Since 1 October 2025, Christian Zach (46) has been heading the UBS Gstaad branch and its Wealth Management division. He succeeds Hans Baumgartner, who is retiring at the end of the year after more than three decades at UBS and Credit Suisse. Zach brings international experience and new energy to an established local team. His mission is clear: to continue offering Gstaad’s clientele an outstanding level of service.
 

Christian Zach, welcome to Gstaad. What attracted you to this position, and what would you like to contribute here?
It’s a privilege to work in a place where others spend their holidays. For me, Gstaad is a microcosm of Switzerland, mountains and valleys, tradition and culture, authenticity and international spirit. Here, the local and the international meet very naturally, just like at UBS, a Swiss universal bank and global wealth manager in one.

My goal is to get to know the region and its people well, listen carefully, and, together with my team, create lasting value for our clients.

You’re a mechanical engineer with a doctorate in innovation management, not the classic path into banking. How did it happen?
True, it’s not the typical banker’s career. Originally from Austria, my engineering studies took me to ETH

Zurich, where I fell in love with Switzerland. After several years in strategy consulting, I realised that I am fascinated by complex systems, and banks are precisely that: they combine structure, dynamics and innovation. That combination ultimately led me into finance and to UBS.

Could you describe your new role in a single sentence?
I wear two hats: as Location Head, I represent UBS in and around Gstaad; and as Head of Wealth Management, I oversee our business with wealthy clients whose needs are individual and often quite complex. These clients may come from Switzerland or from abroad, provided they have a connection to Gstaad.

What makes your new team stand out?
Our team comprises 21 dedicated employees, with 15 in Wealth Management and 6 in Personal Banking. They not only bring extensive financial expertise, but most of them are rooted in the region and come from the Saanenland. This blend of strong local knowledge and the combined global capabilities of two leading banks defines our services.
We cover the full range of financial services: from traditional counter services to more comprehensive needs, right up to sophisticated structures such as those required by foundations or trusts.

How do you serve both a local and global community?
We advise a diverse clientele: local residents, long-standing families from the region, and an international community of second-home owners who divide their lives between several countries. What unites them is the need for continuity and a partner who understands both their financial landscape and their personal circumstances. In Gstaad, our focus is on delivering exceptional wealth management services.

How would you characterise UBS’s advisory style?
Our approach is holistic and longterm. Many client relationships have been ongoing for years, even decades. By understanding their broader situation, from family considerations to cross-border structures, we help them make informed decisions, safeguard their assets, and pass on their wealth to future generations.

Gstaad is known for its diverse clientele. How do you address such varied needs?
UBS combines the best of two worlds: we are a universal bank with Swiss roots and, at the same time, the largest truly global wealth manager. We are present in all major financial centres and run our own booking centres in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, and Frankfurt. Beyond traditional topics such as retirement planning, financing or investments, we can draw on an international network of specialists when needed. This unique combination enables us to offer exceptional services, from art advisory to financing for unique real estate, yachts or aircraft. It clearly sets us apart from our competitors.

How do you balance digital access with personal contact?
By offering both and letting clients choose what suits them best. Whether through e- and mobile banking, by phone or video, or in person at our branch, we make ourselves available in the way they prefer. Despite the rise of digital channels, physical presence remains a core part of who we are. UBS still operates around 190 branches in Switzerland, including 22 in the Bern region. Here in the Saanenland, people appreciate direct, personal contact – especially when matters become more complex. And when emotions come into play, human interaction is irreplaceable.

Digitalisation will continue to grow, though?
Absolutely. Digital innovation remains a priority, and we continuously invest in digital solutions to keep expanding them. In Switzerland, UBS is the digital leader among banks, and our Mobile Banking App regularly ranks among the best. This demonstrates that we deliver a premium digital experience for our clients. We put their needs at the centre of everything we do, and our goal is to meet, or ideally exceed, their expectations.

What role does artificial intelligence play?
AI is a valuable tool for us, and we already use it in many areas to enhance client experiences. For example, we use AI-powered search engines on the UBS website and chatbots in UBS Digital Banking to provide faster and more accurate responses to client inquiries. AI helps make internal processes more efficient, mainly routine tasks, freeing up more time for personal advisory work. Our employees have access to AI-supported tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and our own inhouse AI assistant, “Red.”

Could you provide an update on the integration of Credit Suisse?
The integration is going according to schedule. We remain well on track to complete the last bigger phase of the integration by the end of the first quarter of 2026. To date, we have already successfully transferred around 85 percent of the over one million client relationships in Switzerland to our systems.

This means that most of our Swiss clients have now been fully transferred. As already communicated, we have completed the transfer of banking relationships booked outside Switzerland.

And finally, a personal question:
Who is Christian Zach outside the office?
I’m married, a father of three schoolage children, and for the past two years, also a dog owner. As the saying goes, the youngest “child” has fur. I have a deep love for the mountains and enjoy skiing and ski touring whenever I can. I used to play ice hockey with great passion, but these days, my family and I are excited to explore the beautiful ski slopes in the Gstaad region together.

FACTBOX: CHRISTIAN ZACH

Position
Location Head & Head Wealth Management UBS Gstaad

Career
With UBS since 2011. Began in strategic projects, later headed various departments within Wealth Management, including finance, sales and client-facing specialist teams in Switzerland. Most recently responsible for Business Transformation for ultra-high-net-worth clients and for the integration within Wealth Management Switzerland.

Personal
Married, father of three, currently living in Gstaad. Enjoys skiing, nature, art and music.

UBS Switzerland AG
Promenade 67
3780 Gstaad
+41 33 748 85 11 | ubs.com