ISFB Insight Online
The latest news on skills development in the banking and financial ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland.
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Professional Bachelor's and Professional Master's Degrees: New Recognition for Banking Degrees
Effective October 1, 2026, holders of a federal certificate, a federal diploma, or a higher education diploma will be able to supplement their credentials with the new designations “Professional Bachelor” or “Professional Master.” The reform also applies to degrees earned prior to that date, including several banking qualifications for which the ISFB has historically provided training in French-speaking Switzerland.
Jean-Christophe Pernollet: “A bank director must understand, ask questions, and make decisions”
As a lecturer at ISFB for the Certificate in Governance and Risk Management for Board Members, Jean-Christophe Pernollet highlights the unique nature of a bank’s board of directors: making decisions without taking over the executive’s role, overseeing without managing, and understanding risks well enough to fully assume its responsibility. This requirement calls for a clear mindset: curiosity, critical thinking, and continuous learning.
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ISFB Insight Print: The magazine for skills development in the banking and financial ecosystem of French-speaking Switzerland
The quarterly print publication features analyses, interviews, and opinion pieces on trends in the banking and finance industries.
The quarterly publication is distributed free of charge to ISFB member institutions, which may make it available to their staff, clients, or partners—particularly in their reception areas, lounges, waiting rooms, or reception areas.
Individuals can also receive the magazine as part of their ISFB Hub membership.
Since January 2023, ISFB Insight Online has primarily been an online publication. Articles, interviews, opinion pieces, newsletters, and social media posts keep pace with current events, industry trends, and ideas circulating in the French-speaking Swiss financial community. It’s all about immediacy: delivering information quickly, picking up on signals, sparking reactions, and gauging what captures attention. ISFB Insight Print operates on a different timeline. Print curates, compiles, and slows things down. It gives certain texts greater longevity, more space to certain voices, and greater weight to reflections that deserve to be preserved, reread, and shared. Digital media drives the momentum; print preserves the record. Between these two formats, different timeframes intersect. Some content remains available exclusively online to maintain its direct link to current events and extend the reading experience. Other articles, written by members for members, find their place solely in the print edition. ISFB Insight thus bridges the gap between the rapid circulation of ideas and the more enduring preservation of contributions.
Mathias Baitan, General Manager
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EDITOR'S CHOICE
Develop Skills Before It's Too Late
Given the simultaneous evolution of professions, tasks, and qualifications, understanding skills needs can no longer rely solely on the perspective of each individual institution. The ISFB Observatory thus builds on the founding vision of 1987: to pool perspectives and expertise in order to take action before it is too late.
From Adoption to Embrace of Generative AI in the Workplace: A Dialogue Between Educational Sciences and Psychology
Generative AI has made its way into the workplace before organizations have had time to establish guidelines for its use. In this article, Joseph Baud-Grasset and Stéphane Bonzon share their perspectives to distinguish between adoption and appropriation, and to emphasize that the professional use of AI requires discernment, collective learning, and responsibility.
C-LEVEL INTERVIEWS
“You Can’t Build a Career on Your Own”: An Interview with Pierre-Alain Leuenberger, CEO of Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise
In this interview, Pierre-Alain Leuenberger, CEO of Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise, looks back on his career, from his banking apprenticeship to his current position on the Executive Board. He discusses continuing education, trust, managerial courage, customer relations, artificial intelligence, and succession planning.
At the heart of the Crédit Agricole Group: Fabrice Bouffet’s journey to the Executive Management of CA next bank in Switzerland
In this new interview from the C-Levels series published on ISFB Insight, Fabrice Bouffet, CEO of CA next bank, reflects on his career path as a leader, which has been shaped by hands-on experience, a variety of roles, mobility, and taking on leadership responsibilities in a different banking environment.
Technical expertise and the power of relationships: an interview with Xavier Bonna, Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group
Tools evolve, practices change, but the requirements remain the same. In this interview for ISFB Insight, Xavier Bonna, Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group, shares his vision of a profession where technical expertise, analytical skills, and the quality of client relationships remain at the heart of value creation.
Energy, passion, and adaptability: the three pillars of leadership for Nicolas Syz, CEO of SYZ Bank
There is a striking sincerity in the way Nicolas Syz talks about his journey. No heroic tale, but a path marked by travel, encounters, trials, and intuition. A story that reveals what drives him: energy as a way of being, emotion as a driving force, and adaptability as a reflex.
INTERVIEWS WITH HUMAN RESOURCES
The HR Directors' Circle of Member Banks Met at UBS
The ISFB hosted a morning session at UBS’s Acacias office for the HR Directors’ Circle of its member banks, focusing on skills, talent, and the initial findings of the ISFB Observatory.
Leadership and skills development: the keys to success according to Cynthia O’Gorman Schem
In this interview, Cynthia O’Gorman Schem, Global Head of Human Resources at Pictet, discusses the importance of skills development, leadership, and continuing education within the bank.
Training tomorrow's talent today: Arab Bank Switzerland joins the ISFB - Interview with Amelie Bourdinaud
In this interview, Amelie Bourdinaud explains how Arab Bank’s membership in the ISFB supports skills development, fosters innovation, and helps make the bank a leading employer in the Swiss banking sector.
Telomere Capital joins ISFB: interview with Petra Kordosova
Telomere Capital recently joined the ISFB as an institutional member. On this occasion, Petra Kordosova, Head of Human Resources, discusses the reasons behind the decision to join, the challenges associated with continuing education in the financial sector, and the collaboration established with the Institute.
Emotional regulation: a key professional skill for staying clear-headed in complex situations
In today's fast-paced world, knowing how to regulate your emotions is becoming a key skill. Far from being a matter of personal development, this ability is part of true professional intelligence: the ability to stay the course in complex situations, to make the right decisions and to remain solid in the face of uncertainty - just as the most seasoned executives of our time know how to do.
Banking professions put to the test of digital skills
Digitalization has transformed the banking landscape, accelerating automation and redefining job roles. While Switzerland is facing a growing shortage of IT professionals, the real challenge for banks goes beyond simply recruiting IT experts.
What the career paths of Swiss bank executives tell us about skills and talent development
Since the early days of digital transformation in the 1990s, banks have continually reinvented themselves to adapt to changes in their environment. The digital revolution alone has profoundly transformed the way banks operate and interact with their customers.
Generative AI: What Research Already Says About the Work
Generative AI promises to save time. But what impact does it actually have on work, motivation, autonomy, and professional judgment? In a publication by the ISFB Observatory of Banking and Financial Skills, Stéphane Bonzon, a psychologist at ISFB, analyzes what early research has already revealed.
Ignacio Ramirez: “It is now possible to solve very specific problems without any technical barriers.”
ISFB Insight
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Interview with Ignacio Ramirez, lecturer at …
In the age of AI, the financial sector needs well-trained specialists more than ever
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the finance industry. But it does not make technical expertise any less important, nor does it relegate people to a secondary role. On the contrary: the more widespread access to information becomes, the more value shifts toward those who can combine a mastery of the fundamentals with sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to learn continuously.
How to Support Banking Professionals During Career Transitions
The ISFB Trajectoires et Transitions program supports professionals in the banking and finance sector in their career transition. Designed to provide a stimulating and supportive environment, the program helps you to better understand the market, explore your personal resources and rediscover the meaning of your career path.
Continuing education: a practical way to boost employability
In a rapidly changing world of work, continuing education is no longer just a perk. It has become a key driver of employability. Of course, continuing education helps keep one’s knowledge up to date. But its role goes beyond that. Continuing education helps secure career paths, supports career development, and strengthens the ability to adapt to changes in the labor market. In other words, it’s not just about learning more. It helps you stay relevant in your profession over the long term.
Between algorithms and human expertise: the future of banking recruitment in Switzerland
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the Swiss banking sector—and recruitment is no exception. While algorithms optimize the analysis of applications, human judgment, professional expertise, and ethics remain at the heart of decision-making.
