The Valiant Board of Directors has appointed Kathrin Wehrli as the new CEO. The 46-year-old Zurich native currently heads the Corporate and Institutional Clients division and is a member of the Executive Board. She will take up her new position on May 20, 2027.

She will succeed Ewald Burgener, who will stand for election as a member of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on May 19, 2027, according to a statement from the bank on Thursday. Burgener has been with Valiant since 2013, first as CFO and since 2019 as CEO.

"Kathrin Wehrli impressed the Board of Directors with her unmistakable customer focus, her solid banking expertise and her strategic vision, convincing us that she is ideally suited for this role," says Board Chairman Markus Gygax. "Thanks to her leadership strength, she will continue Valiant's successful development and, as a trailblazer, provide important impetus for the future."

Head of Corporate and Institutional Clients

Kathrin Wehrli began her professional career in management consulting after earning a licentiate in economics from the University of Lausanne. She then spent 15 years in various management roles and as a member of executive management at several major banks. Her career has included UBS, Credit Suisse and Raiffeisen, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She has extensive experience in both private and corporate banking as well as asset management, the statement further says. It also cites successfully completed transformation and digitization projects. She has headed the Corporate and Institutional Clients division since September 2025.

Wehrli is 46 years old and lives in Zurich. She is married, has three children and is passionate about sports.

The succession plan for the head of the Corporate and Institutional Clients division will be announced in due course, Valiant writes.