A sudden departure at Credit Suisse: corporate communications boss Christoph Meier abruptly has left the company, according to information obtained by finews.com. The company’s communications staff is being streamlined, very much in keeping with the directions of CEO Tidjane Thiam.
In the end, it all went very quickly. Christoph Meier, the group head of corporate communications at Credit Suisse (CS) today left the company with immediate effect, information obtained by finews.com shows. His departure comes three months after CEO Tidjane Thiam decided to install Adam Gishen as the executive in charge of all corporate communications at the bank.
A spokesperson for Switzerland’s second-largest bank confirmed the information. Meier is one of the country’s most experienced spokesperson, having spent a quarter of century at Swiss Bank Corp., later UBS. After a shorter stint at Lombard Odier in Geneva, Meier joined CS two-and-a-half years ago.
Part of Overall Restructuring
Meier won’t be replaced, because his function isn’t needed anymore under the streamlined organization that bears the signature of Gishen, a U.K. citizen who enjoys Thiam’s support. Gishen (pictured below) will carry sole responsibility for all corporate communications at the bank. It is what Thiam had wanted after the bank had become embroiled in negative publicity. In June, he moved corporate communications and investor relations closer together and put them under the guidance of Gishen.
Gishen was a partner at investment boutique Ondra before joining the Swiss bank in 2016, where he quickly made himself a name as a quick mind. He knew Thiam from the time when CS boss was still the head of the Prudential, which Ondra advised on various transactions.
In the past three months, Gishen finalized the reforms to the communications team at CS and today reported the changes to members of staff. The communications heads of the various CS divisions now report directly to Gishen.
Appointments in London and Zurich
Following the departure of Meier, Credit Suisse today appointed Dominique Gerster as head of corporate communications Switzerland. Gerster joined the bank in 2015 and since then was in charge of media relations at Swiss Universal Bank.
In London, the bank hired James Quinn as head of communications EMEA. He will take up his new job on October 23, 2017 and will report to Gishen as manager responsible for corporate communications in the City. Quinn currently works as group business editor at the Telegraph Group.
Karina Byrne, previously head of corporate communications in the Americas, assumes global responsibility for communications at the Investment Banking and Capital Markets division, while Nicole Sharp will take charge of Global Markets communications. Both report to Gishen.
Sheel Kohli as head of corporate communications APAC, Anna Sexton as head of media relations at IWM and Amy Rajendran, the head of media group and financial topics remain in their current positions and will also report to Gishen.
