Lukas Gähwiler, Vice Chairman of the UBS Group AG Board of Directors, will retire and not seek re-election at the company's Annual General Meeting in April 2026. This decision marks the end of his 45-year career in banking.
Gähwiler has held several key positions at UBS, including member of the Group Executive Board and President of UBS Switzerland from 2010 to 2016. He later served as Chairman of UBS Switzerland AG before being appointed Vice Chairman of the Board in 2022. He also represented UBS in major Swiss trade associations and financial industry organizations. During the integration of Credit Suisse into UBS, Gähwiler served as the final Chairman of Credit Suisse AG.
Colm Kelleher, Chairman of UBS Group AG, commented: “It is with great appreciation and deep regret that I had to accept the resignation of Lukas. On behalf of all of UBS, our clients and external partners, I want to thank him for his tremendous contributions and unwavering commitment to UBS. Lukas is one of the most respected bankers in Switzerland and has been a key driving force behind the success of UBS, particularly in Switzerland. He was instrumental in preparing and executing the Credit Suisse transaction, and served as the final Chairman of Credit Suisse AG during an exceptionally demanding transition. Personally, Lukas has been my closest partner since I joined UBS. His expertise, social skills, integrity and work ethics set him apart. He will be greatly missed, and I wish him only the very best for his new endeavors.”
Sergio P. Ermotti added: “Lukas has been a trusted partner throughout my entire career at UBS. As President and later Chairman of UBS in Switzerland, he fundamentally repositioned and strengthened UBS in Switzerland, significantly contributing to the Group’s success. Over the past nearly three years, it has been a privilege to work closely with him on the successful integration of Credit Suisse. While I will miss him and his invaluable contributions, I fully understand his decision to end his outstanding career in banking and embrace new priorities.”
Markus Ronner has been proposed as Gähwiler's successor for both Board membership and Vice Chairmanship at AGM 2026. Ronner has worked at UBS since 1981 in various leadership roles across business operations, control functions, and audit responsibilities over more than two decades. In 2018 he joined the Group Executive Board as Group Chief Compliance and Governance Officer where he managed compliance matters including financial crime prevention, operational risk control, regulatory issues, and governance oversight at group level; he also chaired UBS Switzerland AG from 2022 to 2023.
Kelleher said: “I congratulate Markus on his nomination. His extensive and unique experience in financial services will provide the Board with valuable insights. In his role as Vice Chairman, he will represent UBS across several key industry bodies. I am looking forward to working closely with him upon his election.”
Ermotti noted: “Markus’s foundational work over the past 15 years helped shape the firm’s legal structure and governance. Since joining the Group Executive Board in 2018 as Group Chief Compliance and Governance Officer, Markus has navigated through a demanding non-financial risk environment, based on industry-leading compliance, financial crime prevention and operational risk management standards and established a robust resolvability framework for UBS. I thank Markus for his outstanding contributions and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role.”