financial center

Vergleichen gehört zu jedem Wettbewerb. Und im Wettbewerb der Finanzplätze sucht Frankfurt Rhein-Main gern den internationalen Vergleich. Die Tradition des Banken- und Börsenstandorts ist jedoch auch gewachsen, indem Anbieter und Nachfrager von Finanzdienstleistungen das Für und Wider der Branchenzentren innerhalb Deutschlands gegenübergestellt haben.

Angesichts der starken globalen Vernetzung in der Industrie sei ein innerdeutscher Konkurrenzkampf nicht mehr zielführend, sagt Christian-Hendrik Knappe von der ICF-Bank. Als Kapitalmarktdienstleister macht das Haus vor, wie es geht, denn es agiert unter anderem als Skontroführer an den Börsen in Düsseldorf und Berlin, aber auch als Market Maker an der Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse. 

Erfolg braucht Wandel, ist Knappes Botschaft in dieser Episode von „Mein Finanzplatz – der Podcast von Frankfurt Main Finance“. Und Frankfurt hat gezeigt, wie das geht.

Über Geld spricht man nicht, sagt der Volksmund. Und gerade in Finanzinstituten gilt Diskretion als oberste Tugend. Dabei sind Banken Intermediäre, lernen Finanzfachleute in Studium oder Ausbildung. Das heißt, die Geldinstitute sind Vermittler. Ohne Austausch – Dialog – ist das schwer möglich.

Und Geld oder zumindest geldwerte Dinge sind nicht nur Thema, sondern auch Anlass für weiterführende Gespräche. Kunst hat sich in diesem Zusammenhang besonders bewährt, und nicht zuletzt deswegen hält die Deutsche Bank über 50.000 Kunstwerke an über 600 Standorten weltweit.

 „Das Dialogische ist es, was Kunst ausmacht.“, sagt Britta Färber, die als Global Head of Art & Culture die Sammlung der Deutschen Bank verantwortet. Wie Dialoge durch Kunst initiiert werden, welchen Einfluss die Art der Kunst hat, wie man eine Intention jenseits der Wertvermehrung innerhalb eines Geldhauses verwirklicht und was das alles mit dem Standort zu tun hat, das erzählt die Kunsthistorikerin in dieser Episode von „Mein Finanzplatz“, dem Podcast von Frankfurt Main Finance.

Hiro Protagonist is – as his name suggests – the main character in the cyberpunk novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In a dystopian Los Angeles, he delivers pizzas. But he is also a swordsman and “hacker.” In the latter role, he helped to program the so-called Metaverse – Facebook comes to mind – a parallel world in which people can immerse themselves as avatars thanks to virtual reality goggles. When Snow Crash was released in 1992, the Internet was still far from what it is today. Nevertheless, Neal Stephenson foresaw much of what makes up today’s digitalized world.

Florian Schütz emphasizes that science fiction will always remain storytelling, but can certainly make us think about current phenomena. In connection with Snow Crash, for him these include computer viruses or the shift of power from government organizations to private companies. Florian Schütz is the first federal cybersecurity delegate, a position that was created in 2019. In this role, Florian Schütz heads the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and coordinates the national strategy for the protection of Switzerland against cyberrisks.

Under the leadership of the NCSC, the foundations for the establishment of the association Swiss Financial Sector Cybersecurity Centre (Swiss FS-CSC) have been laid. Florian Schütz explains to host Hannah Wise the characteristics and advantages of such a public-private partnership, makes cyberrisks an issue for the board of directors, and, as a bonus, gives useful cybersecurity tips. 

Ansel Adams was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist. He is famed for the clarity and depth of his black-and-white images. He achieved the unique expression found in these photographs through deep technical understanding of all the production steps involved in film-based photography: lighting, developing negatives, and printing. 

Adams wrote books on each of these processing steps, volumes that Adrian Perrig devoured as a teen. Now a professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, Perrig was impressed by the results Adams achieved, and just as impressed with his systematic approach to his work. He nearly became a professional photographer as well, but decided on a career in IT. That decision could turn out to have been a very positive one for all of us. Perrig explains to host Hannah Wise how he is set to make the internet more secure and efficient. Precisely like Ansel Adams, he is introducing innovations to a field thought to have been fully exhausted.   

Christiana Figueres was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for six years, including in 2015, when the United Nations adopted the Paris Climate Agreement – a historic milestone in the fight against climate change. To achieve this goal, Figueres had to overcome plenty of skepticism and build many bridges. In doing so, she exuded values such as perseverance, empathy, stubbornness, and optimism. 

Sabine Döbeli also reflects on these values. She is CEO of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF). The association aims to further strengthen Switzerland’s position as a leading voice in the field of sustainable finance, and thus contribute to a sustainable and flourishing economy.

Over the years, sustainable finance has become a mainstream topic. But this was not always the case. Döbeli talks about the early days of SSF, mentions current challenges such as green washing, reporting, incomplete product information, and the flood of new regulations. She also explains to host Hannah Wise why the danger of ESG burn-out lurks ahead. 

Daniela Ryf is the most successful Swiss triathlete of all time. She has won the Ironman World Championship five times over the middle distance and four times over the long distance in Hawaii - one of the toughest races in the world.

In triathlon, you need stamina, a positive mindset and the will to overcome any obstacle. As an ex-triathlete, Alexander Verbeck knows this very well. These qualities also help him as Head Cash Ecosystem in the Banking Services business unit of SIX. As far as the future of ATMs in Switzerland is concerned, perseverance is also required from him and his team. A long-term change is underway.

Swiss people still use cash frequently, but demand has been steadily declining since 2015. Swiss banks currently still operate around 7,000 ATMs. According to a study commissioned by SIX, an ideal distribution of 2,200 would be sufficient to supply the entire country with cash and even improve cash access for the Swiss population across the country. Alexander Verbeck explains to host Hannah Wise how SIX, together with the Swiss financial center, wants to bring this transformation to the finish line. 

Sheryl Sandberg is COO of Facebook, one of the richest women in the world, and a mother of two. Around the world, she is considered a role model for women from all generations. With her 2015 book “Lean in,” she dedicated herself to a matter close to her heart and showed women how they can overcome the barriers on the road to success.

Swiss Angela Mygind is attempting something similar with her blog “Miss Finance.” With it, she wants to encourage women to take their financial planning into their own hands. Because when it comes to investing, women have different needs than men –

and they want to understand a financial product in much more detail before they invest.

The financial literacy ambassador explains to host Hannah Wise how she wants to take away women’s fear of investing with her blog – and why it’s so important to just get started.

Football coach Thomas Tuchel has recently amazed the sports world. Within a few months, he has transformed the fallen Chelsea F.C. into a winning team, climbed up the English Premier League table and, to top it all off, won the UEFA Champions League. Part of the introverted German’s recipe for success is his meticulous attention to detail.

Christian Bahr recognizes himself in his fellow countryman. The Head Index Services at SIX explains to host Hannah Wise why every detail also matters when it comes to SMI, IBEX 35 and co. and that it is not only these leading indices that are in demand. At the moment, for example, the new ESG indices from SIX are gaining more and more weight in the market.

At the end of the year, the final whistle will sound for the reference interest rate LIBOR. Christian Bahr’s team has long since “substituted” it with the SARON. He talks about the importance of this long-standing project for the Swiss financial center.

Margaret Hamilton has succeeded in a man’s world. Although in her case, there might even be talk of space. She was involved as a software engineer in several of NASA’s Apollo missions, including Apollo 11, in which Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. She also blazed a trail at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for all the women who came after her. And by making the term “software engineering” respectable in the first place, all her male peers today also benefit from her pioneering spirit.

Berta Ares explains to host Hannah Wise why Margaret Hamilton can be a role model for more than just her. Technology will change all areas of life, she says. That’s why we need more women in STEM professions, that is, professions where knowledge of science, technology, engineering or mathematics counts. Everyone is called upon to master the challenges of today with technology. As Managing Director at BME Inntech, she tries to do her part for the good of the financial markets and the clients of SIX. For example, her team has developed a roboadvisor and is working intensively on solutions for ESG data – the information on environment, social and governance. Following the acquisition of the Spanish stock exchanges BME, BME Inntech belongs to SIX.

John Law was perhaps the only economist who could actually put his theories into practice. With dubious success; the bubble he created in 18th century France, in part with the help of his Mississippi Company, burst spectacularly. Jürg Müller, Senior Fellow and Head of Research “Infrastructure & Markets” at the think tank Avenir Suisse, is nevertheless fascinated by the mathematical talent and analytical skills of the Scotsman, who notably also succeeded as a gambler and made it into the highest political circles as a convicted murderer.

Jürg Müller explains to host Hannah Wise how John Law turned debt into money and how this principle still shapes the financial world today. As co-author of the book The End of Banking, he has extensively studied the “wiring” of the banking world and developed a proposal on how future crashes could be prevented.

In a way, Albert Einstein could see into the future. That fascinated Sita Mazumder even before she started kindergarten. For the Swiss IT economist and entrepreneur, he still embodies the ability to leave the beaten path. As a professor of business and IT at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Sita Mazumder conducts research on artificial intelligence at the interface of business and society and develops sustainable business models for the digital age.

She explains to host Hannah Wise what “digital” means for the old economy in particular. She emphasizes openness to FinTechs – and the importance of trust. Today’s technology-based customer journeys are based on trust more than ever. Cryptocurrencies are a case in point. Is this an opportunity for trustworthy companies like SIX?

Who isn’t familiar with the button in the ear of teddy bears and other cuddly plush animals? Margarete Steiff founded a stuffed-animal company known the world over. For a girl born in the mid-19th century, such a career was anything but predestined, all the more so since she was diagnosed with polio in her infancy. But her disability never deterred her from fighting for her education and achieving true mastery as a seamstress.

Andrea Weidemann, the director of the Swiss Finance Museum in the SIX headquarters building, has a flair for entrepreneurial stories like these. She describes to host Hannah Wise how she brings historical securities to life in the first and only finance museum in Switzerland – a country known for its banks – and explains why financial literacy is so important.

Jeff Bezos has repeatedly succeeded in branching out into adjacent sectors. The online bookseller Amazon was transformed into a media store, and from that into a marketplace for everything imaginable and later even into a supplier of cloud hosting services. Amazon accomplished that by constantly building on what it already had in place. 

The Financial Information business at SIX is in a similar position. Sam Sundera, the Head Future Business in the respective business unit tells host Hannah Wise where SIX, too, has opportunities to make inroads into adjacent sectors, and it, too, can build on its achievements – with  ESG data or historical corporate actions data in the cloud, for example.

Aspects of the way Johan Cruyff played and coached are still visible today on many club and national soccer teams. He was a technically gifted player who did things with his feet that nobody else could. But what really set him apart was his understanding of teamwork and his leadership skills.

His abilities found expression in his conceptualization of “total football”, a system under which any outfield player can adopt the role of any other player. Under this philosophy, defenders, for example, also take over as attackers. SIX CEO Jos Dijsselhof tells host Hannah Wise how he internalized this type of culture in which collaboration is more important than individual talent and how it is lived at SIX.