SEC Thought Leadership & Dialogue

Zurich, 25 February 2026

What an exceptional evening for the Swiss and Central European financial community.
On 25 February 2026, our SEC Thought Leadership & Dialogue Event brought together an impressive group: several ambassadors and diplomats, leading personalities from business and finance, as well as around 50 decision-makers from supervision, banking, and corporate leadership from Switzerland and CEE.
An evening full of clarity, depth – and consciously confidential openness
As announced, the focus was not on individual statements but on genuine dialogue. FINMA President Prof. Dr. Marlene Amstad offered a clearly structured insight into the fundamental principles of financial market supervision – from governance and incentive systems to the growing importance of technology and artificial intelligence. With great dedication and foresight, she demonstrated how supervision works today and which questions will become even more important in the future.
Dr. Jürg Müller, Director of Avenir Suisse, complemented this perspective with a macroeconomic and long-term view: systemic risks, technological shifts, global interdependencies, and the challenges of a complex financial system. His ability to place developments in a historical and geopolitical context added additional depth to the evening.
What was most remarkable was the quality of the dialogue
Not only on stage, but just as intensively during the subsequent apéro, the at times controversial topic was discussed openly, critically, respectfully, and at eye level.
The topics ranged from:
  • governance and responsibility,
  • technological transformations and AI,
  • international supervisory cooperation,
  • to the role of Switzerland in the European and global environment.
Even without insights into confidential content, it is fair to say:
Rarely has the combination of expertise, openness, and mutual respect been so tangible.
Why evenings like this matter
When business, regulation, diplomacy, and international partners meet directly, a space emerges that strengthens the entire ecosystem: more understanding, more trust, more innovative power.

Thank you!

A big thank you to:
  • our Supporter Circle Member OBT for their long-standing and reliable support,
  • the Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland (AFBS) for the partnership,
  • as well as all guests who made this evening a true highlight.
SEC will continue to create such platforms — in Switzerland and in Central and Eastern Europe.
👉 You can find impressions and special moments from the event in our photo gallery below.