Swiss Bankers Association

Last updated
Schweizerische Bankiervereinigung logo.svg

The Swiss Bankers Association is a professional organization of Swiss financial institutions.

Contents

Background

The trade association known as the Swiss Bankers Association was founded in 1912 in Basel, Switzerland. It is the primary industry group representing the Swiss Banks to the government of Switzerland and to the governments of other states. The unity provided by this organization allows the various Swiss banks, from the "Big Two" (UBS and Credit Suisse) down to the smaller community and cantonal banks, to collaborate on various issues of importance to the banking community.

The Swiss Bankers Association's main goal is to maintain and promote the best possible framework conditions for the actors of the Swiss financial centre both at home and abroad.

Firstly, it represents all banks in Switzerland (also foreign owned banks established in Switzerland) in their dealings with authorities in Switzerland and abroad.

Secondly, it promotes the image of the Swiss financial centre throughout the world and fosters a dialogue with the public in Switzerland and abroad.

Thirdly, the banks engage in a form of self-regulation, in conjunction with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). Under this system, the banks draw up a code of conduct in partnership with the FINMA, which is then enforced through the oversight of the FINMA.

Fourthly, the banks maintain more security, both for their clients and for the world, by working together. They can more adequately protect clients identity, while they can also collaborate to aid the Swiss government in freezing the funds of criminals being investigated under the 1983 Federal Law relating to International Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

Finally, the SBA coordinates and supports the professional training of junior staff and experienced professionals in the banking industry in order to maintain the high quality of customer services. [1]

Organization

The organization as of November 2021 has 300 institutional members (banking, securities, and auditing institutions) and approximately 12,000 individual members (high-ranking officials within the institutional members). [2] The chief executive officer of the organization is Jörg Gasser, [3] with Dr. Marcel Rohner as chairman of the board. [4]

A questionnaire in 2014 among its members showed that 85% of the smaller and regional banks consider themselves either unrepresented or insufficiently represented by the SBV. [5]

Related Research Articles

Financial regulation Rules or restrictions for financial institutions

Financial regulation is a form of regulation or supervision, which subjects financial institutions to certain requirements, restrictions and guidelines, aiming to maintain the stability and integrity of the financial system. This may be handled by either a government or non-government organization. Financial regulation has also influenced the structure of banking sectors by increasing the variety of financial products available. Financial regulation forms one of three legal categories which constitutes the content of financial law, the other two being market practices and case law.

Banking in Switzerland

Banking in Switzerland dates to the early eighteenth 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, along with the Swiss Alps, Swiss chocolate, watchmaking and mountaineering. Switzerland has a long, kindred 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 the 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 Multinational investment bank

Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world and is one of the nine global "Bulge Bracket" banks providing services in investment banking, private banking, asset management, and shared services. It is known for strict bank–client confidentiality and banking secrecy. The Financial Stability Board considers it to be a systemically important bank.

Julius Bär Group AG, known alternatively as Julius Baer Group Ltd., is a medium-sized 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 three among Swiss banks after the two generalists UBS and Credit Suisse and the biggest pure-play private bank.

Robert L. Genillard

Robert L. Genillard was a Swiss businessman. His activities spanned both the fields of finance and industry. After graduate studies in economics and finance, he started a financial career in New York City. In 1954, he joined White Weld & Co., one of the oldest and leading American investment banking firms, acquired by Merrill Lynch in 1977. He became a general partner of White, Weld & Co. in 1958 and a member of its management committee in 1964. He moved to Europe to establish in the early 1960s, as chairman and chief executive, the firm of Credit Suisse White Weld which was to become Credit Suisse First Boston.

Banque Bonhôte

Banque Bonhôte & Cie is a Swiss private bank founded in 1815 in Neuchâtel. It is active in the wealth and asset management sector.

BTG Pactual

BTG Pactual is a Brazilian financial company that operates in the markets of Investment banking, Wealth management, Asset management, Corporate lending and Sales and trading. It offers advisory services in mergers and acquisitions, wealth planning, loans and financings, as well as investment solutions and market analyses. It's the biggest investment bank in Latin America and the Caribbean. Also the 5th biggest bank in Brazil.

UBS Multinational investment bank

UBS Group AG is a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of 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.

Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority Government watchdog

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is the Swiss government body responsible for financial regulation. This includes the supervision of banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges and securities dealers, as well as other financial intermediaries in Switzerland.

CIM Bank

CIM Bank is a Swiss private bank. Founded in Geneva in 1990, the Bank serves institutional, corporate and private clients globally.

Rodolphe Hottinger Seventh Baron Hottinguer

Baron Rodolphe Hottinger is a Swiss banker of the House of Hottinguer. His ancestor, Jean-Conrad Hottinger, created the Bank Rougemont, Hottinger & Cie. in 1786. In 1799, he added a 'u' to the family name, to preserve the Germanic pronunciation; see also House of Hottinguer.

Jürg Zeltner Swiss businessman

Jürg Zeltner was a Swiss corporate executive. He last served as Group CEO and member of the Board of Directors at KBL European Private Bankers. He was earlier the President of UBS Wealth Management from November 2014 to December 2017. He stepped down from the Group Executive Board at the end of 2017, and retired from the firm as of 2018. He had served as a member of the UBS Group Executive Board since February 2009. From February 2009 to January 2012 he was co-CEO of Wealth Management and Swiss Bank. In February 2016, Zeltner ranked first among the best global private banking CEOs, according to a 2016 Euromoney private banking survey.

Urs Meisterhans

Urs Meisterhans is a figure within the Swiss financial advisory industry. He was the founder and principal of the Swiss-based financial services company Sinitus AG, until his departure in 2013. The company was liquidated in 2015.

Foreign exchange regulation is a form of financial regulation specifically aimed at the Forex market that is decentralized and operates with no central exchange or clearing house. Due to its decentralized and global nature, the foreign exchange market has been more prone to foreign exchange fraud and has been less regulated than other financial markets.

Bank Lombard Odier & Co Swiss Private Bank

The Lombard Odier Group is an independent Swiss banking group based in Geneva. Its operations are organised into three divisions: private banking, asset management, and IT and back and middle office services for other financial institutions. As of 31 December 2020, the bank had client assets of CHF 316 billion, which makes it one of the biggest players in the Swiss private banking sector.

Bordier & Cie Swiss independent private bankers

Bordier & Cie is a Swiss private banker founded in 1844 in Geneva and active in wealth management for private clients. It is the last French-speaking private banker in Switzerland, headed by three partners with unlimited responsibility on their own assets. The institution holds a banking license in Switzerland, Turks and Caicos Islands and Singapore and has branches in the United Kingdom, France and Uruguay.

Swiss Private Bankers Association

The Swiss Private Bankers Association is a Swiss trade association made up of banking institutions that meet the legal definition of a private banker according to Swiss law. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, and currently has six members.

REYL & Cie

The Reyl Group, styled REYL, is a financial services company founded in Geneva in 1973. Reyl provides financial advisory and investment services to private and institutional clients.

Dukascopy Bank is a Swiss online bank which provides online and mobile trading, banking and financial services. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has offices in Riga, Kyiv, Moscow, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai and Tokyo, with over 300 employees.

References

  1. "The Swiss Bankers Association". Swiss Banking. Swiss Bankers Association. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  2. "Membership". Swiss Banking. Swiss Bankers Association. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. "Executive Board". Swiss Banking. Swiss Bankers Association. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. "Board of Directors". Swiss Banking. Swiss Bankers Association. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. "Regiobanken: Hier drückt der Schuh". Finews.ch. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2015.