Zürcher Kantonalbank names Urs Baumann as CEO
Media Release from 28 October 2020
- Urs Baumann has been appointed as the new CEO, effective September 1, 2022. He will join the bank on June 1, 2022, to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
- After 15 years as CEO, Martin Scholl will hand over the operational management of the bank on August 31, 2022.
- The appointment of Urs Baumann as Martin Scholl’s successor is the result of a careful, multi-stage selection process that demonstrates the bank’s commitment to strong corporate governance.
The Board of Directors of Zürcher Kantonalbank today named Urs Baumann as the new CEO of Zürcher Kantonalbank, effective September 1, 2022. To ensure a smooth transition in the operational management of the bank, Urs Baumann will become a member of the Executive Board, effective June 1, 2022. He is a Swiss national and has served as CEO of Blue Earth Capital AG in Zug since 2015. Urs Baumann has over 20 years of professional and leadership experience in global, regional and national financial institutions.
Dr. Jörg Müller-Ganz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zürcher Kantonalbank, stated: “We are very pleased that we have been able to appoint Urs Baumann, a highly experienced leader with deep knowledge of the finance and banking industry, as our new CEO. In a multi-stage selection process, the Board of Directors carefully evaluated internal and external candidates. Urs Baumann brings with him all the professional and personal qualities needed for this position of responsibility. He is the right person to address the challenges that the bank will face in the future. His broad expertise in the areas of private banking, asset management with a focus on sustainable investing, retail banking, and products and services, provides an excellent basis for the further development of our universal bank strategy. With his entrepreneurial mindset, he will provide valuable new ideas and impetus. The Board of Directors looks forward to working with Urs Baumann and wishes him every success in his new role.”
Urs Baumann has more than 20 years of national and international management experience as a Board member, a Group CEO and a managing director. He began his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in Zurich in 1993. From 1998 onwards, he acquired professional experience in the financial and banking sector through roles at Swisscard in Horgen, Barclays Bank PLC in London, Lindorff Group in Oslo und Bellevue Group AG in Küsnacht. In 2015, Urs Baumann co-founded Blue Earth Capital AG in Zug (formerly PG Impact Investments AG), which he has managed until today. Urs Baumann holds a Master of Arts from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and an MBA from Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. He and his partner live in Schindellegi, Canton Schwyz. Urs Baumann will relocate his place of residence to Canton Zurich.
Urs Baumann stated: “I would like to thank the Board of Directors for the trust it has placed in me. I consider it an honor to be able to serve as CEO of the leading bank in the Zurich economic area. Zürcher Kantonalbank is ideally positioned with its comprehensive range of products and services. Its claim ‘Successful business activities aligned with social and environmental responsibility’ corresponds fully with my own personal values. I very much look forward to working with the Board of Directors, the management team and all employees to continue to develop the bank sustainably and thus ensure that we can remain a reliable and responsible partner to our clients – now and in the future.”
Martin Scholl, CEO of Zürcher Kantonalbank, stated: “Urs Baumann is taking over the reins of a strong bank. Zürcher Kantonalbank is in excellent shape and is solidly positioned thanks to its successful diversification strategy. We will work intensively to drive forward the bank’s strategic projects in order to deliver another good annual result next year. I am delighted to welcome Urs Baumann to Zürcher Kantonalbank and I look forward to working with him to ensure a seamless transition.”
