UBS has appointed Sergio B. Ermotti as Group Chief Executive Officer following his approval of the acquisition of Credit Suisse.
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UBS named Sergio Ermotti as the group’s new CEO on Wednesday, following the recent acquisition of Credit Suisse.
UPS said in a statement that the move will take effect on April 5.
Ermotti — who was CEO of the UBS Group for nine years, from November 2011 to October 2020 — will replace current CEO Ralph Hammers. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the insurance company Swiss Re.
Hammers will remain at UPS to advise the bank during the transition period, the company said, “to ensure a successful closing of the transaction and a smooth handover of the operation.”
On March 19, Switzerland’s largest bank UBS agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse for CHF3 billion ($3.2 billion). Swiss regulators played a key role in the deal as governments sought to stem a contagion threatening the global banking system.
The change of leadership came “in light of the new challenges and priorities facing UBS following the acquisition announcement,” according to the UBS announcement.
UBS said in the statement that Ermoti “successfully repositioned the bank in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, and achieved a profound culture change within the bank.”
This allowed UBS to “restore the trust of customers and other stakeholders, while restoring people’s pride in working for UBS.”
Hammers reportedly told staff of the government-orchestrated takeover that UBS “didn’t buy Credit Suisse just to shut it down”.
In the announcement, UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher described Hammers as an “outstanding executive” who has led UBS to “unprecedented success despite a challenging environment.”
He said that while the Credit Suisse acquisition supports UBS’ existing strategy, it imposes new priorities on the group.
“With his unique experience, I am very confident that Sergio will deliver the successful integration that is so necessary for the banks’ clients, employees and investors, and for Switzerland,” said Kelleher.
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