Internal control and risk management: ISFB and Swiss Risk Association combine their expertise

September 29, 2025

ISFB and the Swiss Risk Association (SRA) are joining forces to strengthen risk management skills in the French-speaking financial center. Through the launch of the ISFB Certificate in Internal Control and Risk Management, this strategic partnership aims to combine banking expertise with specialized risk knowledge, offering professionals training programs that combine excellence, practical experience and sector outreach.

Mr. Colombara, you are the head of the French-speaking Switzerland Chapter of the Swiss Risk Association (SRA), a non-profit organization and open forum dedicated to risk management. Can you tell us more about your association?

The Swiss Risk Association (SRA) is a non-profit organization and open forum dedicated to promoting knowledge, dialogue and innovation in the field of risk management in Switzerland. Founded in 2013, it provides a neutral and independent platform for professionals from financial institutions and other players such as banks, insurance companies, independent asset managers, trading companies and academia to exchange best practices and explore emerging trends.

Today, the SRA has around 1,800 individual members, over 50 institutional members and some 30 sponsors.

To strengthen dialogue between peers, the association has created the "CRO Circle", a community dedicated to communication and exchange between the CROs of different financial institutions.

The association is structured into 11 chapters, each dedicated to a specific type of risk, and organizes around 40 high-quality events each year, mainly in Zurich and the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

Since its creation in 2022, the Romandie Chapter has built up a dynamic community through regular events and the recruitment of new institutional members in German-speaking Switzerland and Romandie.

A not-for-profit organization, the SRA relies on the active commitment of its members, sponsors, Presidium and Board of Directors. It encourages interdisciplinary dialogue, supports the professional development of risk managers and contributes to strengthening the risk culture and resilience of organizations.

By connecting professionals and promoting the sharing of knowledge, the SRA is helping to build a Swiss economy that is safer, more transparent and better prepared for future challenges.

Mr Baitan, you are the Managing Director of ISFB. ISFB is launching the first session of the ISFB Internal Control and Risk Management Certificate. Can you tell us more about the recently signed partnership with the SRA?

You're welcome. I'd like to say a few words about who we are for the readers of SRA. The ISFB is a not-for-profit professional association whose mission is to support the skills development of financial institutions and their experts in French-speaking Switzerland. Since 1987, we have been supporting the sector's competitiveness and the employability of its employees. We currently have 55 members, representing the majority of banking and finance players in French-speaking Switzerland.

Since 2023, we have made partnerships a key strategic focus for ISFB. This dynamic began with the HEG, then continued with players such as BDO, ACAD, Pulsions and most recently SPHERE, which has become our media partner. The idea is still the same: to join forces with the best players in each field in French-speaking Switzerland, in order to offer our members skills development programs that combine excellence, practical roots and sectoral influence.

When it came to risk management, it seemed natural to turn to the Swiss Risk Association. It was a natural fit when we launched the ISFB Certificate in Internal Control and Risk Management, as well as the Certificate in Governance and Risk Management for Directors, also developed with ACAD's support.

We firmly believe that we can go further together. The SRA brings together the best experts in risk management, and the ISFB brings together the best specialists in banking. These two worlds come together in our certificates, with some speakers even being members of both associations. It is this synergy which, in our view, gives this partnership its full value and makes it a lever for development for the French-speaking financial centre.

Mathias Baitan

General Manager (ISFB)

Jean-Pierre Colombara

Manager of the Suisse romande Chapter (SRA)

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