Finance Careers: What Will 2035 Look Like?

September 4, 2026

Article by Salima Barragan

What the ISFB’s Future-Focused Day Reveals. Part One of a three-part series.

Reflecting to better anticipate the future: that is the very essence of the word “prospective,” derived from the Latin *prospicere*. The ISFB Observatory chose to apply this exercise to the year 2035 during this first day dedicated to the future of careers in banking and finance.

For the occasion, nineteen experts with deliberately diverse backgrounds—including figures from the financial sector in French-speaking Switzerland—exchanged their perspectives. Economists, technology specialists, human resources and customer relations professionals, psychologists, and members of the academic community put forward initial ideas for discussion—ideas that were sometimes divergent but always passionate.

While it is difficult to prepare for the unpredictable, these experts will attempt, in the next stages of this project, to answer a question that is already on the minds of both young and older workers alike: In a world of work transformed by technological and regulatory changes, what skills will be necessary to chart one’s course in 2035?

The 4 Factors Transforming the Banking Industry

Using a methodology based on three scenarios, weighted according to their probability, these multidisciplinary experts divided into sessions, each devoted to one of the four key drivers of change identified by the ISFB Observatory on Banking and Financial Skills.

First, technology, in the age of digitalization and artificial intelligence. Second, regulation, driven by the constant evolution of financial regulations in Switzerland. Third, customer behavior, in an increasingly competitive market marked by the arrival of new entrants and competition from foreign financial centers, as well as by demographic shifts and generational changes. Finally, ESG trends, which have emerged in recent years and are now firmly established in the financial landscape.

This methodology, known as “foresight” in consulting firms, provides a structured framework for anticipating an uncertain future. “This first day is just the starting point of a unique process of collective intelligence, dedicated to envisioning the future,” says Dr. Mathias Baitan, executive director of the ISFB.

The second part of this series will present the development of three prospective scenarios, intended not to predict the future but to spark conversation and action on adapting skills to the world of tomorrow. The third part will focus on the regular incorporation of faint signals that could help dynamically shape these possible futures.

© Institut Supérieur de Formation Bancaire (ISFB). All rights reserved.
The analyses and content published by the ISFB may be quoted or reproduced in part, provided that the source is clearly mentioned. Any full or substantial reproduction of this article in another medium or format is subject to the prior written authorization of the ISFB. In order to facilitate reading and without any intention of discrimination, the masculine gender is generally used, in accordance with the grammatical rule that allows it to be used as a neutral value to refer to a group of people comprising both men and women. This publication is intended for ISFB members and their employees in Switzerland, as well as anyone interested in finance in Switzerland. It is not intended to be read or distributed in any jurisdiction where its distribution would be prohibited.

ISFB Observatory of banking and financial skills

Future Outlook Day on September 1, 2026.

Pictured: Fabien Giuliani, Lecturer at ISFB. Photo credit: Marie Gala de Tena

This first day is just the starting point of an unprecedented process of collective intelligence, dedicated to envisioning the future.

Mathias Baitan, Executive Director of ISFB