On 1 April 2025, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) formally implemented a major structural reorganisation aimed at strengthening its integrated supervisory capacity across the banking, insurance, and asset management sectors. As announced in its official press release, FINMA’s new organisational framework includes the creation of a dedicated cross-divisional risk unit, the consolidation of oversight divisions, and the elevation of digital and policy functions—effective from 01 April 2025. FINMA’s structural revamp is anchored in its objective to deliver more intensive, direct, and forward-looking supervision in response to increasing risks such as money laundering, cybercrime, sustainability exposure, and liquidity pressure. The measures are designed to support preventive, proportionate regulation, enhance in-house expertise, and streamline its policy and operational coordination.
FINMA’s Creation of “Integrated Risk Expertise” Division (GB-I)
A new cross-divisional unit has been established to centralise supervision of both financial and non-financial risks, including liquidity management, capital adequacy, credit risks, sustainable finance, and money laundering. This division will also lead on-site supervisory reviews, equipping FINMA with more real-time institutional insight. It will be headed by Marianne Bourgoz Gorgé, formerly Head of Asset Management at FINMA.
Merger of “Markets” and “Asset Management” Divisions
FINMA has merged its Markets and Asset Management supervisory arms to consolidate operational synergies and streamline oversight of market infrastructures and investment managers. This new joint division is led by Léonard Bôle, Executive Board member and experienced regulator in AML and asset supervision.
Establishment of a Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Role
A new internal Chief Risk Officer function has been introduced to optimise risk coordination across FINMA’s business units and to ensure consistent supervisory practices across all regulated sectors.
Policy and Digitalisation Centralisation
- Supervisory policy and legal functions are now housed within a consolidated division titled Supervisory Policy and Legal Expertise (GB-S).
- Digitalisation and technological innovation responsibilities have been moved under the Operations Division (GB-O) to enhance FINMA’s ability to respond to fintech and regtech developments.
FINMA Chair Marlene Amstad described the reform as a forward-looking response to emerging sectoral risks and regulatory challenges, stating: “By taking this step, we are addressing the challenges that we will face as an integrated supervisory authority in the future. These include not only new realities in the banking sector, but also challenges for the entire Swiss financial centre such as non-financial risks and conduct issues, money laundering and cybercrime.”
FINMA CEO Stefan Walter emphasised that the structure is designed to promote “preventive supervision with maximum institutional impact” and stated: “This new structure promotes our goal for FINMA of preventive supervision that achieves maximum impact at the supervised institutions while continuing to supervise them in a risk-based and proportionate manner. It will allow us to build on our strengths of professionalism, expertise and motivation. An integrated approach, intensive and direct supervision and an effective organisation are key prerequisites for our success.”
(Source: https://www.finma.ch/fr/~/media/finma/dokumente/dokumentencenter/8news/medienmitteilungen/2025/04/20250401-mm-roadmap.pdf?sc_lang=fr&hash=552B79B69BF5AFF58BA6FF96E32FEACD, https://www.finma.ch/en/news/2025/04/20250401-mm-roadmap/)
