| Global Awards for Excellence | ||
| Western Europe Regional Awards of Excellence | ||
| Austria | Belgium | Cyprus |
| France | Germany | Greece |
| Ireland | Italy | Netherlands |
| Portugal | Spain | Switzerland |
| UK | ||
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Best Bank: Credit Suisse |
Credit Suisse’s Swiss corporate and retail banking unit achieved record financial results in 2008 despite unprecedented market dislocations. In particular, the growth in net new assets throughout the whole period including the first quarter of 2009 highlights the faith that clients have in the bank. Credit Suisse continues to be one of the best-capitalized banks in the world and therefore is seen as an source of stability and a safe haven within its home market.
The bank continues to think carefully about how it deals with different retail customer segments in Switzerland, and has been renovating branches, increasing the number of branches with staff capable of dealing with core affluent clients and designing new bundled packages of basic banking services incorporating elements of a classic customer-loyalty programme.
UBS tops the league tables as lead bookrunner for equity issues in Switzerland, where notable deals include the listing of Orascom Development Holding and the rights issue for AFG, one of the leading European suppliers of radiators, sub-floor heating systems and shower stalls.
UBS was also the leading M&A adviser, acting as sole financial adviser to Atel Holding (Aare-Tessin AG für Elektrizität) on its combination with EOS Holding (Energie Ouest-Suisse) and other parties to create Alpiq, the leading utility in Switzerland. The combination values the new entity at about SFr20 billion ($18.4 billion).
