160 years of UBS

Today’s UBS is the result of the 1998 merger of two leading Swiss banks: Swiss Bank Corporation (SBC) and Union Bank of Switzerland. When the two banks merged, they brought with them a long history, enhanced by many other predecessor companies, that’s well rooted in the second half of the nineteenth century. Everything we do is built on that history and tradition, and the solid foundations that these predecessor Groups set. Along the way, various other firms, including US-based PaineWebber, have joined the Group. As one, they have overcome challenging times in the early- to mid-1900s, to focus on global expansion in the second half of the twentieth century.

Today, our three keys are embedded into the firm at every level. Our Pillars (what we’re built on), Principles (what we stand for) and Behaviors (how we do it) are the foundation of our strong and inclusive culture. Among other things, these three areas incorporate a focus on simplification and efficiency, client centricity, and innovation.

In 1938, SBC introduced the three keys as its symbol. It was firmly embedded in UBS’s logo in 1998.

The concept is one that’s taken years to form. In 1938, SBC introduced the three keys as its symbol. It was firmly embedded in UBS’s logo in 1998, and, in 2011, that connection was made stronger with the launch of the three keys to success program. The foundation of the program formed the strategy, identity and culture of the firm as we know it now. And the launch of the Group Franchise Awards program to foster collaboration across the Group has even given employees the opportunity to submit – and be rewarded for – ideas to improve processes since 2016.

We also further advanced the execution of the firm’s first strategic transformation, completing it in 2014, and setting out on the path to develop the firm many are familiar with now.

With a well-founded culture, attention turned to amendments to the legal structure of the firm, to comply with the too big to fail requirements in 2014.

Then, moving from the legal structures to the structure of our buildings, there’s been a lot of developments since 2012. The official opening in Beijing of UBS (China) Limited in 2013 further enhanced the firm’s presence in the market, and we continued to take root in China, with a new branch in Shanghai, a new Business Solution Center in Wuxi, and UBS Business University in Shanghai all opening in 2016. And we also opened our new Singapore office at 9 Penang Road in 2021.

Closer to the Swiss home market, UBS’s new, and sustainably designed, London headquarters opened its doors to employees at 5 Broadgate in the same year, and, 101 years after it first opened, the Group headquarters at Bahnhofstrasse 45, Zurich, reopened in 2018 after three years of renovation work.

In 2013, UBS further committed to maximizing  efforts of investing according to sustainable and responsible criteria through a dedicated industry-leading platform. The subsequent launch of UBS and Society to combine and help to shape all activities and capabilities in sustainable investing and philanthropy, as well as UBS’s interaction with the communities, demonstrated our commitment. In 2021, we cemented this commitment to sustainability by establishing the Group Sustainability and Impact organization. As we are advancing toward 2030, the designated deadline to reach the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs), our aim is to continue to be the financial provider of choice for clients who wish to mobilize capital toward the achievement of the SDGs and the orderly transition to a low-carbon economy.

UBS was the first major global financial institution to make sustainable investments the preferred solution.

The new division Global Wealth Management started off working as an integrated business and creating new opportunities for revenue growth and improving the ability to execute existing opportunities in 2018 and, in line with sustainable efforts, UBS was the first major global financial institution to make sustainable investments the preferred solution.

When we marked 150 years, we outlined a goal to focus on clients, offering them stability and dependability. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated how years of sustainable thinking and acting delivered value for the firm and for clients by, for example, allowing strengthened support for business owners during the crisis and facilitating a seamless transition from the workplace to remote working, thanks to previous technology investments.

Looking ahead, the UBS purpose, which was launched in 2021, will help the firm build on these successes, by aligning all that we do with the purpose statement:

Reimagining the power of investing. Connecting people for a better world.