Efficiency, stability, innovation: The LLB’s digital agenda

With its ACT-26 strategy, the LLB Group is focused on operational excellence, digital innovation, and efficiency. The Corporate Center is a key driver in this effort. In this interview, Patrick Fürer, Chief Digital & Operating Officer, discusses the milestones achieved in 2025 and the priorities for the final year of the strategy period.

Mr Fürer, the Corporate Center plays a key role in implementing the ACT-26 strategy, particularly when it comes to improving the efficiency of core processes. What was achieved in this regard in 2025?

For us, efficiency is not an end in itself, but rather the foundation for stability and growth. In 2025, we made decisive progress. All of this is taking place within the framework of the LLB.ONE programme, and we are fully on track with its implementation. The progress at the Shared Service Center is particularly impressive: despite transaction volumes rising by around 10 per cent, we were once again able to improve the straight-through processing rate – that is, the share of transactions processed entirely automatically, without manual intervention. Error-free and stable!

We also made significant progress in lending, by further automating processes and considerably reducing processing times. We reached another milestone with the optimisation of the client life cycle, where we harmonised and digitalised workflows. These improvements not only drive internal efficiency but also enhance the quality of service for our clients.

The integration and harmonisation of group-wide processes was once again a major theme in 2025. How satisfied are you with the organisation’s ability to deliver on such initiatives alongside day-to-day operations?

I am very proud of our organisation. We have shown that we can not only handle day-to-day business effectively but also manage complex projects at the same time. In addition to our steadily growing core business, which is becoming increasingly demanding, we successfully completed two major projects: the integration of ZKB Österreich and the further expansion of the group-wide Xentis funds platform. Both initiatives were completed on schedule and within budget.

What does LLB do particularly well in this regard?

What sets us apart is our ability to deliver, built on many years of experience with M&A projects – that is, mergers, acquisitions, and divestments – and system migrations. I am convinced that this is a genuine competitive advantage. It makes us a reliable partner for clients and investors alike – even during periods of intense change.

“We have shown that we can not only handle day-to-day business effectively but also manage complex projects at the same time.”

Which achievements in 2025 are you particularly proud of?

Looking back, several things stand out. First, the exceptionally high level of operational stability. We had no outages whatsoever. In an increasingly complex environment, that is no small feat. Second, the continued improvement in our efficiency metrics, which show that we are not only keeping our processes stable, but also streamlining them on an ongoing basis. Beyond that, we also demonstrated our capacity for innovation: with willbe, we reached the milestone of one billion Swiss francs in client assets. Our own online and mobile platform is state of the art and offers clients a first-class digital experience.

Another milestone is the central system platform Novus, which is now even more scalable. It enables us not only to run day-to-day operations, but also to carry out complex migrations at the same time – as demonstrated by the integration of an entire bank, ZKB Österreich, into our Avaloq system.

What is at the top of your agenda for 2026 – the final year of the current strategy period?

In 2026, we aim to bring the ACT-26 strategy to a successful conclusion. We have set clear priorities to achieve this: at the very top is ensuring a high level of operational stability, as this forms the foundation for everything else. At the same time, we are expanding our digital offering to give clients even greater convenience and flexibility.

A further priority is the harmonisation and digitalisation of core processes. This not only increases efficiency, but also lays the groundwork for sustainable growth and a strong market position.