50 US Fund and DB Bulldog Portfolios in conjunction with Jim Moltz. That same year, he joined the CIO office of DB’s Private Banking division, directing its risk management and new products initiatives.

Bernhard received his M.A. in International Relations & Economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and his BA in International Studies from George Mason University. He is currently the chairman of the board of DWS’ New Germany Fund, The European Equity Fund, and the Central and Eastern European Fund. He has also served as the president of the New York based Opera Foundation since 2006. Bernhard is a frequent speaker at investment conferences and is comfortable doing business in several languages.