Thomas A. Müller
Chairman of the Board of Directors Raiffeisen Switzerland
Thomas A. Müller
Chairman of the Board of Directors Raiffeisen Switzerland
Heinz Huber
Chairman of the Executive Board of Raiffeisen Switzerland
Preface
Dear Readers,
Yet even in challenging times, a company must continue to develop and look to the future. The framework for doing this is our strategy. We aim to enhance our proximity to clients and widen our reach by 2025, especially in the digital sphere. We intend to do this along sustainable lines, just as a cooperative bank should.
The aspiration and duty to operate the business sustainably is deeply rooted in our DNA. Credibility, entrepreneurship, client proximity and sustainability are important to us. These values guide our strategy and our work. They help to ensure that our clients see us as a reliable and safe partner. We set ourselves apart as a sustainable cooperative and have been working harder to achieve this in all our business areas, especially in pensions and investments.
We continue to enhance our proximity to clients and widen our reach along sustainable lines.
Sustainable pensions and investments are the future. At a very early stage, Raiffeisen recognised the importance of ecological and social aspects for pensions and investments. Raiffeisen launched the first sustainable funds under the “Futura” label 20 years ago, continuously developing its range of sustainable pension and investment solutions ever since. We have accordingly taken on a pioneering role in Switzerland as a financial centre. Futura solutions are now the backbone of our range of products and services. Around 95% of Raiffeisen’s fund volume is invested sustainably. And we are going further: Following our fund range, we are also resolutely focusing our asset management mandates on sustainability. We were the first national retail bank to launch an impact asset management mandate that aims at a positive and measurable ecological and social impact in addition to the financial goals.
Raiffeisen wants to make sustainable asset accumulation and professional asset management available to a wide group of people. This is part of our identity. That is why we have embedded this firmly in our strategy. And we have achieved this ambition: The entry thresholds for our digital asset management, Rio, are set deliberately low at CHF 5,000 and for the asset management mandates at CHF 50,000. The demand for these products shows us that we are on the right track.
Sustainable togetherness is important to us as a cooperative bank. We now have more than 2 million cooperative members throughout Switzerland. This means that around one in four adults in Switzerland holds at least one share certificate in a Raiffeisen bank. This proximity to our clients carries responsibilities and is an outstanding feature of Raiffeisen. More than 1,300 directors make decisions locally for their bank, together with their executive board. They are familiar with local requirements and needs. Together with the employees of the Raiffeisen banks, they embody the local roots and fellowship with clients and cooperative members. Cooperative banks are also committed to the community. Raiffeisen is one of the biggest sponsors of cultural and sporting events and activities at a regional and local level. Last year, Raiffeisen gave a total amount of CHF 225 million to society in the form of donations, sponsorship and taxes.
Together, the 220 Raiffeisen banks generated a very good result. The Raiffeisen Group closed the year 2022 with a Group profit of CHF 1.18 billion. Raiffeisen broadened its earnings base further through an increase in the proportion of neutral business in operating income. In particular, the significant inflow of new money into investment and pension fund accounts last year demonstrated that our clients have confidence in Raiffeisen.
93% of net profit is retained. This makes Raiffeisen a safe, stable and financially strong banking group.
The very good result enables us to further strengthen our capital base. We retain over 90% of our profit. This means that we can keep most of the net profit generated within the cooperative and invest it in the future of the banking group. This makes Raiffeisen a very safe, stable and financially strong bank. A bank that puts its values into practice and aligns the decisions that it makes today with the well-being of future generations.
Thomas A. Müller
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Raiffeisen Switzerland
Heinz Huber
Chairman of the Executive Board, Raiffeisen Switzerland