6. Walter Berchtold – Unfulfilled Career Dreams
As CEO of Falcon Private Bank following the 1MDB scandal, Walter Berchtold's job wasn't an enviable one. The former Credit Suisse private bank head was the clean-up crew who rolled out a new strategy for the Abu Dhabi-owned Swiss private bank bank, formerly owned by AIG until the financial crisis. But Berchtold was doomed to watch Falcon's relaunch from the sidelines after falling out with the Middle Eastern owners.
After just a year at the helm of Falcon, Berchtold is still looking for the crowning gig to his long Swiss banking career. He lost out to investment banker Brady Dougan for the top Credit Suisse job ten years ago; at Falcon, he stumbled over a shareholder structure with its own rules. What next for the 55-year-old banker? Fintech investments and board mandates, or perhaps a run at the top Julius Baer job?
