Citi banker Kristine Braden will run an organization of foreign banks in Switzerland. The first woman to hold the role, she has emerged as a thoughtful and fierce advocate for Swiss finance.
Citi's top Swiss banker Kristine Braden was elected to run the Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland, or AFBS, on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. bank confirmed to finews.com.
She replaces Francesco Morra, who steps down from the AFBS, a group which represents the interests of companies including HSBC, Deutsche Bank and J. Safra Sarasin. Morra departed from HSBC's top Swiss job earlier this year.
High Swiss Profile
Braden's appointment to the top foreign banking job is emblematic of how the American banker has dug in since coming to Switzerland from London in 2015: she also sits on the board of the Swiss Bankers Association, the wider industry lobby.
She oversees Advance, a Swiss network devoted to women's empowerment in business, as well and is currently vice-president of the AFBS.
Data Privacy Call
During her three years in Switzerland, Braden has spoken forcefully for Switzerland to embrace data privacy at a time when governments and big corporations are coping with the fallout from misplaced data. She has also urged Switzerland's banks to venture out and collaborate in order to defend itself against digital upstarts.
Citi's main activities in Switzerland are private banking, investment banking and corporate business with major multinationals like Nestle and Roche.
