— 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.