Throughout 2023, for our series, we will be interviewing a variety of companies, members, employees and exciting people from our network.
The Swiss Abroad have different needs; emigrating and returning, globetrotting and working abroad touch almost all areas of life. That’s why we rely on expertise and feedback from all kinds of areas. Over the years, we have acquired a lot of knowledge and gathered partners with exciting offers for Swiss people abroad. We are glad to have reliable partners at our side.
This September, we are on the road with Rolland Triller from Baloise Bank and his team. Baloise Bank’s home base is in Solothurn, but they are at home throughout the world.
How would you describe yourself and your team? Who do we meet when we come to your office?
Our team is a diverse mix. In addition to two Swiss Germans and one German, there is an Italian and a Romand (Swiss French). Our language skills matter to us because we span across the entire Switzerland. In addition to international clients, we also advise institutional clients, clients of intermediaries, as well as clients of independent asset managers. Consequently, it can get loud and hectic for us, and this in different languages simultaneously.
You offer dedicated services for the Swiss Abroad. What motivates you and what added value do you offer? What makes you stand out from your competition?
Our focus is less on specialized services for Swiss men and women living abroad. It is more about striving for equality in financial matters. Swiss citizens living abroad should, in the broadest sense, benefit from the same range of products as those living in Switzerland, with equal quality of advice and fair costs.
What’s your goal? If five years from now you are still working in the same sector, what would you like your organisation to achieve?
We make tomorrow easier, safer, and more carefree for our customers. To achieve this, we take responsibility today. We free our customers from financial concerns so that they can focus on the important things in their lives and find inspiration for new things in their everyday lives. In this sense, we hope to remain the preferred partner for all our customers’ financial matters for the next 5 years and beyond.
Where are you at the moment and – if you could – where would you like to be with your team and why?
When we are not visiting customers, we work at the headquarters of Baloise Bank in the charming town of Solothurn. Of course, we share the wanderlust with our Swiss abroad customers and would love to travel. Travel, as is known, broadens the mind and gives us the necessary inspiration and understanding to better meet the needs of our clientele.
What does the concept of home mean to you and where do you feel at home?
“Home” is a word that can actually have several meanings. Geographically or emotionally. A place where one is born, raised, and where family members live. Home can also be a personal feeling, a feeling of familiarity, belonging, and security. A place where one feels safe, recognized, and simply comfortable.
Is there anything that would make your job easier or better? If yes, can you elaborate?
Thanks to advanced digitization in areas such as e-banking, e-mail, and video calls, communication across borders is now completely straightforward. Country-specific regulatory requirements are very complex. Standardization or even simplification, for example, for all EU member states or AIA (Automatic Information Exchange) participant countries, would be desirable.
Is there any advice or tips you would like to share with future expatriates?
It would be essential to conduct more detailed research about the destination country, especially in terms of political stability, healthcare and social systems, as well as the cost of living. Each country has its own culture. To adapt to a more or less foreign culture, in addition to a minimum of language skills, a certain level of intercultural competence is necessary. Preparation seminars or a longer stay as a trial phase can be helpful.
(Ronald Triller, Private Banking International, Baloise Bank)
Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash