The head of Vontobel's legal department and a member of the executive committee of Vontobel Holding and the bank passed away unexpectedly.
Enrico Friz, Vontobel's general counsel since 2017, died on January 20, 2021, the bank said in a statement on Friday. It did not provide further details.
«With his great expertise and strong judgment, Enrico Friz played a significant role in the positive development of Vontobel over the past few years. We owe him a great debt of gratitude and will always honor his memory. The board of directors, the global executive board and all employees are deeply saddened by his death and extend their deepest sympathy to his family,» said Vontobel CEO Zeno Staub.
International Experience
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Heinzl and Chief Operating Officer Felix Lenhard will assume responsibility for legal and compliance until further notice.
Prior to joining Vontobel, Friz spent 18 years with Swiss law firm Walder Wyss. As a partner, he advised national and international banks on legal matters, particularly in the areas of banking and finance, private banking, asset management, commercial banking, capital markets, and derivatives and financial products. Prior to that, Friz was legal counsel at UBS in Zurich and London for about ten years.
Specialist for Regulation
He also gained extensive experience in the area of financial products as the long-standing head of legal and regulations of the Swiss Structured Products Association (SSPA) and through his involvement in other European and national associations. He was also a member of the expert groups for the Swiss Financial Services Act (Fidleg) and the Financial Infrastructure Act (FINfraG).
