More than a job

For Martin Nideroest, “You & Us” is no empty slogan. He and his team at UBS in Lucerne (Central Switzerland) cater to corporate clients in the region – an area which was hit by severe storms in the summer of 2005. This was disastrous for many clients whose factories were flooded or who were affected by power cuts. The flooding also hit transport and communication infrastructure, in some cases taking it out of action altogether. This meant that immediate assistance, rather than long-term reconstruction, was the first priority. But instead of donating to an aid agency, Nideroest and his team asked what they could do themselves for their hardest-hit clients, whose employees were busy with the clean-up and who were also personally affected. “I suddenly realized that pay day was approaching, and that many employees at small and medium size companies would be waiting in vain for their money if we didn’t do something about it,” recalls Nideroest. In one case, he approached the head of finance at a company employing 200 people and offered his help in paying salaries on time. Others suffering the after-effects of the flooding were also contacted. “We put ourselves in the place of our clients and their staff. We saw a problem and offered a solution before we had even been asked,” he explains. So was his intent simply to deepen client relationships? Nideroest says no. “We had very close relationships with the small and medium size companies well before this event,” he explains. “This was not about us or UBS coming across as saving the day; we just wanted clients to know that we are there for them, both in bad and good times.”This demanded teamwork and a little improvisation on the part of UBS. Taking the initiative was just the first step; the team then had to grapple with the practical implementation. As ever, the devil was in the detail. The client’s technical infrastructure was so severely damaged that it was not possible to process orders via e-banking as usual. All the data had to be saved to disks, and when Nideroest received them, he realized that his branch barely had any PCs left with disk drives. “With the help of my colleagues in IT and electronic banking, we were finally able to read the data, authorize the payments as normal and credit the employees’ accounts – otherwise nothing would have happened.”The client and its employees were very grateful, and since then UBS’s competitors have had an even tougher job on their hands. Demonstrating solidarity in a crisis is therefore helping to strengthen client relationships long-term. “UBS is not a charity,” declares Nideroest. “The best way forward is if we can grow in tandem with our clients.”

Franziska Reich von Ins is involved in fostering sustainability of another kind. She is in charge of communications for the UBS Optimus Foundation. The foundation enables clients to contribute to a wide range of humanitarian projects, and thus meets a proven demand among clients for ways in which they can do good. So what motivates them to give money away? “You can spend a long time pondering what lies behind such altruism. Basically I believe that there is greater solidarity out there than we generally imagine, and I see this confirmed in my work.” A trained social psychologist, she previously worked at Wealth Management Switzerland. “I always knew I would move to the UBS Optimus Foundation if the opportunity arose,” she recalls. For her the move has been a dream come true, as she describes: “You gain insight into fascinating projects, contact with people from very different cultures and social backgrounds, and the chance to help those less privileged than we are.” Reich von Ins has just been to Poland to visit a child protection project in Warsaw. “It’s very moving to speak to those on the ground. You see how people work to help children and how much can be achieved with very little. In this case, the children were victims of sexual abuse; a crime which is sadly still far too common throughout the world.” One of the main areas of focus is southern Africa, where the need is greatest. “We also attach considerable importance to supporting girls, as educated women pay greater attention to their children’s health and make sure that they attend school. This reaps benefits in the next generation.” In the field of healthcare, the Foundation backs innovative projects to combat tropical diseases, which kill millions worldwide. “We consider it crucial that aid has a long-term impact and helps people to help themselves,” she emphasizes. The UBS Optimus Foundation does not run any projects of its own but lends financial and expert assistance to existing programs for a set length of time. This means it is not possible for donors to influence where the money goes. Some people want to be recognized as sponsors of a particular project, however. “These clients are typically those who witness greater suffering right on their doorsteps in their home countries than is the case in the industrialized West.” But alleviating genuine need must take precedence over donors’ prestige.

Making donations is, however, not the only way of supporting a community. Especially in the US, volunteering is widespread, as evidenced by Grant Chamberlain’s efforts. While currently on an international assignment in London, his home base is with the global asset management business in Chicago, where he has taken part in a program designed to improve children’s reading skills. “What I love about working here is that UBS is not just a place I come to do my work and then leave,” he says. So twice a month he and other volunteers visit a local school during lunch break to support children who are less likely to have their parents read to them – and who therefore struggle with reading themselves. “The more we read to them the better their reading skills become, and I’m given the opportunity to work with the same child, see her grow and her reading skills improve – a very rewarding experience,” he says. At the same time, he is keen to point out the various programs aimed at employees’ children who can apply for scholarships. “UBS will help pay for them to go to college which is not only giving back to the community but also giving back to the employees who are part of that community at the same time.” On a recent business trip to Zurich, Grant discovered how community affairs could be driven by sheer market share: “I was impressed with the fact that UBS is a huge part of the community and such a well-known name. Around every corner is either a UBS office or a “You & Us” poster.”