The UBS workforce

Talent and leadership development

For many years, UBS has invested in developing current and potential leaders. Leadership development is based on the ongoing identification of key position holders, their succession candidates and high potential employees across all Business Groups, regions and functions. Supported by the UBS Leadership Institute, we have implemented group-wide processes that allow us to identify key talent across the company, based on a common set of specific criteria.

Leadership development at a firm-wide level starts with the "Accelerated Leadership Experience", an 18 month development process designed to enhance the leadership capabilities of mid-level managers identified as having exceptional leadership potential. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 300 potential leaders have participated.

More senior leaders are nominated by senior management to participate in the Global Leadership Experience family of programs, where participants learn how to build and lead a client-focused organization and strengthen their personal leadership capabilities. This is supplemented by a cross-Business Group mentoring program in which Group Executive Board members mentor Group Managing Board members, who, in turn, mentor key talents. Since its inception in 1999, approximately 1,600 senior leaders have participated in a GLE program and / or an associated developmental process.

Strategic events allow select members of senior key talent groups to focus on issues critical to UBS's ongoing success. Most notable are the Senior Leadership Conference, an annual event at which more than 700 senior executives meet to analyze and adjust UBS's strategy and / or strategic agenda, and the Annual Strategic Forum, where the top 93 leaders in the firm assess the strengths, opportunities, challenges, values and aspirations that shape the firm's strategy.

Business Group leadership programs also play a key role in developing our talent. ASCENT, the Investment Bank's 18 month early career program, has exposed 450 high-potential employees to specific business challenges, talent and client management skills development, and cross-firm networks since it was launched in 2005. Global Wealth Management & Business Banking's "Leading for Growth" program targets executive and managing directors, and is taught by the most senior managers of that Business Group. Participants strengthen their leadership practices and learn how to create and foster a culture of innovation and active mutual support within their teams. To date, 1,500 senior leaders have attended. Global Asset Management's AMSLE program helps "managers of managers" strengthen their strategic leadership skills by focusing on both leadership and core technical skills. Over 70 managers have participated since 2005.

Business training

All employees have access to professional, personal, management and business-specific skill development opportunities through an ongoing series of educational offerings.

Large-scale core education initiatives address areas of critical importance to the firm, especially in the areas of risk management and compliance. Two firm-wide training initiatives focusing on operational risk mitigation and conflict of interest management were completed in 2006. Additionally, a new six-month "Essential Management Skills" development program launched in late 2006 will train over 1,350 people annually in basic people management skills, knowledge of employment law and a deeper understanding of the firm's strategic agenda.

In the US, financial advisor education provides basic and advanced advisory and sales skills training, as well as technical, risk and compliance training, to both established and newly hired financial advisors and their teams, as well as branch managers.

Responding to increasing demand for UBS's wealth management services in Asia Pacific, UBS in September announced that it will open a new wealth management training facility in Singapore in early 2007. In addition to providing training for employees new to the wealth management industry and ongoing professional development for existing employees, the campus should enable the Asia Pacific wealth management business to increase client advisor numbers by 20% annually.