Eftychia Fischer
Chair of the Board of Directors
Dual Swiss and Greek citizen, born in 1963
Education
Bachelor’s degree in physics from Imperial College London
Graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
Career experience
Eftychia Fischer was elected at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 30 April 2020 and joined the Board of Directors on that date. She was appointed Chair of the Board by the Vaud Cantonal Government beginning on 1 January 2022. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Imperial College London, she began her career in 1986 as an interest-rate derivatives trader at Société Générale Strauss Turnbull in London. She then held managerial positions at firms in Paris and Zurich, including J.P. Morgan & Co., Julius Baer, and EFG International, and joined UBP in 2010 as the Head of the Treasury & Trading Division. She took on an additional role as the head of asset management from 2012 to 2015. Ms. Fischer has since served on several boards of directors.
Jean-François Schwarz
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Swiss citizen, born in 1955
Education
Master's in Economics (with a specialization in business administration) from the Business and Economics Faculty of Lausanne University
Career experience
Jean-François Schwarz was appointed by the Vaud Cantonal Government and joined the Board on 1 January 2019. He has over forty years of experience in the banking sector. Mr. Schwarz began his career at BCV in 1976 in corporate lending. From 1986 to 2003, he worked for Credit Suisse in Lausanne, New York, Zurich, and Geneva where he took on important roles in the bank’s lending and SME businesses. In 2003, he returned to BCV as a member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Corporate Banking Division, which comprises the SME, Large Corporates, and Trade Finance departments. He retired in June 2017.
Jack G.N. Clemons
Member of the Board of Directors
Dual Swiss and British citizen, born in 1966
Education
Masters degree from Cambridge University, UK
MBA from INSEAD, France
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Career experience
After earning his Masters degree from Cambridge University and MBA from INSEAD, Jack Clemons started his career in auditing and subsequently became a partner at Deloitte. He then served as Chief Operating and Financial Officer for a pan-European internet group. In 2006, Jack Clemons joined Lausanne-based Bata, a leading global manufacturer and retailer of footwear, as Chief Financial Officer; he was later appointed Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until 2015. Since then, he has served on the boards of several companies. A Chartered Accountant and former auditor, he has extensive experience in managing large corporations and helping them implement digital strategies. Jack Clemons was elected at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on 21 April 2016 and joined the Board on that date.
Ingrid Deltenre
Dual Swiss and Dutch citizen, born in 1960
Member of the Board of Directors
Education
Degree in humanities from the University of Zurich
Career experience
Ingrid Deltenre was elected at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 1 May 2014 and joined the Board on that date. After graduating from the University of Zurich with a humanities degree, she held various executive positions in publishing before becoming CEO of Publisuisse in 2000. Ingrid Deltenre was appointed to head up Schweizer Fernsehen (SF), the leading public TV broadcaster in German-speaking Switzerland, in 2004, and held this position for six years. From 2010 to 2017, Ingrid Deltenre was Director General of the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an organization with close to 400 employees. Since then, she was appointed at several Boards of Directors. Since 1 May 2020, she has chaired the Compensation, Promotions and Appointments Committee.
Fabienne Freymond Cantone
Member of the Board of Directors
Dual Swiss and Italian citizen, born in 1963
Education
Master's degree in economics from the University of Geneva
Career experience
Fabienne Freymond Cantone, who was appointed to the Board of Directors by the Vaud Cantonal Government, took up her position on 26 April 2018. She began her professional career at Arthur Andersen and then worked at Banca della Svizzera Italiana. She served on the finance committee of the Nyon municipal legislature from 1998 to 2006, and was head of finance in the Nyon municipal government from 2006 to 2011. She was a member of the Vaud Cantonal Parliament from 2002 to 2018, where she served on the finance committee until 2012, and became chair of the parliament’s control committee in 2017. She sits on the boards of several companies.
Peter Ochsner
Member of the Board of Directors
Swiss citizen, born in 1956
Education
HWV College for Economics and Business Administration, Zurich Certified public accountant from Kammerschule Zurich
Career experience
After gaining experience in the Internal Audit & Organization Department of the Swiss National Bank, Peter Ochsner joined PricewaterhouseCoopers S.A. (PwC) in 1982. He served on PwC’s management board, and in recent years headed the firm’s auditing practice in Switzerland. Peter Ochsner is a Swiss-Certified Accountant and, while at PwC, was a lead bank auditor. He has extensive experience with clients in the banking and insurance industries, both in Switzerland and internationally. Peter Ochsner retired from PwC in 2014. Peter Ochsner has been appointed by the Vaud Cantonal Government and took up his position on 1 July 2016. Since he joined BCV’s Board he has chaired the Audit and Risk Committee.
Pierre-Alain Urech
Member of the Board of Directors
Swiss citizen, born in 1955
Education
Degree in civil engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich)
Postgraduate degree in railways business management from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
Numerous management, marketing, finance, and human resources courses in Switzerland and abroad, including New York
Career experience
Pierre-Alain Urech was elected at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 29 April 2021 and joined the Board on 1 January 2022. He is a former Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) Executive Board member and former CEO of Romande Energie, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the SBB’s Board of Directors. Mr. Urech has extensive experience in business management, strategy development, risk management, and serving on a board of directors, as well as deep roots in Vaud Canton. He serves on several boards of directors, including three as chair.
Audit and Risk Committee
- Peter Ochsner (Chair)
- Jack Clemons
- Jean-François Schwarz
Following an in-depth review, the Board of Directors decided to turn the Audit Committee into an Audit and Risk Committee with effect from 1 January 2010. The aim is to expand the Committee's role in matters of risk management and control. Specifically, the Audit and Risk Committee helps the Board of Directors assess the various types of risk faced by BCV, and structure and organize the Bank's risk management and control processes. It draws up opinions and recommendations for the Board after conducting a critical examination, on a regular or case-by-case basis, of: the Group's main risks, its risk management policy and strategy, its risk reports, and its compliance with regulatory capital requirements.
Compensation, Promotions and Appointments Committee
- Ingrid Deltenre (Chair)
- Fabienne Freymond Cantone
- Pierre-Alain Urech
- Eftychia Fischer (in an advisory capacity)
- Pascal Kiener (in an advisory capacity)
The Committee reviewed its operational procedures and duties at the end of 2009 in order to better assist the Board of Directors, particularly in HR strategy and managing employee turnover. The Committee clarified its tasks in matters of establishing job requirements, selecting and proposing candidates for senior management and board positions, setting and assessing objectives, and setting compensation.
Pascal Kiener
CEO since 1 May 2008
Swiss citizen, born in 1962
Education
MSc in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in 1985. MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau in 1992
Career experience
Between 1985 and 1991, Mr. Kiener worked as an engineer for Fides Informatics in Zurich and Hewlett Packard in Geneva. In 1993, he joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. In 2000, he was made partner and a member of the Management Committee of McKinsey Switzerland. He acquired experience in financial services, and in banking in particular, during these years as an advisor for leading financial institutions in Switzerland and other European countries. He managed large projects involving strategy, risk management, controlling, and business process re-engineering. Mr. Kiener joined BCV as CFO on 1 June 2003 and was appointed CEO on 1 May 2008.
Thomas W. Paulsen
CFO, member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Finance & Risks Division since 1 January 2009
Swiss citizen, born in 1965
Education
Degree in economics from the Business and Economics Faculty of Lausanne University in 1998. MSc in economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1989. PhD in economics from Lausanne University in 1992.
Career experience
Mr. Paulsen started his career in energy trading at EGL. In 1995, he joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he was elected Principal Associate in 2000. During his time at McKinsey, he managed a large number of strategic projects for financial institutions and major energy companies in Switzerland and throughout Europe, focusing particularly on the risk management aspects. Mr. Paulsen joined BCV in July 2002 as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), and in this capacity created and led the Risk Management Department. He was named CFO and Head of the Finance & Risks Division on 1 January 2009.
Fabrice Welsch
Member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Asset Management & Trading Division since 1 January 2021
Dual Swiss and French citizen, born in 1966
Education
Graduate of the École Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Économique (ENSAE) in Paris, 1989. Master of Advanced Studies in Finance, 1990. Certified actuary, 1996. Executive MBA from the Centre for Advanced Studies in Insurance (CHEA), 2002. Graduate of the Swiss Finance Institute (Senior Management Program in Banking), 2009.
Career experience
After working briefly for the International Trade Centre, Mr. Welsch joined BNP Paribas as a financial controller and actuary. In 1996, he became the chief actuary at Phenix Assurance (Allianz Group) before becoming the company’s head of life insurance, IT, and external partnerships. Mr. Welsch joined BCV on 1 January 2004 as head of the Tax and Wealth Solutions Department. This department has gained recognition as a center of expertise in occupational pensions and private pension products. He took up his new position as head of the Asset Management and Trading Division on 1 January 2021.
José F. Sierdo
Member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Retail Banking Division since 3 March 2014
Swiss citizen, born in 1963
Education
Degree in economics and business administration from the Business and Economics Faculty of Lausanne University in 1992. MBA from IMD in Lausanne in 2001.
Career experience
Mr. Sierdo began his banking career in 1993 in retail banking at UBS. He went on to do project finance in New York and lending in Zurich, before working at Lombard Odier & Cie from 1998 to 2002. He then returned to UBS, where he held key managerial positions in retail, private and corporate banking, including: Head of Private Banking for French-speaking Switzerland, CEO of UBS Luxembourg and Head of Corporate Clients for Switzerland. Before becoming a banker, he was a military pilot and a member of the Swiss Surveillance Wing. He joined the Executive Board as Head of the Retail Banking Division on 3 March 2014.
Christian Steinmann
Member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Private Banking Division since 1 December 2022
Swiss citizen, born in 1971
Education
Swiss Certified Fiduciary Advisor, 1998, and Swiss Certified Tax Expert, 2002.
MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business, HEC Paris, and London School of Economics, 2012.
Career experience
Mr. Steinmann began his career at the Vaud Cantonal Tax Administration in 1987. He then moved to Credit Suisse in 1995, where he worked in wealth planning for private banking clients and SMEs. After holding management positions in the private banking division, Mr. Steinmann became responsible for all private clients for the greater Lausanne area in 2013, then regional head of private banking for French-speaking Switzerland in 2017. In 2020, he was also named regional head of French-speaking Switzerland. He took up his position as the head of the Private Banking Division on 1 December 2022.
Andreas Diemant
Member of the Executive Board and head of the Corporate Banking Division since 1 September 2017
Swiss citizen, born in 1968
Education
Andreas Diemant holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the Bern University of Applied Science and an Executive MBA from the Universities of Bern and Rochester.
Career experience
He began his career in insurance, working for Zürich Versicherungs-Gesellschaft and subsequently for La Suisse Assurances in Lausanne. He moved into banking in 1994 when he took a position at UBS in corporate banking for Switzerland's Mittelland region. He then rose through the ranks across all corporate segments to reach his position as Head of Institutional Clients, Switzerland & Global Asset Servicing. On 1 September 2017, he joined BCV’s Executive Board as head of the Corporate Banking Division.
Christian Meixenberger
Member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Business Support Division since 1 January 2017
Swiss citizen, born in 1960
Education
Electronic engineering degree, University of Neuchâtel, 1987. MBA, University of Lausanne, 1993
Career experience
Mr. Meixenberger began his career in 1987 at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) in Neuchatel as a software engineer. From 1993 to 1997, he worked for Credit Suisse in Geneva, where he was in charge of business processes and IT. In 1997, he became head of IT at Banque Cantonale de Fribourg. He was then appointed to that bank’s Executive Board as head of the Services Division in 2000. He joined BCV on 1 November 2016 and was appointed to the Executive Board as Head of the Business Support Division on 1 January 2017.
Bertrand Sager
CCO, member of the Executive Board with responsibility for the Credit Management Division since 15 February 2010
Swiss citizen, born in 1966
Education
Master of Law from Lausanne University in 1990. Advanced Management Certificate from INSEAD in Fontainebleau in 2007.
Career experience
Mr. Sager began his career at Credit Suisse in 1991, where he was involved in various lending activities. He joined BCV in 1998 and was appointed to lead BCV's Credit Recovery Department in 2003. In this position, he played a key role in strengthening the Bank's balance sheet by reducing the volume of impaired loans. In addition, as a member of the Executive Board's Credit Committee since 2008, he has acquired a thorough understanding of BCV's lending activities. Mr. Sager was named Chief Credit Officer and appointed to the Executive Board with responsibility for the Credit Management Division as of 15 February 2010.
Credit Committee
- Bertrand Sager (Chair)
- Pascal Kiener
- Andreas Diemant
- José François Sierdo
- Eric Longchamp
The Committee's main roles are to:
- Submit proposals concerning the Bank's lending policy, technical standards, and rules governing lending authority to the Executive Board for approval by the Board of Directors
- Make decisions on the granting of lending authority
- Make decisions regarding the granting and renewing of major lending facilities, within the limits of its powers
- Monitor the Bank's loan portfolio, particularly the sector breakdown
- Oversee credit-limit and overdraft management
Risk Management Committee
- Thomas W. Paulsen (Chair)
- Pascal Kiener
- Andreas Diemant
- Bertrand Sager
- Fabrice Welsch
- Maxime Mermier
The Committee's main roles are to:
- Submit risk management policy and strategy proposals to the Executive Board for approval by the Board of Directors
- Ensure risk management and control processes are implemented and updated for the entire Bank and for all risk categories
- Monitor the Bank's overall risk profile
- Steer all the Bank's risk management projects
Asset and Liabilities Management Committee (ALCO)
- Pascal Kiener (Chair)
- Thomas W. Paulsen
- Christian Steinmann
- Andreas Diemant
- José François Sierdo
- Christopher Cherdel
- Bruno Férolles
- Fernando Martins da Silva
The Committee's main roles are to:
- Examine the banking book’s exposure to interest-rate risk and forex risk, as well as the Bank's exposure to liquidity risk
- Manage interest-rate risk exposure on the balance sheet
- Manage the Bank's liquidity and funding
Information Technology Committee
- Christian Meixenberger (Chair)
- Pascal Kiener
- Thomas W. Paulsen
- José François Sierdo
- Martin Dion
- Serge Messin
- Denys Papeil
The Committee's main roles are to:
- Submit IT strategy proposals to the Executive Board for approval by the Board of Directors
- Submit proposals on the budgetary framework and the medium-term plan for high-priority projects
- Monitor the implementation of IT projects
- Stay informed about major IT incidents and corrective measures taken