The woman tasked with heading recruiting for UBS' private bank is leaving the Swiss bank at the end of next month, finews.com can report exclusively.

Sandra Dawson 500 copy copySandra Dawson, UBS private bank's main talent hunter, is leaving the Swiss bank at the end of May, according to a memorandum seen by finews.com. Dawson, who had been with Zurich-based UBS for a total of 12 years, will join Ireland's AIB as head of talent acquisition. A spokesman for the bank confirmed her departure, which comes at a tricky time for UBS: the bank is coping with a mega-merger of its U.S.-based brokerage and its wider private bank. The unexpected move has sparked a top-level reshuffle, and follows the exit in December of long-standing UBS private bank head Juerg Zeltner.

The departure of Dawson is a setback for UBS, which thanked her effusively in the memo, saying her leadership and dedication has contributed significantly over the 12 years she spent with the bank from 2000 to 2006 and then again from 2013 until this year.

Mega-Merger

«Since rejoining UBS in October 2013, Sandra has played a key role in redefining our recruiting service for wealth management,» UBS said. The bank said it would evaluate options to replace her before she leaves next month.

«Sandra will continue in her role over the coming months and will play an important part in the transition period, in particular as we bring the global wealth management organization together,» UBS said.

Dawson has been the Swiss private bank's top recruiter since 2013. Previously, she held a similar European role, and worked as a headhunter for outside firms before that. The Dublin native, who spent four years at Anglo Irish Bank's head of recruitment and learning development until 2010, is keen to return to Ireland for family reasons.