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The ultra-rich boss fought bitterly with Raphael in particular over client assets – a typical turf war over power and influence over a lot more than the 600 billion Swiss francs in assets and 1,200 private bankers that Stadler until now commanded.

The clear winner? The Zurich native with stellar St. Gallen University credentials. With the merger of U.S. brokerage and wider private bank, Stadler extends his influence to the Swiss bank's American arm. There, ultra-rich head will jointly report to Stadler as well as to Brian Hull, who oversees the U.S. wealth operation.

Lion's Share

The significance of Stadler's position is obvious in the numbers: UBS manages 2.3 trillion francs in assets. Of that, 1.1 billion francs is managed on behalf of ultra-rich clients – Stadler's is by far the most important business in the new set-up. CEO Ermotti underscored this last week in detailing the merger: fusing the ultra-wealthy business across UBS' regions is the private bank's top priority, he said.

The key question for Stadler is, as the mega-merger continues to reverberate internally, can he maintain his hold on the finances – profit and loss accounts – for the ultra-rich segment? UBS didn't comment on the changes. The other question is whether Stadler is equipped to tame the considerably more independent American private bankers.

«Billionaire's Bank»

Observers are optimistic: Stadler overcame considerable internal hurdles in building the ultra-rich segment into the crown jewel that UBS now views it as, they argue. He has also positioned UBS as «the billionaire's bank», grabbing market share off competitors left more vulnerable following the financial crisis such as Credit Suisse, Citigroup, or J.P. Morgan.

His American-influenced style may rankle on Paradeplatz, but unlike many Swiss bankers Stadler is utterly at home on an international stage, arguing eloquently and convincingly, an observer noted to finews.com. His past at J.P. Morgan is a valuable credential, as is a prestigious Harvard MBA. As his co-bosses Martin Blessing and Tom Naratil fight it out atop the merged private bank, Stadler has arrived at the zenith of his career.