HSBC has appointed Alfonso Gómez as Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA and as Country Head for Switzerland, with the role taking effect on 27 April 2026. Gómez joins from BBVA Switzerland, where he served as Chief Executive Officer for more than 12 years, bringing a sustained and highly experienced track record in Swiss private banking and wealth management to the leadership of one of the most prominent internationally owned private banks operating out of the Geneva financial centre.
The appointment concludes a period during which Daniel Calado served as interim Chief Executive, maintaining operational continuity at the Swiss private banking unit while HSBC conducted its search for a permanent successor. Calado's interim role provided stability during the transition period, and the naming of Gómez as his successor brings to an end the uncertainty that interim leadership arrangements inevitably create. Gómez's formal start on 27 April will mark the beginning of a new leadership chapter for the Swiss operation at a time when private banking in Geneva and Zurich continues to attract significant international assets.
OVER A DECADE OF SWISS PRIVATE BANKING EXPERIENCE
Gómez's tenure of more than 12 years as Chief Executive of BBVA Switzerland is an unusually extended run in a senior private banking leadership role in a market where executive tenures tend to be relatively brief and competition for experienced leaders is intense. His time at BBVA Switzerland will have provided an intimate working knowledge of the Swiss regulatory environment, the risk management frameworks specific to Swiss private banking, the characteristics of both local and international high-net-worth client relationships, and the competitive dynamics of a market in which dozens of global wealth managers compete to serve a concentrated pool of significant private assets.
HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA is a core component of HSBC's global private banking and wealth management franchise, which serves wealthy individuals, family offices and institutional clients across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. The Swiss operation, headquartered in Geneva, plays a particularly important role given Switzerland's position as one of the world's leading international wealth management centres and its function as a hub for cross-border private banking relationships serving clients from across Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Placing a leader with Gómez's depth of Swiss market experience at the head of that operation signals HSBC's intention to compete aggressively for mandates in the market.
A STRATEGIC APPOINTMENT FOR A KEY PRIVATE BANKING HUB
The incoming chief executive inherits a business embedded in the broader strategic transformation of HSBC's wealth and personal banking division, which the group has identified as a priority growth area. Private banking in Switzerland faces both opportunity and structural pressure: assets under management have benefited from strong market performance and sustained demand for wealth preservation, diversification and succession planning services, while competitive fee pressure, regulatory complexity and the demands of digital transformation require managers to operate with increasing sophistication and efficiency.
Gómez is expected to take the reins of HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA on 27 April 2026, with a brief transition period for the handover from the interim leadership. His appointment signals that HSBC has prioritised deep Swiss market expertise in selecting its new Swiss private banking chief, and his background at BBVA Switzerland — a well-regarded if smaller private bank — provides direct experience managing the kind of client relationships and operational challenges that the HSBC franchise in Switzerland presents.