Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) was a Swiss investment bank and financial services company located in Switzerland. The bank, which at the time was the second largest bank in Switzerland, merged with Swiss Bank Corporation in 1998 to become UBS. This merger formed what was then the largest bank in Europe and the second largest bank in the world.
Banking in Switzerland dates to the early 18th century through Switzerland's merchant trade and has, over the centuries, grown into a complex, regulated, and international industry. Banking is seen as emblematic of Switzerland. The country has a long history of banking secrecy and client confidentiality reaching back to the early 1700s. Starting as a way to protect wealthy European banking interests, Swiss banking secrecy was codified in 1934 with the passage of a landmark federal law, the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks. These laws, which were used to protect assets of persons being persecuted by Nazi authorities, have also been used by people and institutions seeking to illegally evade taxes, hide assets, or generally commit financial crime.
Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland as a standalone firm but now a subsidiary of UBS. According to UBS, eventually Credit Suisse will be fully integrated into UBS but while the integration is not complete both banks are operating separately. Headquartered in Zürich, as a standalone firm it maintained offices in all major financial centers around the world and provided services in investment banking, private banking, asset management, and shared services. It was known for strict bank–client confidentiality and banking secrecy. The Financial Stability Board considered it to be a global systemically important bank. Credit Suisse was also a primary dealer and Forex counterparty of the Federal Reserve in the United States.
Zurich Insurance Group Ltd is a Swiss insurance company, headquartered in Zürich, and the country's largest insurer. As of 2021, the group is the world's 112th largest public company according to Forbes' Global 2000s list, and in 2011, it ranked 94th in Interbrand's top 100 brands.
Julius Bär Group AG, known alternatively as Julius Baer Group Ltd., is a private banking corporation founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it is among the older Swiss banking institutions. In terms of assets under management, Julius Baer is number two among Swiss banks after UBS and the biggest pure-play private bank. The bank's reputation has been marred by various controversies and legal challenges. These include a legal dispute with WikiLeaks in 2008, allegations of aiding U.S. citizens in tax evasion in 2011, and a censure by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in 2020 for deficiencies in combating money laundering. The bank has also been implicated in money laundering scandals involving corrupt Venezuelan officials and has faced investigations for its role in the FIFA corruption case. These controversies have cast a shadow on its legacy and raised questions about its compliance and ethical practices.
The Swiss National Bank is the central bank of Switzerland, responsible for the nation's monetary policy and the sole issuer of Swiss franc banknotes. The primary goal of its mandate is to ensure price stability, while taking economic developments into consideration.
Mediobanca is an Italian investment bank founded in 1946 at the initiative of Raffaele Mattioli and Enrico Cuccia to facilitate the post-World War II reconstruction of Italian industry. Cuccia led Mediobanca from 1946 to 1982. Today, it is an international banking group with offices in Milan, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Luxembourg, New York and Paris.
LGT Group is the largest royal family-owned private banking and asset management group in the world. LGT, originally known as The Liechtenstein Global Trust, is owned by the princely House of Liechtenstein through the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation and led by its royal family members H.S.H. Prince Maximilian von und zu Liechtenstein (CEO) and H.S.H. Prince Philipp von und zu Liechtenstein (chairman).
Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is a global, full-service investment banking and financial services company that specializes in wealth management and brokerage in capital markets. It is the largest independent investment dealer in Canada. The firm focuses on growth companies, with operations in 10 countries worldwide and the ability to list companies on 15 stock exchanges. Canaccord Genuity, the international capital markets division, is based in Canada, with offices in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Dubai, Australia, Barbados, and The Bahamas.
UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered simultaneously in Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest Swiss banking institution and the largest private bank in the world. UBS client services are known for their strict bank–client confidentiality and culture of banking secrecy. Because of the bank's large positions in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific markets, the Financial Stability Board considers it a global systemically important bank.
VP Bank AG is a Liechtenstein-based bank headquartered in Vaduz and specialized in private banking. It was founded on April 6, 1956 by Princely Councillor of Commerce Guido Feger and is one of the three major banks in Liechtenstein along with the LGT Group and the LLB.
The Berner Kantonalbank AG (BEKB) (in French: Banque Cantonale Bernoise SA (BCBE)), operating under the brand name "BEKB | BCBE" and based in the Swiss canton of Bern, is a public limited company under private law founded in 1834 as one of the first cantonal banks of its kind, serving Switzerland's 26 cantons. At the end of 2020, the total financial assets of BEKB were valued at 36.4 billion Swiss francs with their staff comprising approximately 1,230 employees (or 1,000 full-time equivalents).
Rothschild & Co is a multinational private and alternative assets investor, headquartered in Paris, France and London, England. It is the flagship of the Rothschild banking group controlled by the British and French branches of the Rothschild family.
Avaloq is a Swiss company that develops and provides the Avaloq Banking Suite software for core banking.
Markus Christoph Blocher is a Swiss businessman and billionaire. He is the only son of former Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher and younger brother of National Councilor Magdalena Martullo-Blocher. Blocher is among the richest Swiss with an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion by Forbes. Blocher holds a controlling stake in EMS-Chemie and Dottikon ES, both chemical companies based in Switzerland.
Adval Tech Holding is a Swiss company based in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. As of December 2020, it is trading with a ticker symbol "ADVN:SW". It functions primarily in the machinery industry for high-volume components manufactured using metal and plastic, primarily for the automotive industry. The company covers the entire value chain, including product, prototype, mold, tool development, and component production and assembly. The firm specializes in the production of tools, punching, forming processes, injection molding, assembly line systems, and serial parts.
Martin Ebner is a Swiss billionaire businessman and investor from the municipality of Freienbach in the canton of Schwyz. He is the founder of BZ Bank, and the investment firm, BZ Group. Through his investment vehicle Patinex, he owns multimillion-dollar stakes in various companies, and his biggest holdings include healthcare company Vifor Pharma, software firm Temenos AG, and real estate investor Intershop.
Ping Identity Corporation is an American software company established in 2002 by Andre Durand and Bryan Field-Elliot. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States with development offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tel Aviv, Israel, Austin, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Boston, Massachusetts and Edinburgh, Scotland. Ping also has European operations with offices in London, Paris, and Switzerland as well as offices in Bangalore, Melbourne, and Tokyo, serving Asia-pacific. It was a publicly traded company until getting acquired by Thoma Bravo and taken private in October 2022.
Carolina Müller-Möhl officially Carolina Eva Maria Müller is a Swiss businesswoman, private investor and philanthropist. She is the founder and current chair of Müller-Möhl Group, a single family office, which she founded in 2000. Since 2012 she is also the president of the charitable nonprofit Müller-Möhl Foundation. Müller-Möhl currently serves on the board of directors of Orascom Development Holding, NZZ Media Group and Fielmann Group. Between 2004 and 2012 she was also on the board of Nestlé. Her net worth is estimated between CHF 600 and 700 millions.
Lindemannlaw stylized as LINDEMANNLAW, established in September 2011 by Dr. iur. Alexander Lindemann, is a law firm headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The firm was approached by the Swiss media to comment on asset and wealth management law, where it primarily operates, and recently on the Acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS. It focuses on providing legal, tax, and business intelligence services to wealth managers, asset managers, and entrepreneurs. LINDEMANNLAW is involved in the structuring and execution of international investment fund solutions across multiple jurisdictions, including Luxembourg, Malta, Liechtenstein, and the Cayman Islands.
