Market & Context
Swiss retail and mortgage banking is in the midst of an ongoing transformation cycle. Customers expect seamless omnichannel experiences and mobile-first interactions, while banks must simultaneously ensure data security, compliance, and operational excellence. Competitors emphasize the shift away from the traditional branch model toward digital channels, the need for customer-centric leadership, and the integration of digital talent from outside the banking industry (consumer and tech sectors) — always with a strong focus on risk and cost control.
At the same time, regulation and market structure are shaping the agenda. Following the acquisition of Credit Suisse, FINMA is supporting measures to strengthen systemic stability (including governance, early intervention mechanisms, and increased capital requirements for systemically important institutions with foreign subsidiaries).
The objective is resilience, clear accountability, and effective crisis-management tools. In the mortgage sector, the final Basel III adjustments have been affecting capital requirements and risk weights since 2025. This is shifting margins, selectivity, and pricing dynamics — and increasing the importance of professional credit risk management and pricing expertise in retail banking.
Challenges
Leadership in retail and mortgage banking requires managing multiple priorities simultaneously:
Customer experience & omnichannel:
Designing a consistent, personalized customer journey — from digital onboarding and self-service to advisory-driven mortgage solutions. Competitors highlight the ability to translate consumer-tech best practices into banking.
Operational and process excellence:
Cost and error reduction, end-to-end automation (credit factory), straight-through processing, and a clear performance focus — culturally embedded through simplicity and agility.
Regulation & risk:
Implementation of FINMA requirements (risk culture, governance, capital and liquidity), mortgage-specific risks (portfolio stress testing, LTV/LTI/DTI discipline), and outsourcing and cyber risks.
Product and pricing strategy:
Active steering between SARON and fixed-rate mortgages, risk-based price differentiation, and continuous competitive monitoring (platform pricing, broker fee structures).
Partnerships & platforms:
Selection and orchestration of marketplace and B2B2C partnerships to scale volumes, reduce time-to-yes, and increase conversion rates.
Key roles in this context include: Head of Retail Banking, Head of Mortgages, Chief Digital / Transformation (Retail), Head of Customer Experience / Omnichannel, Head of Retail Credit Risk & Pricing, and Mortgage Platform Lead — each requiring strong delivery capabilities, data expertise, and change leadership.
Our Contribution
Wirz & Partners identifies talent for key roles in retail banking—from mortgage banking and product management to branch strategy.
Our approach takes regional differences, regulatory requirements, and technological trends into account. We deliver individuals who combine operational excellence with strategic innovative strength.
Secure the leaders who will future-proof your retail banking business.