Switzerland should keep a public list of bankers found to have violated their professional duties as part of broader efforts to repair the nation's standing in global finance, the head of Zurich-based private bank Julius Baer said in an interview.
Stefan Bollinger told Swiss-German newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung that "Registering financial market participants has clear advantages." He added that such a register would help ensure "bad actors" cannot "simply [cross] to the other side of the street and carry on as if nothing had happened."
Bollinger pointed to the existence of comparable systems in the U.S., UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, and said Switzerland would gain long-term benefits from adopting a similar approach. He noted: "Switzerland already has a due diligence system at the management level; it should consider expanding it further, as is the case in other countries."
The Julius Baer director framed the proposal within a need to restore Switzerland's reputation following the collapse of Credit Suisse. He addressed public discussion about whether UBS, Switzerland's largest bank, might move its headquarters to the U.S., and defended the continuing value of a Swiss banking identity, saying "Swissness" remains a mark of quality.
Bollinger argued that being based in Switzerland remains advantageous for UBS "especially in these times," and highlighted client demand for stability and predictability in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. He said there is "a strong trend that international clients also want to keep their money in Switzerland again."
The interview referenced earlier reporting that UBS had held talks about a possible U.S. relocation, to which the bank responded that it plans to continue operating from Switzerland.
Separately, Julius Baer disclosed its annual financial results on Monday, reporting a net profit of 764 million Swiss francs ($988 million) for 2025. That result represents a 25% decline from 2024 but nonetheless beat analysts' expectations in a year that included writedowns.
Bollinger's comments tie proposals on enhanced transparency and personnel vetting to the broader goal of safeguarding brand and market confidence, while highlighting that major Swiss banks continue to position Switzerland as a centre for client assets seeking stability.