We are the Competence and Career Center for banks and financial institutions in French-speaking Switzerland.

Our vocation is to support the development of the skills of all finance specialists operating in French-speaking Switzerland.

Our raison d'être

Promote banking and financial training for the benefit of its members and the financial community.

The duty to train is specified in the LSFin (Art. 22): "Financial service providers shall ensure that their employees have the skills, knowledge and experience required by their activity".

Our mission

Our mission is twofold: firstly, to promote skills development in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, to support our institutional members in maintaining the skills, knowledge and experience of their specialists. And secondly, to support the career development of financial professionals throughout French-speaking Switzerland, helping them to maintain their employability.

Our customers

Our clients include institutional members, as well as individuals, public bodies and companies active in banking and finance.

Our values

Our corporate values play an essential role in shaping the culture of ISFB and guide our behavior.

Each value is illustrated by four concrete commitments on the part of our permanent and contract employees, aimed at making these values tangible through our actions. Since 2023, these values have been central to the concerns of our teams.

 

We call on the best experts in the Swiss-French financial center, offering them a training framework perfectly tailored to our customers' needs. The Program Department keeps a close eye on the specific needs of each profession, and constantly adapts the content of its training courses in line with legislative developments.

Within our teams, this is reflected in the following ways:

  • Staying professional and honest
  • Guaranteeing "state of the art" services
  • Ensure punctuality and agreed perimeter in all interventions
  • Constantly strive to adapt to customer needs

Our Institute is based on a well-defined structure and precise internal organization, where each member knows his or her roles and responsibilities, supported by a regularly audited quality reference system and state-of-the-art IT tools.

Within our teams, this is reflected in the following ways:

  • Respect the rules
  • Identify opportunities for continuous improvement
  • Assuming one's role and responsibilities in a collective setting
  • Maintain professional and respectful relationships

We offer a wide range of standardized services to meet the needs of the market, while always remaining flexible, especially when it comes to tailor-made services. We carefully adjust to the size, schedule and specific constraints of each of our members.

Within our teams, this is reflected in the following ways:

  • Plan for the long term, then act in the short term
  • Continuous action to find appropriate solutions
  • Prioritize teamwork over individual objectives
  • Operating within the formal framework of an SME

We cultivate close relationships with all our stakeholders. General Management maintains a constant dialogue with decision-makers at member facilities to ensure that our offering is continually adapted. What's more, our operational team maintains warm, professional contact with the people who benefit from our services, guaranteeing a high-quality customer experience.

Within our teams, this is reflected in the following ways:

  • Promoting a harmonious relationship over time
  • Interact with respect and integrity
  • Valuing, recognizing and respecting the expertise of our contacts
  • Respond to operational requests from our members within 48 hours

Our members

Gathered within our non-profit professional association, our members account for nearly 80% of salaried employment in the sector.

See all members

Governance

Founded in 1987 as a not-for-profit professional association, the ISFB now brings together over fifty banking and financial institutions throughout French-speaking Switzerland.

Institutional members
The Council
General Management
Program management and scientific committees
The speakers

Our 4 lines of defense

Back office

Our "Operations" and "Finance & Administration" departments are our first line of defense, notably by carrying out monthly reconciliation procedures. Our trustee also acts as a first-level control.

Quality

Our Quality Manager is responsible for the internal control of our operations, and organizes sporadic audits that are not announced to the teams on a regular basis.

External audits

Our operational and administrative processes are audited once a year by two separate bodies, SQS and SAQ.

Auditors

Our financial activities are audited annually by an external auditor, who reports directly to the Board.

Our areas of activity

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Technical and managerial training in all areas of banking and finance.

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Preparation for Swiss and international certification exams such as SAQ, CFA, CAIA.

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Career development in banking.

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Conferences, organization of expert circles, dissemination of skill-related news.

A brand that promotes employability

The recognition of our training courses by all our member banks is what sets us apart.

The vast majority of banking establishments committed to responsible employer branding policies opt for the ISFB to guarantee their employees a high level of employability, with diplomas recognized throughout French-speaking Switzerland.

We value face-to-face interaction, which is why many of our services are offered directly at our Institute or in our Members' offices.

Of course, we're also equipped with a professional broadcast studio for remote production of specific or on-demand sessions, but always in real time.

This live interaction between our participants and the experts in our network is a considerable asset, making a significant contribution to the development of career paths.

Five tips for making the right choice

As a Skills and Career Center, our approach is systematically global in all our interactions. We offer comprehensive support, covering both continuing professional development and skills assessment, as well as career development coaching, whether for progression or through more complex times. Our team of experts includes economists, lawyers, psychologists and IT specialists, all active in various roles within the banking sector. In this way, the ISFB has established itself not only as a central place for exchanges between working professionals, but also as a space to support retraining throughout the financial sector.

Our mission as a not-for-profit professional association is to meet the training and career development needs of our members and their employees. Since 1987, our Institute has been firmly integrated into the banking sector throughout French-speaking Switzerland. Deeply rooted in the region's economy and academic community, we maintain close connections with both our institutional members and key players in the field of skills development. Thanks to this permanent immersion, we fully understand the specific characteristics of our market.

Who are our members?

Our main strength, which we cultivate daily, is our ability to be pragmatic. We adhere to a flexible yet organized management approach, which enables us to meet the requirements of our institutional clients with efficiency. Our people are seasoned professionals, straight from the field, offering practical and directly applicable skills. In addition, we follow a three-year strategic plan that provides us with clear direction, while giving us the flexibility to constantly adjust our range of services in response to dynamic changes in our sector.

What sets us apart

What people say about us

"In my view, holding a certificate issued by the ISFB represents an important value for the employability of its holder."

Fanny Wenger, Head of Recruitment, Mirabaud Group

"The courses offered at ISFB enable us to maintain a strong link between theory and practice."

Julien Froidevaux, Head of Independent Asset Managers, Piguet Galland & Cie SA

"ISFB has real legitimacy with employers and employees."

Caroll Singarella, Director, Employment Measures Department (OCE)

"ISFB represents an extremely interesting local ecosystem in terms of skills and know-how".

Miguel Parra, HR Manager Crédit Agricole Next Bank

"The ISFB is very well integrated into the economic and academic fabric of French-speaking Switzerland, which means that we can provide top-quality, up-to-date training".

Brice Rattez, Head of Human Resources Société Générale (Suisse) SA

"The ISFB makes perfect sense in supporting banking specialists in their professional transition."

Edouard Cuendet, Director of the Geneva Financial Center Foundation

Our references and partners

Reference players

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The Swiss Bankers Association supports the ISFB offer.

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The Director of the Fondation Genève Place financière sits on the ISFB Board.

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The ISFB is authorized to produce and administer written and oral examinations to SAQ standards.

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OFPC: The ISFB is recognized as a public utility by the Canton of Geneva. The 14-day diplomas awarded by ISFB are co-signed by the State Councillor in charge of the Department of Public Education.

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OCE: The ISFB is the service provider for the Office Cantonal de l'Emploi (Cantonal Employment Office) in terms of employability support for jobseekers.

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ISFB is the professional association representing continuing education in the banking and finance sector in Geneva.

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ISFB is a member of the Swiss Federation for Continuing Education.

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ISFB is an ordinary member of Swiss Assessment.

Partners

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BDO is a Gold partner of the ISFB and is involved in several of our continuing education modules.

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ACAD is a partner of ISFB in risk management training for bank directors.

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ISFB and HEG-Geneva have signed a long-term partnership agreement for academic training in banking and finance.

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Our trade association is always on the lookout for the best partners. We look forward to hearing from you!

Participating in the ISFB ecosystem means..:

As an institutional member

  • Develop your employer brand by affirming your company's support for employee skills development;
  • Affirm its support for the development of skills in the French-speaking financial center;
  • Issue your specialists with certificates recognized by all our member banks;
  • Access to a vast network of expertise in technical and managerial skills across all banking professions;
  • Enable your experts to make a personal commitment to skills development with our association;
  • Contribute to the development of ISFB's offering by participating in our scientific committees;
  • Access to a preferential rate reserved for members and their employees;
  • Benefit from exclusive services reserved for member establishments.

Become a member

Are you a banking or financial institution based in Switzerland and would like to join our association? Join us and take part in developing the competitiveness and collective intelligence of the financial center.

Membership conditions

  • Swiss banks and financial institutions listed in the CR and registered with FINMA
  • Other Swiss financial institutions
Become a member

As a private individual

  • Maintain employability by aiming for a certificate that is valued and recognized by the job market;
  • Be part of a wide network of skills and local exchanges throughout French-speaking Switzerland;
  • Access a dynamic catalog of high-quality services specific to the banking and finance sector;
  • Access to exclusive benefits and advantages to encourage career development and help build a solid, long-term professional network.

Join the Hub

Are you a specialist working in the French-speaking part of Switzerland? The ISFB Hub offers a range of exclusive services and benefits to encourage career development and facilitate the building of a solid, long-term professional network.

ISFB Hub registration conditions

  • Individuals currently enrolled in an ISFB service, or who have attended an ISFB service in the past
Register for the ISFB Hub

As a partner

  • Affirm its support for the development of skills in the French-speaking financial center;
  • Develop greater visibility in the field of skills management among member institutions and individuals;
  • Participate in the implementation of ISFB's mission in the field, through publications, course design and participation in institutional conferences.

Become a partner

Are you a reputable organization operating within the banking and finance ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland? We'd be delighted to talk to you about a possible partnership.

Contact Management

Key figures

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References
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Subscribe to the monthly ISFB Insight newsletter and keep up to date with all the latest news from the banking skills and career development ecosystem!

We plan one mailing per month to keep you up to date with ISFB news. We also share with you certain events of interest to your career path: prize-giving celebrations, new programs, special offers, interviews, employment and industry news. Your e-mail address is only used to send you this type of information and is not shared with third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in each of our e-mails.