Zurich, 26 November 2024 – The Zurich-based private bank Maerki Baumann & Co. AG is to establish a Technology Advisory Board headed up by Marc P. Bernegger from 1 January 2025. The new expert body, which will also include PD Dr Alexander Ilic and Sandra Tobler, will focus on strategic topics related to technology. This step has been guided by the family-owned company’s belief that disruptive technologies and new companies such as fintech firms will have a major impact on the financial and banking industries going forwards. The Technology Advisory Board will actively support the private bank’s Board of Directors and Executive Board in the further development, digitisation and innovation of its business model.Technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and robotics are increasingly permeating the economy and society in general. Their potential to trigger change will be felt in all sectors of the economy and will also see the market for financial services, in particular, undergo a fundamental transformation. This development is likely to see a shift in the competitive landscape, with new business models, such as those of fintech firms, becoming established. As a pioneer among Swiss banks in the crypto business, Maerki Baumann has recognised the disruptive power that technology can yield, as exemplified by blockchain. With the Technology Advisory Board, the private bank is aiming to gain insights into technological developments and their entrepreneurial consequences in a systematic manner. On this ba-sis, Maerki Baumann is to push ahead with the further development, digitisation and innovation of its business model. With the new expert body, the private bank is building on the family company’s tradition of working with first-class partner companies and external experts as part of a relationship underpinned by its own expertise in its core business of private banking.The Board of Directors and Executive Board have entrusted Marc P. Bernegger with responsibility for Maerki Baumann’s Technology Advisory Board. He will establish and head up the high-calibre committee, which will initially comprise the following experts:Marc P. Bernegger has been a founder, board member and managing director of numerous technology-focussed companies for over 20 years. In the recent past, he has been active as a successful entrepreneur in the areas of blockchain, crypto and longevity. He possesses extensive strategic, business and technological expertise and is well networked in the worlds of business and science. The World Economic Forum has honoured Marc P. Bernegger as a “Technology Pioneer”. He studied law at the University of Zurich and graduated from Singularity University in Silicon Valley. PD Dr Alexander Ilic is the co-founder and Executive Director of the ETH AI Center in Zurich. He is a respected scientist as well as a deep-tech entrepreneur and investor. For example, he co-founded the computer vision start-up Dacuda, which was later taken over by an augmented reality pioneer. The Swiss Economic Forum presented Alexander Ilic with the “Swiss Economic Award”, while the University of St.Gallen and Ernst & Young both named him “Entrepreneur of the Year”. He habilitated at the University of St.Gallen, completed his doctorate at ETH Zurich and gained an MSc from the Technical University of Munich. Sandra Tobler is a tech entrepreneur who specialises in the area of IT security. As co-founder, Chairwoman and CEO, she developed the ETH spin-off Futurae into a leading international company for strong authentication, transaction security and fraud detection. She also sits on the steering committee for the implementation of the Swiss Confederation’s National Cyberstrategy. She was previously involved in the Swiss fintech ecosystem, which she also represented in the US. Sandra Tobler has an MA in International Relations from the University of Geneva and graduated from Singularity University in Santa Clara.In his role as Head of the Technology Advisory Board, Marc P. Bernegger will report to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hans G. Syz-Witmer, and the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stephan A. Zwahlen, of Maerki Baumann. The new committee will advise the two management bodies as well as various key individuals at the private bank on strategic issues relating to technology.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