Page 3 - Maerki Baumann & Co. AG | Annual Report 2021

Report from the Board of Directors Attuned to unfolding developments Dear Sir or Madam Our private bank can look back on a very successful financial year. This finding alone stands in stark contrast to the impression that all of us will inevitably have gained in recent months. The COVID-19 pandemic has maintained its firm grip on our lives. Catastrophic sce- narios prominently displayed in the media allowed us to believe that we had been knocked off course and totally exposed to a fate shaped by coronavirus. Don’t get me wrong: I am in no way denying that the greatest healthcare catastrophe for decades has also claimed many – too many – victims in Switzerland too, and unfortunately continues to hang over us. And even if impressive feats of medicine such as vaccinations and the first effective treatment drugs have significantly improved the situation, we must resign ourselves to restrictions on our personal lives for even longer, as well as the lasting economic damage inflicted by the pan- demic. But none of this should prevent us from acknowledg- ing the positive developments that can be reported, par- ticularly in Switzerland. Many companies managed to adapt flexibly to the new, admittedly difficult, parame- ters that faced them in 2021 and report good to very good results, thereby justifying the trust of their clients. And I can say with confidence that this is also true of our private bank. Thanks to our lean, professional and com- mitted team, we remained attuned to developments in the second year of the pandemic too – and were able to achieve good to very good results for our circle of clients despite a market environment that was stormy at times. Both my sister and I feel a strong need to pass on to all our employees – including on behalf of the Board of Directors – our deep gratitude for their dedication and professionalism. Time and again, including through- out the most challenging phases of the reporting year, they came up with customized solutions for our clients, thereby once again justifying the great trust placed in us. Just a few facts should underscore the success of the 3 Maerki Baumann & Co. AG