More than just a job

Branson, who was born in the United Kingdom and also holds Swiss citizenship, is a recognised expert in the financial markets and brings considerable international experience to the helm of the German supervisory authority. “Being a supervisor is more than just a job; it’s a vocation”, says the new BaFin President on taking up office in Bonn. Prior to his appointment at BaFin, Branson had been the CEO of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA in Bern for seven years, after joining FINMA in 2010. He began his career in the financial industry at Credit Suisse, and in 1997 moved to UBS, where he held various leadership positions. Branson holds an MA in Mathematics and Management Studies from the University of Cambridge.

BaFin’s reform programme: “a world-class supervisory authority”

In spring, the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) set in motion a comprehensive programme to modernise BaFin and improve the effectiveness of financial supervision, introducing a seven point plan and drawing up the Act to Strengthen Financial Market Integrity (Gesetz zur Stärkung der Finanzmarktintegrität – FISG).

BaFin’s new President intends to drive this reform programme forward. Branson’s goal is for BaFin to become “a world-class supervisory authority”. “I am fully aware that people have very high expectations of BaFin – and rightly so.” Branson believes that this public pressure opens up opportunities to implement changes at BaFin that would otherwise have taken much longer. “I am looking forward to contributing to the modernisation of BaFin and working with BaFin employees to tackle the challenges ahead,” says Branson.