2020 in review
January
Preliminary announcement of the annual result
VP Bank provides information about a significantly higher expected Group net income and an increase in client assets under management.
February
Strategy 2026
The Board of Directors of VP Bank approves the new corporate strategy, including the implementation measures and road map.
Awards for Excellence in Asia
VP Bank Ltd Singapore Branch is named “Best External Asset Manager Service Provider” in Asia. This award highlights the prominent position of the Bank and its targeted focus on the intermediary business. In addition, VP Bank in Singapore is also recognised as the “Best Private Banking Regional Partnership”.
March
2019 annual results
VP Bank Group reports a 34.4 per cent increase in profit for 2019 and achieves a Group net income of CHF 73.5 million. At CHF 2.3 billion, net new money inflow improved for the third year in a row. The tier 1 capital ratio was 20.2 per cent, and the cost/income ratio was reduced to 67.6 per cent.
Valuation adjustment
In the short term, the coronavirus crisis left a mark on the loan portfolio of VP Bank Group, requiring a larger valuation adjustment to one individual position of roughly CHF 20 million.
Corona crisis management
To manage the coronavirus crisis situation, VP Bank activates crisis mode at the beginning of March 2020.
April
Sustainable ESG fund concept
VP Bank repositions its own equity funds according to a risk-optimised approach based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.
Best score for Risk Indicator 1
In 2020, Dun & Bradstreet Worldwide again awards VP Bank Group its top rating of “Risk Indicator 1” for risk and creditworthiness.
Annual general meeting
At the 57th annual general meeting, which is held digitally for the first time, the shareholders of VP Bank approve all of the proposals of the Board of Directors by a large majority. Distribution of a dividend of CHF 5.50 per registered share A and CHF 0.55 per registered share B are approved. Dr Beat Graf and Michael Riesen are re-elected to the VP Bank Board of Directors for another three years. Prof. Dr Teodoro D. Cocca does not stand for re-election, and Katja Rosenplänter-Marxer is elected to the Board of Directors for a term of three years. Fredy Vogt steps down as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Dr Thomas R. Meier is elected as the new Chairman.
June
New investment magazine
VP Bank launches its new investment magazine Telescope, which offers new perspectives on investment topics and sheds light on the long-term investment horizon.
Changes in the Group Executive Management
In the course of the reorganisation of the Credit division, CFO Siegbert Näscher and General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer Monika Vicandi leave VP Bank Group.
July
New Head of Intermediaries & Private Banking
On 1 July 2020, Tobias Wehrli takes over as Head of Intermediaries & Private Banking and joins Group Executive Management at VP Bank. He succeeds Christoph Mauchle, who opts for early retirement by the end of September 2020.
Acquisition of Öhman Bank’s private banking business in Luxembourg
VP Bank strengthens its position in the Nordics market by acquiring the client business of Luxembourg-based private bank Öhman Bank S.A. from the Swedish Öhman Group as of 1 January 2021.
Standard & Poor’s rating
Standard & Poor’s confirms the “A” rating for VP Bank and adjusts its outlook to “Negative”.
August
2020 semi-annual results
With a Group net income of CHF 14.4 million, net new money inflow of approximately CHF 1 billion, an improved cost structure and an increase in operating income of 2.5 per cent to CHF 166.8 million, VP Bank Group proves its crisis resilience in the first six months of a year turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic.
September
New Client Solutions division
As part of Strategy 2026, the Board of Directors appoints Thomas von Hohenhau to begin serving as Head of the newly created Client Solutions division on 1 September 2020. In this role, Thomas von Hohenhau also joins Group Executive Management.
Sponsorship commitment
Through a sponsorship of the Swiss Ladies Open, VP Bank helps achieve a professional women’s golf comeback in Switzerland.
New management at VP Bank in Luxembourg
Claus Jørgensen takes over from Thomas Steiger after being appointed Chief Executive Officer of VP Bank (Luxembourg) SA.
Annual report receives awards
VP Bank Group’s print and online reports receive eight international prizes in 2019.
F.A.Z. economists’ ranking
VP Bank is ranked among the top 10 of Germany’s most influential economists in the media ranking of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s “Economist Ranking 2020”.
October
Best Paper Award
The VP Bank Best Paper Award 2020 for sustainable finance is presented at the “Sustainable Finance Workshop” of the University of Liechtenstein.
Investing for Change
Following the expansion of the product range to include risk-optimised ESG equity funds, VP Bank launches the “VP Bank Green City Basket”.
November
New Chief Risk Officer
The Board of Directors appoints Patrick Bont, the former Head of the Banking Division of the Financial Market Authority (FMA) Liechtenstein, to serve as Group Chief Risk Officer starting on 1 November 2020.
New client service tool
The roll-out of the new client advisory tool “RM Cockpit” at VP Bank (Switzerland) Ltd makes client advisory service even more efficient and appropriate to the needs of the clients. Group-wide placement into service will take place in the first quarter of 2021.
Excellent quality of advisory services
VP Bank receives a “Very good” rating for the quality of its advisory services in the Fuchsbriefe test regarding advisory quality of banks and asset managers, allowing the Bank to move up in the overall rankings to 10th place.
December
“Lichtblick”
As part of the VP Bank Foundation’s annual “Lichtblick” philanthropic event, numerous charitable organisations receive generous donations.
Website refresh
After an overhaul of both design and content, VP Bank’s new website presents the Bank in a modern, neatly arranged and well-structured manner, with user-friendliness that is state of the art.
IT strategy
VP Bank adopts it's IT strategy as an important milestone in the implementation of its Strategy 2026. The measures are aimed at further advancing the digital transformation towards becoming a wealth management service provider.