The social engagement of VP Bank

At home in Liechtenstein as well as selectively at all of its global locations, VP Bank upholds its responsibility towards society through charitable donations. These contributions are directly related to the local marketing strategy, client acqui­sition and servicing efforts, as well as brand management. Since 2014, VP Bank has focused on the annually alternating donation categories of recreational sports and broad-impact cultural projects. In addition, employees of VP Bank Group who are active in a public organisation receive a patronage allowance. For a number of years now, a wide array of projects and initiatives has benefited from this commitment.

At VP Bank Group, sponsoring is used as a supportive marketing and communication measure that plays an important role by enhancing the name recognition and image of the company. The sponsoring projects must be linked to the strategic goals of VP Bank Group in some way. VP Bank Group concentrates on sponsoring commitments to the areas of sports (golf, tennis, mountaineering), culture (artworks and design, culin­ary art) and entrepreneurship, each of which is unique in its own way. The Bank lends a hand to its commercial partners (persons, groups, organisers of special events, etc.) by donating money and/or services.

The VP Bank Art Foundation was established in 1996 and collects works of contemporary artists. Its purpose is to foster art appreciation in a targeted manner within and outside VP Bank as well as to promote visual arts by means of acquisitions and art-related publications. The purchased works are displayed in the rooms of VP Bank as well as at art exhibitions. They are also loaned to third parties for showings at other venues.

Hans Brunhart is Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Other board members are Fredy Vogt, Chairman of the Board of VP Bank Group, and Dr Uwe Wieczorek, curator of the Hilti Art Foundation. Eva Frommelt is curator of the VP Bank Art Foundation itself.

In its acquisition activities, the VP Bank Art Foundation has become increasingly focused on artists who have not yet gained full recognition in the art market. No purchases were made in 2015. The VP Bank Art Foundation receives an annual financial contribution from VP Bank.

The VP Bank Foundation was initiated in 2006 and established in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of VP Bank. In keeping with its Articles of Association, the Foundation supports projects, individuals and institutions that have gained an outstanding profile in the areas of ecology, art, education, science or culture. Charitable activities in the interest of the broad public are also supported. Moreover, this patronage is intended to be connected in some way with Liechtenstein as well as the corporate values of VP Bank. Donations can also be made for welfare and social purposes. 

The Board of Trustees comprises Hans Brunhart and Fredy Vogt. During the year under review, the VP Bank Foundation distributed around CHF 300,000 to worthy causes. 

Through a recent contribution, in 2015 the VP Bank Foun­dation has supported a project for facilitating access to data on sustainability investments, which are being made avail­able to specific participants in the continuing education programme of the CEPS Centre for Philanthropy Studies as well as students at the University of Basel. A further commitment to education was the long-standing annual contri­bution to the Seminarhaus Gutenberg Education and seminar centre in Liechtenstein.

In connection with the Foundation’s support of scientific research at the University of Liechtenstein, the Board of Trustees joined the government in approving a grant for the research project entitled “Characteristics and sources of productivity growth in Liechtenstein”: this in the belief that economic analyses bring to light long-term trends and represent core elements of the Principality’s political strategies.

In the area of ecology, the Foundation lent support yet again in 2015 to the “pro natura – pro ski” foundation, which was initiated by VP Bank more than a decade ago. In close colla­b­oration with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, the Foundation’s activities make a recognised contribution towards the ecologically conscious development of winter sport resorts in a way that balances the interests of all stakeholders. 

In 2015, the Foundation’s widely noted activities precipitated in the form of a jointly conducted symposium entitled “BERG-UM-WELT” in Zell am See (Austria), where numerous scientists and practitioners from the Alpine nations were in attendance (https://bergumwelt.boku.ac.at).

Ever since its establishment, the VP Bank Foundation has attached the utmost importance to continuity in its support of the environment, education and science, and will also pursue this policy in the years to come. 

In accordance with an active Foundation policy and the concentrated deployment of resources, the Board decided in 2015 to initiate and implement a key project: two years of targeted funding for “Literaturhaus Liechtenstein” and “Der literarische Monat” literary magazine. This support is designed to help promote literature in Liechtenstein and provide a platform for Liechtenstein authors. 

As to the Foundation’s cultural patronage, contributions to exhibitions by the Liechtenstein National Museum and the “Werdenberger Namenbuch” are just two examples.

In connection with the annual “Lichtblick” campaign, in November 2015, 33 social institutions in Liechtenstein received grants from the Foundation: it disbursed a total of almost CHF 72,000 to this initiative and other projects of social institutions and associations in Liechtenstein and the surrounding region. 

With the objective of providing greater support to young people, the Foundation sponsors various projects in the area of youth theatre and music as well as offers for preschool children.

The decision was taken to fund a multi-year sponsorship of the Liechtenstein Academic Society’s publishing activities. These scientific papers on themes of relevance to the Principality are frequently associated with forums and research projects of the Liechtenstein Institute and represent a source of knowledge for political and social purposes.

Again this past year, a portion of the Foundation’s capital was invested in the EMF Microfinance Fund AGmvK as well as in VP Bank Balanced (CHF) Strategy Fund class C units. Via returns from the latter commitment, the relief organisation “SolidarMed” received financial aid. Owing to the recognised accomplishments of this organisation, the purpose-related funding agreement was renewed.

The VP Bank Foundation is a member of the Association of Liechtenstein Non-profit Foundations e.V. and the SwissFoundations association of charitable institutions. The Board of Trustees is involved in the management and development of the Liechtenstein association and benefits from the valuable exchange of ideas and experiences in both organisations.

VP Bank Group demonstrates its responsibility as an employer by providing modern, pleasant working conditions. Motiv­ation and good health have just as much influence on the work environment as the personal performance of each and every employee, and these factors also influence the success of the entire company. Through attractive career opportunities and a wide array of continuing education possibilities, VP Bank desires to attract and retain the best talents.

Motivated, well-educated employees exude the kind of competence, service orientation and candidness that clients appreciate. One of the prerequisites for this is a working environment in which all of the employees feel comfortable and are simultaneously encouraged to accomplish their very best. VP Bank offers them not only leeway to develop and realise their own ideas, but also staff training and further education.

Special emphasis is placed on the training of young people: VP Bank wants to ease their entry into business life and offer them attractive prospects for the future. The demands on young professionals are increasing constantly. For this reason, VP Bank continuously adapts its training approaches in order to enable it to develop the next up-and-coming generations of talented individuals in a flexible and practice-oriented manner. Apart from the classical bank apprenticeship and computer scientist apprenticeship, VP Bank also makes it possible for students to have a part-time job at the Bank during their years of studies, or otherwise be granted an entry-level job once they have earned their master’s degree.

VP Bank is seeking certification from the Swiss Bankers Association in order to enhance the quality and standing of vocational training. In this connection, the training concept was already adapted in 2014 and now has an increased focus on practical networking. In doing so, VP Bank has evidenced its responsibility as a training organisation.

On 12 November 2015, the National Future Day was held in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. A large number of com­panies took that opportunity to open their doors to pupils from years five to seven and allow them to discover the world of business first hand. National Future Day therefore broadens the career horizon and future perspectives of young girls and boys and helps them to map out their own futures un­constrained by strict gender roles. 

VP Bank in Vaduz participated in the National Future Day for the third time. 17 young people aged between 10 and 13 took advantage of the opportunity to spend a day with a “mentor” and gain a sense of what professional life is all about. They received lots of information about VP Bank, familiarised themselves with the processes of the respective departments and showed great interest in the various types of job that actually exist at a bank.

Ever since 1974, the VP Bank Sports Club has been organis­ing numerous activities in Liechtenstein that are either free or available at sharply reduced prices. The VP Bank in-house intranet provides a vast array of information on themes such as “Fit at work”, “Health promotion through movement” and “Healthy nutrition”. Additional features include stress-checks as well as tips on accident prevention and ergonomics in a desktop world. Employees are granted discounts on massages, fitness centres, kinesiological treatments and glasses for use at work. In addition, VP Bank in Liechtenstein offers the use of the “well.system”, which enables individualised management of an individual’s personal health-related behaviour and offers personal care through a trained coach. 

In autumn 2015, VP Bank implemented a very successful initiative to promote a healthy workplace. The concept of the “move – every step counts” in-house challenge was to walk around the VP Bank world symbolically, and the person who recorded the most steps was declared the winner. Each par­ticipant received a free step counter. 

VP Bank is committed to the diversity of its governance, which ensures that decision-makers are put in a position to assess matters constructively and be more open to innovative ideas. 

The criteria for hiring managers are based strictly on qualifications regardless of age, gender or nationality. VP Bank Group does not yet have a specific diversity policy but is currently in the process of establishing one.