Stefan Bollinger

No one can fault Stefan Bollinger for lacking experience in banking, even if his name didn’t make major headlines. His professional career has been entirely devoted to the profession. A Swiss native, Bollinger got started at Zürcher Kantonalbank in 1993 where he worked as a derivatives trader.

He later moved on to JP Morgan before joining Goldman Sachs in mid-2004 where he has since risen to partner and co-head of Private Wealth Management for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). During his time, assets in private wealth management have doubled, a stat that likely caught the eye of blue-blood executive recruiter Egon Zehnder who recruited him to join a Swiss bank in need of a new chief executive.

His new employer Julius Baer, still gathering itself after heavy losses from its ill-fated loans to René Benko’s Signa Group, will be looking to the 50-year old Bollinger to set it on a steady course - and raise its stock price.

Beatriz Martin Jimenez

A rising star at the newly-formed behemoth that is UBS, Beatriz Martin Jimenez has quietly moved up the ladder at the Swiss bank. Some wonder if she may be tipped to take over when current Group CEO Sergio Ermotti steps down.

While at UBS, Martin Jimenez has held several senior positions, starting out as Chief of Staff to the CEO of UBS Investment Bank and later became COO for UBS Investment Bank. Her responsibilities expanded as she took on roles such as UK COO for UBS AG London Branch and UBS Limited.

As of May 2023, Martin Jimenez has taken on the role of Head Non-core and Legacy as well as President UBS Europe, Middle East and Africa for UBS Group AG and UBS AG a role that makes her one of the most powerful female executives - besides Sabine Keller-Busse. In this lastest role, she oversees the winding down of areas that may not have a long-term place in the "New UBS” - a task that will make her few friends, but may cement a reputation for efficiency.

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Dr. Stephan Zwahlen

While not a household name, Maerki Baumann Privatbank’s Dr. Stephan Zwahlen has built something special during his 8-year term at the head of the Zurich-based bank. Far from being contented to run a mid-tier family operation, Zwahlen has adroitly positioned Maerki Baumann as a leading in innovation with a strong reputation as one of the oldest Swiss banks to offer crypto investments and services to crypto companies. A graduate of the prestigious University of St. Gallen, Zwahlen started out at Maerki Baumann in 2009, leading its investment services. With his recent success in building a track record in the digital assets space, plus partnerships with VC firm Redalpine and crypto service provider Bitcoin Suisse, Zwahlen has an opportunity to grow the small bank even more.

Andrew Peel

Morgan Stanley has a relatively low profile in Switzerland given its position as an American giant among Swiss banking giants. One rising star at the fabled investment house, however, is Andrew Peel. A native of the UK, the former Credit Suisse sales trader became a crypto and digital assets expert before leaving Credit Suisse in 2018 to take on Morgan Stanley’s digital assets efforts. So far those plans have been low-key.

However, in June 2024, Andrew Peel was elected to the board of directors of the SIX Digital Exchange - a move that may signal some other major plans.

The role at SDX will afford him the opportunity to further be involved the development of digital asset markets in Switzerland - and perhaps beyond.

Christian Reich

Few in the financial press would take particular notice of Liechtenstein-based Kaiser Partner Private Bank or its CEO. But since taking over in 2015, Christian Reich has brought the highly innovative private bank to new heights - including a record profit in 2023. He has also overseen a steady increase in assets under management. However, most impressively perhaps, Reich has quietly helped position his firm at the forefront of digital asset services in the principality, while also becoming the first Liechtenstein-based bank to join the SIX Digital Exchange. If Reich and his team continue on this path, more interesting things could be around the corner.

Simone Westerfeld

Another name to watch among the many striving stars at UBS, Simone Westerfeld has a clear oppportunity to shine in her new role as COO of the Group Integration Office of the Swiss giant. Given the challenges that come with swallowing up its now defunct rival, Westerfeld seems well-positioned for a “make-or-break” moment. Her career before the latest move has been a study in big steps, as Westerfeld has led the Personal Banking division of UBS Switzerland for the last four years. Previously, she lectured as a professor at the University of St. Gallen and FNHW in Basel.

Urs Monstein

It might be easy to consider Urs Monstein slightly too old to be considered a “rising star” in banking. The 62-year old graduate of University of St. Gallen already rose up through the ranks at UBS, before becoming Chief Information Officer at Julius Baer and then most recently COO at VP Bank in Liechtenstein. But with the sudden departure of CEO Paul Arni, Monstein finds himself in the position to chief executive. What he will make of it remains to be seen. In all likelihood, the board of VP Bank will turn to a wider search for a new CEO, but the final word has not yet been spoken.

Marc Pictet

For Marc Pictet, the name should say it all. But there is more than a strong family heritage. The 49-year old Swiss banker from Geneva shares the same name as the bank where he is a managing partner. As of mid-2024, however, he will be even more important to the institution he serves, when he takes over from Renauld de Planta as Senior Managing Partner and the public face of the firm. He will take over a banking group that is already in good health. In 2023, Pictet Group reported assets under management or custody of CHF 633 billion, a 4% increase from the previous year, while its consolidated net profit stood at CHF 577 million. If he is anything like his predecessors, Marc Pictet will let his company shine, without stealing too much of the brilliance for himself.

Serge Fehr

Pictet is not the only name in Swiss Romandie banking that inspires respect and attracts top talent. Serge Fehr, Head of Private Banking at Lombard Odier is a testament to that fact. The career Credit Suisse man rose to become a member of the executive management at the ill-fated Escher-bank and when things went south, moved over to Lombard Odier in a similar role. He has pushed hard since coming onboard with the aim of expanding the Geneva bank’s presence in the German-speaking part of the country. His new employer has kept a tight lid on its plans under Fehr, but it can be expected that UBS will have plenty of competition from the former Head of Private Banking at Credit Suisse.

Nicolas Syz

Few Swiss bankers can also claim to be world-class athletes, but Nicolas Syz is one of them. The former national bobsled champion has now transitioned fully into his pre-ordained role in the Syz family, where he serves as Head of Private Banking at Syz Group. With wide-ranging interests in Swiss banking - even beyond the firm that bears its name - the Syz family is well-positioned and Nicolas Syz even more so. Whether his experience at UBS and education at Paris’s SciencesPo will make him a great banker remains to be seen. His influence has already been felt in Syz Group’s launch of Digital Asset Services in December 2022.

10 Up-and-Coming Swiss Bankers to Watch in 2024