Outsourced Trading Desk Award

Vontobel Transaction Banking participated in "The Trade" and "Global Custodian" magazines' "Outsourced Trading Desk Survey". The results were excellent. Read what Nino Ciganovic and Matthias Schiesser have to say about Transaction Banking.

— Good morning. Vontobel Transaction Banking was recently nominated as one of the most successful providers of Outsourced Dealing Desk Services. What, in your opinion, sets your department apart?

Nino Ciganovic: First and foremost, we take pride in performing well in all categories. Our strategy is highly valued by clients in Transaction Banking. The operational background provides us with a unique perspective and an understanding of processes, which is crucial given the increasing complexity.

Matthias Schiesser: Our teams in Transaction Banking have worked hard in recent years to be competitive not only within our peer group but also with global players. This success can be attributed to several factors. Working in smaller, more agile units has allowed us to be more responsive and adaptable.

— How does Vontobel Transaction Banking support clients in the realm of Outsourced Dealing Desk Services?

Matthias Schiesser: First, we need to explain what it means to offer such services. An Outsourced Dealing Desk is a third-party desk that handles the flow (or more) and, if executed correctly, can enhance the service level for our institutional clients. Our external clients benefit from this. The main goal is to improve operational excellence for clients. Given the complexity of the topic, I have written a separate article on Outsourced Dealing Desks:

Article about Outsourced Dealing Desks

— Could you provide some background on why you believe Transaction Banking gives banks an advantage and has suddenly come into the spotlight of these internationally renowned industry magazines?

Nino Ciganovic: Over many years, we have quietly worked on offering a broad range of high-quality services, such as trade execution in all asset classes, custody services, algo trading and smart order routing for best execution, coupled with data analytics services created within Transaction Banking itself. The combination of this expertise from one business unit and a deep understanding of our clients' needs is recognized by the market and creates a unique opportunity for Vontobel. Transaction Banking offers economies of scale for the entire bank and is tailored to our internal needs.

Matthias Schiesser: Intelligent organizational design, openness to unconventional solutions, and fast decision-making, coupled with reasonable financial strength, lead to outstanding products. Additionally, serving institutional clients goes beyond selling a product. I see our teams more as a group of experts solving problems for clients and understanding their needs from start to finish.

— Can you give an example of the expertise within Transaction Banking and Electronic Trading Solutions?

Nino Ciganovic: Understanding our clients' needs is crucial. Each client has a dedicated account manager who works closely with internal stakeholders and the client to identify their specific requirements and goals. A close relationship with our clients is of utmost importance. We do what we do best, and that's precisely what we offer our clients.

Matthias Schiesser: I am very proud of my three teams, consisting of Sales Traders, Relationship Managers, and the Innovation Hub. They work closely with specialists from the Execution Team and operational units. Quality must be consistent from front to back. Our department covers a wide range, from the smallest retail banks in Switzerland to the largest Tier-1 banks and asset managers globally. These diverse experiences enable us to provide valuable insights and solutions to clients.

— How do you stay ahead in terms of innovation and technological progress?

Nino Ciganovic: Innovation and investing in people and technology are key to remaining competitive in today's rapidly evolving landscape. We invest in cutting-edge technologies and collaborate with the right partners. We also monitor industry trends and developments to ensure we are at the forefront of innovation. Vontobel Transaction Banking has done an excellent job transitioning parts of the business into a data-driven organization. All team members have contributed to this transformation and success.

Matthias Schiesser: My vision for the next three years is to increase efficiency in serving institutional clients. This can be achieved in many small steps but largely depends on the tools we acquire. Step one is that we have already created a fully-fledged data analytics platform. Additionally, with Salesforce, we have a very good tool that has tremendous potential when used correctly. I hope that we can soon utilize ChatGPT 4.0 with a fully integrated database.

— How do you measure the success of these services?

Nino Ciganovic: Success is measured by the satisfaction of our clients. We regularly gather feedback to understand their experiences and measure the effectiveness of our services. Ultimately, our goal is to build long-term partnerships with our clients where they see us as a trusted partner.

— How do you plan to further develop Transaction Banking?

Nino Ciganovic: We have an ambitious roadmap for 2026. We are focused on enhancing the digital experience for our clients and foster cutting edge technologies. We will continue to invest in talent, technology, and strategic partnerships to ensure that we remain at the forefront of innovation in the industry.

— Can you share anything about the future, plans, or products of Vontobel?

Matthias Schiesser: We have some innovative products in the pipeline, particularly in the Custody and TCA areas. This will lead to fewer manual interventions or higher STP rates and set another milestone for data analytics, laying the foundation for true AI integration, ultimately growing the business. There is no doubt that we need to invest heavily in talent on the AI and data analytics front. Colleagues need to make a difference by leveraging their networks to acquire new clients and engage in up-/cross-selling in various areas within the bank.

— How has Transaction Banking evolved since your entry in 2019?

Nino Ciganovic: Clients are talking about our excellent services, and that is the best advertisement. This transformation has also been supported by a strong change in mindset within the organization. We can adapt much faster to changes and seize opportunities. Technology and our employees are an unbeatable duo.

— How has your team evolved since your entry in 2017?

Matthias Schiesser: In the past six years, our team has grown from four to eleven members. During this time, we completely replaced the service desk by automating many tasks, hired four Sales Traders to handle trade-related queries, increased the number of Relationship Managers to six, implemented the Innohub team within the ETS department, and much more. We literally changed everything. This led to a significant increase in the number of clients we serve, from 20 to almost 140 in the last six years. We are confident that the demand for our services will continue to be high and expect strong growth in the coming years. Moreover, all these trading volumes and assets positively impact the cost side of the entire bank.