Credit Suisse (UK) Limited appoints new CEO
Credit Suisse appointed Christian Berchem as Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse (UK) Limited, the UK Private Banking business, effective June 7, 2017, subject to regulatory approval. Christian will be responsible for ensuring that the platform continues to drive growth, building on its scale as a key hub for Private Banking within the International Wealth Management division. He will report to Claudio de Sanctis, Head of IWM Europe. Philip Harris, who has successfully led the business over the past three years, will remain CEO until Christian takes over, ensuring a seamless handover. He will then take on the role of Senior Client Advisor within the UK Private Bank.
Christian joins from Barclays, where he spent the last five years at Barclays Wealth in the UK, most recently as Head of the Private Bank for London, helping drive the Key Client and Ultra High Net Worth businesses. He previously spent nine years at JPMorgan, where he held senior roles including Head of European Cash Equity Sales. Christian also worked at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and KPMG.
Throughout his tenure, Philip demonstrated strong leadership and commitment. He significantly strengthened the local leadership team, refocused the UK Private Banking business toward the needs of sophisticated clients and oversaw a major upgrade of the Credit Suisse platform and our offering in London. Overall, Philip achieved a complete change of mindset and culture while significantly improving the risk profile of the UK-based business.
Claudio said: ”I thank Philip for his strong contribution in transforming our UK platform. At the same time, I am delighted to welcome Christian to Credit Suisse (UK) Limited, ensuring our continued success as a leading wealth manager in one of our key markets in Europe. He brings a wealth of experience in financial services along with a strong client focus and an in-depth knowledge of the industry, helping us accelerate the platform’s strategic development and attract top talent. I’m convinced that Christian’s experience both in investment and private banking will help us achieve new levels of growth and profitability. We remain firmly committed to the UK Private Banking business as part of our strategy to capitalize on London’s appeal to international mobile wealth as well as UHNW clients.’’
Source: CREDIT SUISSE
