ISFB Insight Online
The latest news on skills development in the banking and financial ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland.
FEATURED
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.
Serving on a bank's board involves much more than just a title
As a lecturer at ISFB for the Certificate in Governance and Risk Management for Board Members, Hervé Broch points out that a bank’s board of directors does not create value through its operational involvement, but rather through the quality of its judgment, its questions, and its independence. In his view, governing a bank requires a certain mindset: understanding the bank’s mission, respecting the role of management, engaging in clear debate, and keeping the institution’s long-term sustainability in mind.
MUST-HAVES
CHECK IT OUT
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
MOST READ
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Back-office, management, and support functions are among the bank’s core functions
Although often less visible than other functions, back-office, administrative, and support roles are an essential component of production, as well as of the consistency, continuity, and quality of overall operations.
ISFB Observatory: Call for Papers
As part of its mission, the ISFB Observatory hereby invites contributions to the ISFB ecosystem. Under its editorial and scientific guidance, the aim is to enrich the perspectives brought to bear through specialized, analytical, and field-based contributions.
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.
Ignacio Ramirez: “It is now possible to solve very specific problems without any technical barriers.”
ISFB Insight {post_terms,type:category,parents:yes,separator: | ,link:yes} Entretien avec Ignacio Ramirez, chargé de cours dans le Certificat ISFB Future of Finance {post_date} Comprendre les transformations technologiques de la finance suppose aujourd’hui d’aller au-delà des discours généraux sur l’intelligence artificielle pour en saisir les usages concrets. Dans le cadre du Certificat ISFB Future of Finance qui débute dans quelques semaines, Ignacio Ramirez revient sur les outils les plus récents, leurs applications dans le secteur financier et les nouvelles possibilités qu’ils ouvrent, y compris pour des profils non techniques. Ignacio Ramirez, vous intervenez en tant que Chargé de ...
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.
Blockchain, fintech, and crypto-assets: developing new skills to understand the ongoing transformations
Given the rapid evolution of financial technologies, mastering the fundamentals of blockchain, fintech, and crypto-assets is becoming a key priority for professionals in the banking sector. These fields, often perceived as technical, actually reflect broader transformations in business models, infrastructure, and usage patterns.
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.
Skills for career development in banking and finance
The banking and financial sector in French-speaking Switzerland, particularly in Geneva, is a key pillar of the regional economy. According to the 2025 Banking Barometer published by the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA), the banking workforce has continued to grow. For 2025, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) forecasts a slight recovery in economic growth to 1.3%, driven by solid domestic demand and the recent decline in the Swiss franc—but given the current situation, these forecasts are highly uncertain.
