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A leading wealth manager with strong investment banking capabilities.
Our strategy builds on Credit Suisse's core strengths: its position as a leading wealth manager, its specialist investment banking capabilities and its strong presence in our home market of Switzerland. We seek to follow a balanced approach to wealth management, aiming to capitalize on both the large pool of wealth within mature markets as well as the significant growth in wealth in Asia Pacific and other emerging markets, while also serving key developed markets with an emphasis on Switzerland.
Founded in 1856, we today have a global reach with operations in about 50 countries and 47,170 employees from over 150 different nations. Our broad footprint helps us to generate a geographically balanced stream of revenues and net new assets and allows us to capture growth opportunities around the world. We serve our clients through three regionally focused divisions: Swiss Universal Bank, International Wealth Management and Asia Pacific. These regional businesses are supported by two other divisions specializing in investment banking capabilities: Global Markets and Investment Banking & Capital Markets.
The Strategic Resolution Unit consolidates the remaining portfolios from the former non-strategic units plus additional businesses and positions that do not fit with our strategic direction. Our business divisions cooperate closely to provide holistic financial solutions, including innovative products and specially tailored advice.
Key Figures (as of end-2016)
year of foundation
employees
relationship managers globally
billion AuM in CHF
Our Management
The Executive Board is responsible for the day-to-day operational management of Credit Suisse. It develops and implements the strategic business plans for the Group overall as well as for the principal businesses, subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Tidjane Thiam
Chief Executive Officer, Credit Suisse
Our Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall strategic direction, supervision and control of Credit Suisse and regularly assesses its competitive position and approves it strategic and financial plans.
Urs Rohner
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Financial Results and Publications
Our History
Credit Suisse's history stretches back to July 5, 1856 when the prominent politician, business leader and pioneer Alfred Escher founded "Schweizerische Kreditanstalt." The original purpose of the new bank known as SKA was to finance the expansion of the railroad network as well as the further industrialization of Switzerland. Fourteen years later, the bank's first foreign representative office opened up in New York. In 1905, the bank's first branch outside Zurich opened in Basel following the acquisition of Oberrheinische Bank.
Alfred Escher
founder of the "Schweizerische Kreditanstalt" (SKA), the forerunner of Credit Suisse
What started off as a Swiss investment bank turned into a success story spanning over the next century and a half, with Credit Suisse gradually evolving into a leading global provider of financial services.
This development has been achieved through strong organic growth, supplemented by a series of significant mergers and acquisitions such as that of the US investment bank CS First Boston in 1990, the Swiss private bank Bank Leu in 1990, Switzerland's fourth largest bank – Volksbank – in 1993, the Brazilian wealth manager Hedging-Griffo in 2007, Morgan Stanley's wealth management businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2013 to cite a couple of more recent deals.
This has involved the amalgamation of very different cultures, philosophies and spheres of specialist knowledge which has resulted in the creation of a strong integrated bank. As of 2006, the bank began operating as a globally active integrated universal bank providing comprehensive solutions to our clients in private banking, investment banking and asset management.