Pros
Still a respectful environment where colleagues generally cover for each other’s mistakes and treat people decently. Extremely stable (Swiss backing means it’s virtually “too big to fail”). Remains very strong in traditional wealth management and safe, conservative revenue streams.
Cons
Post-Credit Suisse merger, decision-making has become painfully slow and processes are overly complicated. Layers of internal policies and approval chains in the name of compliance and legal risk have killed efficiency. Paradoxically, despite the excessive caution and multiple safeguards, the firm still frequently faces regulatory investigations for serious breaches. Very good at traditional banking revenue models, but clumsy and inexperienced when it comes to opening new markets or innovative opportunities. The once-collaborative and respectful culture has turned noticeably political since the merger. Now that the bank is much larger, it’s aggressively chasing profit opportunities it was previously too timid to pursue – but execution often feels underwhelming. Favoritism in hiring or hiring irregularity happens time to time.