Zurich, 28 October 2024 – The Zurich-based private bank Maerki Baumann & Co. AG is planning to establish a branch in Abu Dhabi. To this end, it will apply for a corresponding licence from the supervisory authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market free trade zone. The new Middle East hub will focus on tech corporate clients in the Gulf region that rely on blockchain technology and crypto applications. The family company is thus building on the knowledge and experience it has gathered in the area of digital assets, which were recently bundled under the “ARCHIP” crypto brand. Maerki Baumann has appointed its longstanding Head of Legal & Compliance, the Swiss lawyer Andreas Fröhlicher, to head up the Abu Dhabi branch.The Board of Directors and Executive Board of Maerki Baumann & Co. AG have decided to establish a branch in Abu Dhabi. The process of acquiring a licence in the Abu Dhabi Global Market free trade zone has been launched with this objective in mind. The newly created Middle East hub is to focus on the market niche formed by local tech corporate clients that make use of blockchain technology and crypto applications and the entrepreneurs behind them. Services will be provided by the existing Tech Banking department in Zurich, which possesses extensive expertise in supporting tech corporate clients and individuals from the crypto environment. Dr Stephan A. Zwahlen, CEO of Maerki Baumann, is convinced of the plan’s merits: “A presence in Abu Dhabi will enable us to participate in the great potential offered by the dynamic market in the Middle East. We look forward to leveraging the knowledge and experience we have gained in serving more than 500 tech corporate clients by making our tried-and-tested banking services accessible to the local crypto community”.Andreas Fröhlicher, the longstanding Head of Legal & Compliance at Maerki Baumann, has been chosen to lead the branch in Abu Dhabi. The 48-year-old Swiss lawyer will be responsible for setting up the Middle East hub as Senior Executive Officer. Andreas Fröhlicher has played a key role in his previous function since the launch of the crypto strategy back in 2019. For example, he was responsible for conducting due diligence for several hundred crypto-related clients. Based on his proven expertise as a banking lawyer, he has gained extensive knowledge in opening and monitoring client relationships in the tech company segment during the course of his career. Andreas Fröhlicher is looking forward to the new challenge: “Maerki Baumann will benefit in the Middle East from its wealth of experience in supporting clients with a crypto background. My previous role at the private bank, my personal contacts at the head office in Zurich and my international experience will play a key role in establishing the Middle East hub”. In his new role, Andreas Fröhlicher will report to the Deputy CEO and Head of Private Banking, Lukas S. Risi.The Middle East hub will operate under the “ARCHIP” brand, which Maerki Baumann launched in March 2024. It brings together all the crypto services that the bank has built up. These include the trading, custody, staking and management of digital assets for private and institutional clients as well as extensive services in the areas of payment transactions, liquidity management and investment advice for tech companies. As a non-listed family company, Maerki Baumann has developed into a modern private bank that quickly responds to changing client needs and new framework conditions. In addition to its core business of private banking, the traditional bank has made a name for itself as a pioneer among Swiss banks in the crypto business, forming the bridge between the traditional system and the digital world. Maerki Baumann accompanies its private banking clients on their voyage into the world of digital assets and at the same time provides companies and individuals from the crypto community access to traditional banking services.Maerki Baumann & Co. AGThe Zurich-based private bank Maerki Baumann & Co. AG was founded in 1932. It focuses on its core competencies in the areas of investment advice and asset management as well as in serving independent asset managers. Steeped in tradition, the private bank owned by the Zurich-based Syz family sets itself apart through its independence, security and transparency. With its innovative modular investment approach and comprehensive crypto services, the private bank underlines its claim of combining the tried-and-tested with the new. Maerki Baumann holds a banking licence and is subject to the supervision of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The family company has around 100 employees and more than CHF 10 billion in client assets under management, primarily from Switzer-land and Germany.http://www.maerki-baumann.ch/en and http://www.archip.ch/enEnquiriesMaerki Baumann & Co. AGDr Stephan A. ZwahlenChief Executive Officerstephan.zwahlen@maerki-baumann.ch Download press release