Berner Kantonalbank
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The Berner Kantonalbank AG (BEKB), French Banque Cantonale Bernoise SA (BCBE), operating under the brand name "BEKB , BCBE" and based in the Swiss Canton of
Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...
, is a
public limited company A public limited company (legally abbreviated to PLC or plc) is a type of public company under United Kingdom company law, some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. It is a limited liability company ...
under private law founded in 1834 as one of the first
cantonal banks The cantonal banks (''German: Kantonalbank, French: banque cantonale, Italian: banca cantonale)'' are 24 Swiss government-owned commercial banks. Most of them were founded between 1834 and 1916, although the Banque cantonale du Jura was founded ...
of its kind, serving Switzerland's 26
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
. At the end of 2020, the total financial assets of BEKB were valued at 36.4 billion
Swiss francs The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
with their staff comprising approximately 1,230 employees (or 1,000 full-time equivalents). As the majority shareholder, the Canton of Bern retains 51.5% of the company's shares, while also guaranteeing their stability, in accordance with the same Canton's constitution. This establishes BEKB as one of the largest cantonal banks in Switzerland. Berner Kantonalbank doesn't have
state guarantee A loan guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party (the guarantor) to assume the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. A guarantee can be limited or unlimited, making the guarantor liable for only a portion or all of the d ...
of its liabilities.


History

The Cantonal Bank of Bern was founded in 1834 as one of the earliest cantonal banks, following the adoption of a liberal state constitution in the canton of Bern three years prior. This new political arrangement gave citizens the freedom to engage in trade and commerce, leading to the establishment of the Cantonal Bank, which supplied the funds necessary to finance these endeavours. In its early stages, this institution provided services to an extensive demographic and helped encourage economic growth in the region. Over the course of its history, the Cantonal Bank has continued to expand its range of offerings to clients. It opened its first three branches in 1858 in Saint-Imier, Burgdorf, and Biel/Bienne, and in 1958 the balance of the bank exceeded one billion. In 1991, the "Cantonal Bank of Bern" and the "Hypothekarkasse des Kantons Bern" merged to form the Berner Kantonalbank. The newly formed institution was mandated to serve as a modern universal bank, fulfil economic and social tasks in the interests of the public and the state, and compete and adapt to new developments in the market with flexibility. In 1979, four branches of the newly formed "jurassischen Kantonalbank" Jura Cantonal Bank were transferred and the Berner Kantonalbank had to realign its business and credit policy at the beginning of the 1990s due to the real estate crisis. To separate the recovering bank from the then-founded Dezennium-Finanz AG (DFAG), assets that did not comply with the Berner Kantonalbank’s new business and credit policy were transferred to DFAG in 1993. In order to support the restructuring of their bank, the canton of Bern allocated a total of CHF 1.45 billion over the subsequent years. Since 1996, the Berner Kantonalbank (BEKB) has operated under the short or brand name of "BEKB , BCBE". In 1998, BEKB became the first cantonal bank to be converted into a private stock corporation, with a new "Law on the Berner Kantonalbank Stock Corporation" passed to separate the responsibilities of the owner and the management. The canton of Berne's initial majority shareholding was gradually reduced to 51.5 per cent over the subsequent years, with BEKB having paid out around CHF 1.8 billion in dividends and taxes since this time. In 1999, following the dissolution of the Solothurner Kantonalbank, the BEKB opened its first branch outside the canton of
Solothurn Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the Capital (political), capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the n ...
. The same year, it became the first cantonal bank organized under private law to have its registered shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. In 2022, the IT subsidiary which had grown from the original DXC was given the designation Aity.


Services

As a financial institution, Berner Kantonalbank offers services including: * investments & investment advice * savings * credit cards * mortgages * business financing * real estate financing * asset management * securities trading It also provides shareholder, youth, educational and SME savings accounts; deposit, current, rental, payment, pension and client funds accounts; investment products; bank cards and credit cards; and pension products.


Corporate Structure


CEO

Armin Brun is the Chief Executive Officer of the Swiss bank Berner Kantonalbank AG, taking up this role from July 2019. In 2018, he was appointed Head of the bank's Retail and Corporate Banking divisions. In 2017, he joined the bank's Management Board.


Board Members

Antoinette Hunziker-Ebneter: Independent President of the Board of Directors Christoph Lengwiler: Independent Vice President of the Board Gilles Frôté: Independent Director Annelis Hammerli: Independent Director Pascal Sieber: Independent Director Stefan Bichsel: Director Danielle Villiger: Director Reto Heiz: Director Hugo Schurmann: Director


Management

Alois Schärli: Deputy CEO Marcel Oertle: Member of Management Board Mark Haller: Member of Management Board Andreas Schafer: Member of Management Board Philipp Cossi: Head of Operations Karl-Martin Wyss: Head of Marketing Thomas Gosteli: Head of Human Resources & Training Ariane Ryser: Head of Legal Service & Compliance


Notes and references


See also

*
Cantonal bank The cantonal banks (''German: Kantonalbank, French: banque cantonale, Italian: banca cantonale)'' are 24 Swiss government-owned commercial banks. Most of them were founded between 1834 and 1916, although the Banque cantonale du Jura was founded ...
*
List of banks in Switzerland Systemically Important Banks Globally Systemically Important Banks *UBS Group AG *Credit Suisse Group AG Domestically Systemically Important Banks * Zurich Cantonal Bank * Banque cantonale vaudoise * Raiffeisen * PostFinance Top-tier Swiss banks ...


External links

* {{Coord, 46.9472, N, 7.4435, E, source:wikidata, display=title Cantonal banks Canton of Bern Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange