ISFB Insight
Banking Fundamentals: A Professional Requirement
July 9, 2026
In the banking sector, the fundamentals remain crucial. Julien Froidevaux, Director of the ISFB Private Banking Certificate and the ISFB Assistant Portfolio Manager Certificate, explains who these programs are designed for and why they provide useful guidance that extends far beyond client-facing roles.
Julien Froidevaux, you oversee the ISFB Private Banking Certificate program and the ISFB Assistant Manager Certificate program. What needs do these two programs address in today’s banking industry?
These two certificates address a very simple need: to give participants a clear understanding of how banking works, banking products, regulatory constraints, and customer relations. These are foundational-level training programs, but “foundational” should not be confused with “elementary.” In banking, the basics are demanding. They must be solid, well understood, and directly linked to real-world practice. That is the whole point of these programs: to maintain a strong connection between theory and practice, with instructors who know the business and participants who bring their own questions from the field.
First and foremost, these certificates provide a solid foundation. Who are they intended for: young people with a vocational or high school diploma who have no banking experience, employees coming from other fields, cross-functional roles, or external consultants?
These programs are very well suited to these audiences. Someone who joins a bank with a vocational or high school diploma but no initial banking training needs a foundation to understand what they encounter on a daily basis. The same is true for employees coming from other sectors—such as HR, IT, operations, legal, audit, or compliance—as well as for external consultants called upon to work with banks. The certificate provides them with the language, reference points, and basic mechanisms. It prevents them from merely skimming the surface of the profession or getting bogged down in jargon.
For someone who already works at a bank but lacks formal banking training, what benefits does understanding the inner workings of a private bank or a retail bank offer?
First and foremost, it provides meaning. Many employees contribute to the smooth operation of a bank without always seeing how their work relates to customer relations, risk, products, financing, or investments. Understanding banking mechanisms helps employees communicate more effectively with other departments, ask the right questions, and better understand their own contribution. In a bank, people rarely work alone. The stronger the common language, the more effective the cooperation.
Some departments do not deal directly with customers but work with the various banking functions: HR, IT, operations, risk management, legal, audit, and consulting. Why is it important for them to understand the terminology, logic, and constraints of the banking industry?
Because you can’t properly serve a bank if you don’t understand what its business is all about. An IT, HR, or legal specialist—or an external consultant—may be excellent in their field, but they must also grasp the principles specific to banking: customer relationships, confidentiality, risk, regulations, market timelines, documentation, and compliance. This understanding transforms the quality of interactions. It makes projects run more smoothly, ensures decisions are better aligned with operational realities, and makes recommendations more useful to the business units.
The ISFB Management Assistant Certificate delves deeper into the specifics of the role: transactional management, organization, time management, client relations, and professional conduct. What sets a good management assistant apart in a private banking team today?
The Management Assistant Certificate builds on the same foundation as the Private Banking Certificate, with an initial common section, and then adds modules specific to the role. This is important because the role of management assistant is not merely administrative. It involves coordination, oversight, and client relations. A good assistant understands the products, monitors transactions, is familiar with regulatory requirements, manages the Relationship Manager’s priorities, and maintains high-quality client relationships. Technical skills matter, but time management, communication, the ability to prevent conflicts, and a professional demeanor often make the difference in day-to-day work.
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