Dear ladies and gentlemen,

A matter of trust

Yesterday a goldilocks environment and record profits, today one of the worst crises in decades. Starting with the involvement of Wall Street investment banking in the US mortgage sector, the global banking industry has since been undergoing an extremely rocky time.

The Private Banking sector might be one of the more stable units within the business. Nonetheless the challenges have mounted rapidly even there: when financial markets turn shaky, unstable business models and unwisely constructed and intransparent financial products are unmasked and clients increasingly ask tough questions. The volatile financial markets and a weak dollar put profitability under pressure.

But that is not everything: Mistrust among the banks, long thought a phenomenon of the past, has re-surged. Following this, clients' trust in their bank has, in some cases, been shaken. Data problems relating to the activities of both the German tax authorities and the German secret service do not help and raise, in turn, questions of trust between the banks and their employees.

What are the answers on a strategic and management level? How can the challenges be turned into long term success factors?

Take the opportunity to discuss these topics with international leaders from the Private Banking Business, Swiss regulatory authorities, top lawyers and consultants.

The post conference day also puts the spotlight on the instrument trust, an up and coming feature within the continental European Private Banking landscape.

We cordially invite you to join our Private Banking Summit 2008.

Yours sincerely

Claudia Gabriel                                               
Editor-in-Chief, Schweizer Bank magazine           

Barbara Kühne
Conference Manager, EUROFORUM