Banking differently
As Swissquote nears three decades of operations, Board Chairman Markus Dennler and CEO Marc Bürki discuss what makes Swissquote unique, its long-term direction and what it means to stay ahead of the game in a fast-changing world.
Markus Dennler: We are clearly a mature company today, but maturity doesn’t eliminate the disruptive DNA. We are still a very innovative company, fuelled by a disruptive spirit.
Marc Bürki: Absolutely, and we’ve kept the start-up energy, even if we certainly don’t have the valuation of a start-up anymore. We are perceived as a mature company, with metrics closer to those of a classic bank, but when you walk through our offices, you can feel that start-up vibe. And we absolutely want to keep that as one of our key strategic advantages. It’s also more than a feeling: we have a relatively flat hierarchy, a company-wide bonus system, as well as open and transparent internal communications.
Markus Dennler: The biggest difference compared with traditional banks is our short decision loops. We can really introduce something new in a very short time. That agility is closer to that of a start-up.
Marc Bürki: That same agility is reflected in how we foster innovation internally. Through initiatives such as our Innovation Days and annual Hackathon, we create open, collaborative platforms where ideas can quickly turn into tangible solutions. These events have become both a recurring success and a strong cultural marker within the company. This culture of rapid execution has shaped Swissquote from the very beginning.
Marc Bürki: Yes, I would say fulfilled and exceeded. We have gone from a small software company to what is now almost a Category 3 bank. This was obviously not the plan 30 years ago. But we had this ambition to adapt constantly to a changing world. Of course, 30 years ago nobody was talking about artificial intelligence. The hype then was the internet. But our mindset was the right one. Now, what is exciting with Swissquote is that we are probably better organised or better able than legacy banks to embrace these new technologies. It’s in our DNA to innovate: we understand and know how to handle technology. To give an example, Swissquote is among the first banks to deploy Apertus, a Swiss sovereign generative AI model, operated and hosted directly by Swissquote, without exclusive reliance on foreign providers or external platforms. For us, it is natural. We don’t need an AI strategy to start developing AI tools.
Markus Dennler: Swissquote is today a fully-fledged regulated digital banking group. We are not only present in Switzerland, but also all over the world. We focus on self-directed investing. This is what we are and what we want to be in the future. We have evolved from an early promise of democratising online trading into a much broader platform, making it a reality for hundreds of thousands of clients. And not just clients: we make financial literacy accessible to everyone through free educational online content with our magazine, videos, podcasts, social media channels, eBooks and blog articles. We see this as an extension of our core mission.
Markus Dennler: The fact that we are deeply technologically driven while being a bank offering virtually all the banking services of traditional banks. It puts us ahead in terms of development capabilities.
Marc Bürki: That’s very true. To give an example, 30 years ago there was only one way of doing software development called “waterfall”. You would do one process after the other and then come to the final product. Then came the agile methods that we embraced early on, and this meant working on all the processes at the same time, then combining them to get the result. Much faster and more efficient. Now the change is coming from what AI brings to code writing. This is a silent revolution, but it is already speeding up time to market. The advantage we have is not only do we understand these technologies intimately, but we already have the people in-house to do that kind of development. It also means Swissquote is an education machine for all these young engineers entering the job market: they are coming into an environment shaped by agility and rapid technological development. The launch of our Tech Talent Academy five years ago perfectly embodies how we see our role: identify potential, train in skills and mindset, then integrate and retain talent.
Marc Bürki: It came from the credo of daring to be different, and it is very important in an industry that is so shaken up by technological transformation. At the end of the day, it is not about the products we are selling. Banking products haven’t changed in recent history, apart, perhaps, from crypto and blockchain. But the way we bring those products to clients has fundamentally changed. The user interface is different and will become even more different. And that’s where you must dare to embrace these fundamental changes. Plus, the generational shift makes this type of change almost mandatory.
Marc Bürki: I think one of the main focuses of every bank right now is the fight against fraud. Fraud has become an industry in its own right, also using artificial intelligence to try to defraud people. We’ve made many developments to protect clients and to secure the interface, but it is a never-ending race, so it will remain one of our key priorities. This is why we have developed, for example, a long-term partnership with ETH Foundation’s Zurich Information Security and Privacy Center. We strongly believe cutting-edge academic research and business expertise will push the industry forward in fraud detection and cyber resilience. Another topic is the integration of AI tools to help our clients better manage their wealth and portfolio. These are some of the big developments we will bring to market in 2026.
Markus Dennler: Turning complex financial investing into a simple, fast, digital experience.
Marc Bürki: Embracing new technologies.
Markus Dennler: This applies not only to Swissquote, but to all banks: never trade client trust for fast growth or short-term opportunities. Banking should be about trust and being a trustworthy partner.
Marc Bürki: Couldn’t agree more!
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