UBS CEO Ralph Hamers: ‘It’s not rank that matters, it’s skill’

Arrived at the head of UBS in November 2020, Ralph Hamers conveys a more accessible and relaxed image than that of the typical banker of the Zurich financial center. Chosen in particular for his digital experience, the 56-year-old Dutchman wants to modernize the leading Swiss bank, which is also the largest wealth manager in the world, with $3,706 billion in assets at the end of September. This requires more agile operation and a streamlined hierarchy. A few months following his arrival from ING – the Dutch bank in which he worked for twenty-nine years, including seven as general manager –, and in his first interview in French and in French-speaking Switzerland, the banker describes his decision office in the midst of a pandemic, explains why he does not believe in a branchless bank and suggests ways to invest sustainably without exposing himself to accusations of greenwashing.