UBS Group AG confirmed that CEO Sergio Ermotti will leave the helm in April 2027, following the completion of the Credit Suisse integration. The announcement, made on January 13 2026, signals the end of a crisis‑management era and the start of a new strategic phase.
Ermotti, who returned to UBS in 2023 to oversee the Credit Suisse takeover, has guided the bank through a complex merger that concluded on May 31 2024 for the parent companies and July 1 2024 for Swiss operations. The integration is slated to be substantially complete by the end of 2026, positioning UBS to focus on organic growth.
The succession race has already drawn attention to four internal candidates: Aleksandar Ivanovic, Robert Karofsky, Iqbal Khan, and Bea Martin. Each brings a different blend of experience—Ivanovic with wealth‑management leadership, Karofsky with investment‑banking expertise, Khan with risk‑management oversight, and Martin with technology and digital transformation.
UBS faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny in Switzerland, particularly around capital requirements that could raise costs and affect competitiveness. The bank has argued that proposed measures are disproportionate and could undermine its global standing. This regulatory backdrop adds pressure to the new CEO’s mandate.
Financially, UBS has delivered strong results in the wake of the merger. In the three months to September 2024, wealth‑management pre‑tax operating profit rose to $1.085 billion from $926 million a year earlier, while total pre‑tax profit for the quarter reached $1.929 billion versus a $184 million loss a year earlier. These gains reflect disciplined cost control and a favorable mix of high‑margin wealth‑management and investment‑banking revenue.
Management has emphasized that closing the profitability gap with U.S. peers will remain a long‑term challenge. CEO Ermotti noted that matching U.S. pre‑tax margins is “challenging and probably even impossible” on a like‑for‑like basis, citing the broader mix of business lines. The bank’s strategy focuses on scaling wealth‑management, protecting its investment‑banking model, and exploring growth in China and other high‑potential markets.
The announcement has already prompted market analysts to reassess UBS’s strategic trajectory. While the bank’s stock has risen sharply since the Credit Suisse acquisition, investors now focus on the succession outcome, regulatory developments, and the bank’s ability to sustain profitability growth.
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