Alex Widmer
Encyclopedia
Alex W. Widmer was a Swiss
banker who had been the chief executive officer
of the Julius Baer Group
, one of the world's largest providers of private banking
services.
Widmer was hired by Julius Baer in 2005 from his previous position as head of private banking at Credit Suisse
, succeeding Walter Knabenhans.
He had been the head of the bank's private banking business before assuming responsibility for the entire bank, including asset management and investment products. Widmer
had been appointed as chief executive of Julius Baer in November 2007, where he expanded the bank's offices into such places as Jakarta
, Indonesia
and Moscow
, places where new wealth could be found.
He was found dead on December 4, 2008, with reports from sources cited in The New York Times
claiming that the death was from suicide
. Widmer was succeeded by Hans de Gier, Julius Baer's previous chief executive, who had been appointed as chairman of the bank's GAM business unit earlier in 2008.
Born in Schneisingen
, he was an economist by education, who earned a Ph.D from the University of St. Gallen
, a research university in St. Gallen
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
banker who had been the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Julius Baer Group
Julius Baer Group
Julius Bär Group is a Swiss banking firm which is the parent company of Bank Julius Bär, a traditional private bank based in Zurich, Switzerland. The firm dates itself back to the year 1890, when an exchange office was founded by Ludwig Hirschhorn und Theodor Grob. Joseph Michael Uhl and Julius...
, one of the world's largest providers of private banking
Private banking
Private banking is banking, investment and other financial services provided by banks to private individuals investing sizable assets. The term "private" refers to the customer service being rendered on a more personal basis than in mass-market retail banking, usually via dedicated bank advisers...
services.
Widmer was hired by Julius Baer in 2005 from his previous position as head of private banking at Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
, succeeding Walter Knabenhans.
He had been the head of the bank's private banking business before assuming responsibility for the entire bank, including asset management and investment products. Widmer
had been appointed as chief executive of Julius Baer in November 2007, where he expanded the bank's offices into such places as Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, places where new wealth could be found.
He was found dead on December 4, 2008, with reports from sources cited in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
claiming that the death was from suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Widmer was succeeded by Hans de Gier, Julius Baer's previous chief executive, who had been appointed as chairman of the bank's GAM business unit earlier in 2008.
Born in Schneisingen
Schneisingen
Schneisingen is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Schneisingen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 49.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 41.6% is forested...
, he was an economist by education, who earned a Ph.D from the University of St. Gallen
University of St. Gallen
The University of St. Gallen is a public research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland. It is specialized in the fields of business administration, economics, law, and international affairs. The University of St. Gallen is also known as HSG, which is an abbreviation of its former German...
, a research university in St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
.