ISFB Observatory of banking and financial skills
Anticipating business needs. Develop skills. Inform decisions.
The Banking and Financial Skills Observatory is a unit within the ISFB, created to anticipate changes in the profession, support skills development, and inform strategic decisions in the banking sector in French-speaking Switzerland. It is aimed at banks, independent asset managers, and financial players who want to understand and master the transformations taking place in the workplace.
The rapid evolution and complexity of the banking and financial sectors require a deep understanding of these changes and the implementation of relevant and innovative training strategies. As a founding member of the ISFB Observatory, we reaffirm our commitment to preparing the talent of tomorrow and strengthening the competitiveness of private banking and Geneva’s financial center in the context of digital and sustainable transformation.
Xavier Bonna, Managing Partner Lombard Odier
The creation of the ISFB Observatory marks a decisive step toward anticipating changes in the banking sector. By investing in understanding the skills of tomorrow, we are strengthening our collective ability to remain competitive and relevant.
Nicolas Krügel, CEO BCGE, Vice-Chairman ISFB
In a context marked by rapid technological change and increasing regulatory requirements, it is essential to reexamine banking professions in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This collaborative initiative, unique in Switzerland, reflects our commitment to supporting employability, promoting excellence in skills within the financial sector, supporting the transformation of these professions, and strengthening the competitiveness and attractiveness of the Swiss financial center, while contributing to its sustainable development and international influence.
Cynthia O'Gorman Schem, Global Head of Human Resources Pictet Group
At Mirabaud, we firmly believe that people make the difference in our business and that agility will be key to navigating the ongoing technological transformations. The Observatory will provide the entire financial sector—employers and employees alike—with valuable insights to anticipate these changes, combining academic rigor with concrete action.
Camille Vial, CEO of Mirabaud & Cie SA and Managing Partner of the Mirabaud Group
The Banking and Financial Skills Observatory serves as a strategic compass that will enable us to anticipate changes in the sector, bring together expertise, and make people the cornerstone of banking and financial transformation.
Isabelle Jacob Nebout, Head of Wealth Management, Indosuez Wealth Management in Switzerland
The ISFB Observatory embodies our collective commitment to anticipating changes in the industry and providing long-term support for the development of skills that benefit the financial sector in French-speaking Switzerland.
Christian Skaanild, Bordier Partner, ISFB Chairman
Understanding how professions are evolving means understanding how to develop skills and, consequently, the collective competitiveness of our financial center and the employability of workers in the sector.
Dr Mathias Baitan, General Manager ISFB
Source: Erwan Bellard, D., & Nathalie Delobbe, P. (2026). Transformation and Future Skills in the Swiss Banking Sector: I – A Qualitative Restructuring of the Labor Market. ISFB Observatory on Banking and Financial Skills.
Different Perspectives
Academic Perspective
Field perspective
The ISFB Observatory follows an approach inspired byEvidence-Based Practice: combining scientific knowledge, field data, professional expertise, and the needs of financial market stakeholders. This approach aims to provide useful benchmarks for HR decisions, training policies, and skills development in the banking and finance sectors in French-speaking Switzerland.
Mathias Baitan, General Manager ISFB
LATEST NEWS
INSIGHTS
The Observatory's Publications
Indicators
Mission
The Observatory aims to become the benchmark tool for anticipating and developing banking and financial skills in French-speaking Switzerland. It complements existing economic studies by providing a specific perspective: that of skills and their strategic role in the evolution of professions.
Our four objectives
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Anticipating changes in the workforce and the skills required in the banking and finance sector in French-speaking Switzerland.
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Inform HR and training policies with reliable data.
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To bring together business leaders, experts, and academic partners in a dedicated forum for exchanging ideas on skills development in the banking and finance sector in French-speaking Switzerland.
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Share the findings through recommendations, training sessions, events, and conferences.
What we do
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Regular surveys of employees in the banking and finance sector in French-speaking Switzerland.
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Creation of normative skills benchmarks for the sector.
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Collaboration with university institutes accredited to scientific and ethical standards in documentary research.
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Forward-looking research on skills development for the sector in French-speaking Switzerland.
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Translation of results into operational recommendations for institutional members and integration into the ISFB training offer.
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Dissemination through popular publications, conferences and themed events.
what we don't do
- The ISFB Observatory does not engage in political or activist discourse regarding the future of the bank.
- Nor does he seek to predict the future of the sector as a whole, or to say what the bank should become.
Governance and partners
Funding
The activities of the ISFB Observatory are funded by the major banking employers in the canton of Geneva, namely:
- Banque Cantonale de Genève
- Bordier
- Indosuez Wealth Management
- EFG Bank
- Lombard Odier
- Mirabaud
- Pictet
- UBP – Union Bancaire Privée
Chair of the Committee
Dr. Mathias Baitan, Executive Director of ISFB, oversees the Observatory’s strategic and operational management, sets research priorities with the support of the advisory committee, and leads communication and outreach efforts.
Advisory Committee
One representative per contributing institution represents the founding members. The committee advises on research topics, facilitates access to the field and participates in the valorization of work.
The committee consists of
- Christelle Zagato (ISFB),
- Stéphane Bonzon (ISFB),
- Gaëlle Tanniou (BCGE),
- Gianluca Tarolli (Bordier),
- Aurélien Triouillier (Indosuez Board of Directors),
- Philippe Bruyère (EFG Bank),
- Lucas Dénarié (Lombard Odier),
- Filip Kleczkowski (Mirabaud),
- Stéphanie Bachofner (Pictet),
- Isabel Gayo (UBP),
- Prof. Dr. Nathalie Delobbe (University of Geneva),
- Dr. Erwan Bellard (UNIGE),
- Prof. Dr. Eric Davoine (University of Fribourg).
Partners
- Accredited partner institutes (Swissuniversities/LEHE) mandated to conduct studies or documentary research in accordance with scientific and ethical standards, and to publish the results where appropriate.
- Non-profit foundations, professional associations or private structures to support media production.
OUR METHOD
The ISFB Observatory is based on an Evidence-Based Practice: combining scientific knowledge, field data, professional expertise, and the needs expressed by stakeholders in the sector.
This approach avoids basing training decisions on impressions, passing trends, or overly broad predictions. Instead, it aims to provide a useful, well-researched, and immediately actionable analysis of trends in the banking and finance sectors in French-speaking Switzerland.
The approach is based on four sources:
- Scientific Research
The Observatory draws on available academic research on changes in the workplace, skills, financial professions, digitalization, AI, regulation, adult learning, and organizations. This research is analyzed with the support of academic partners. - Field data
Regular surveys are conducted among employees, member institutions, and industry professionals to assess perceptions, needs, skills gaps, and trends in banking roles.
’s industry expertise HR departments, industry specialists, training managers, academic experts, and financial market professionals all contribute to validating the results, discussing them, and testing them against the realities of financial institutions.
’s operational translation The findings are transformed into guidelines, recommendations, publications, events, and training programs. The goal is not merely to observe, but to help banks, independent asset managers, and professionals make better decisions regarding skills, employability, and competitiveness.
