HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeStrategyback to Research & KnowledgeFailure of corporate governance at UBSback to Strategy

Case Study

Failure of corporate governance at UBS

By Ulrich Steger and Christoph Nedopil

10 pages

July 2008

Order this case study

Reference: IMD-3-2003

In April 2008, UBS was the bank that had been hit hardest by the subprime crisis. Due to its high risk exposure, UBS had to write down almost US$ 40 billion. The first consequences were already drawn, such as the removal of UBS’s chairman Marcel Ospel. But was that enough for a major Malaysian pension fund which was considering to invest money in UBS? Was UBS’ corporate governance fit or was the board – as the ultimately responsible body – unaware of the risks and unable to deal with them? What was needed to improve the situation?

Learning Objective

Discuss the board’s and the investor’s responsibility in a bank’s risk exposure and risk strategy. Also learn how to possibly voice concerns in a board with a chairman, who was considered wily, ruthless and mercurial.

Keywords

Corporate Governance, Board of Directors, Banking, Corporate Failure, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

Settings

Switzerland
Union Bank of Switzerland
2008

Type

Published Sources

Available Languages

English

IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Keep reading

Article

Annual prognoses and corporate strategy - 2025 Trends

Why the market for new year predictions is broken and how executives can better use forecasts to discern the implications for their companies.

Future Readiness Strategy

By Simon J. Evenett

in I by IMD

Article

Why leaders don’t engage in strategic thinking

Strategic thinking is key to success. Overcome common excuses and develop the skills to navigate change, drive innovation, and prepare for future business challenges.

Leadership Strategy

By Michael D. Watkins

in I by IMD

Article

Leadership 2025 - 5 Key Behaviors - Tania Lennon

The increasing pace of disruption and change means leaders need to cultivate behaviors that support their sustained success. From building strategic flexibility to broadening stakeholder connections, here is our expert guide to leading in an age o...

Leadership Disruption Strategy

By Tania Lennon

in I by IMD

8 January 2025

Article

How luxury brands can build strategic resilience in 2025

Officially, brands executives continue to display confidence that big luxury will shrug off the 2024 downturn as a cyclical one. They see it as the product of the combined collapse of real estate prices in China and a return to normalcy after the ...

Luxury Strategy Branding Innovation

By Stéphane J. G. Girod

in Forbes.com

3 January 2025

Article

Here’s what we predicted for 2024… how did we do?

Did our predictions for 2024 come true, a turbulent election year, bitcoin and CBDC, COP29 and electric cars, China, EU integration and Euro football

Finance Future Readiness Geopolitics Strategy Sustainability

By Robert Hooijberg, Arturo Bris, David Bach, José Parra Moyano, Michael R. Wade, Julia Binder, Howard H. Yu, Simon J. Evenett, Alyson Meister, Salvatore Cantale and Stefan Michel

in I by IMD

Book Chapter

The strategic imperative

In a world where change is the only constant, the strategic imperative for sustainability is not just a theoretical construct – it’s a call to action. This section of the book delves into the core strategies that will enable businesses to thrive i...

Business Transformation Innovation Strategy

By Julia Katharina Binder and Knut Bjarne Haanaes

in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 59-62 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Book Chapter

Framing the conversation

In late 2020, as the world began to emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wärtsilä, a Finnish corporation specializing in power systems, made a bold decision. Despite being a well-established company with a strong track record in...

Strategy Leadership Disruption

By Julia Katharina Binder and Knut Bjarne Haanaes

in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 1-7 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Article

In the field with the International Olympic Committee

How can a non-profit organization implement a carbon accounting system to promote sustainability in sports without impacting culture and collaboration?

Sustainability Accounting Strategy

By Florian Hoos, Giovanni-Battista Derchi and Valerie Keller-Birrer

in In the Field

19 December 2024

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Leadership 2025 - 5 Key Behaviors - Tania Lennon

By Tania Lennon
in I by IMD 8 January 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Leadership

Disruption

Strategy

Browse all topics

How luxury brands can build strategic resilience in 2025

By Stéphane J. G. Girod
in Forbes.com 3 January 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Luxury

Strategy

Branding

Innovation

Browse all topics

The strategic imperative

By Julia Katharina Binder and Knut Bjarne Haanaes
in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 59-62 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Business Transformation

Innovation

Strategy

Browse all topics

NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2351 ©2024

Summary

NTT Corporation, Japan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) leader since 1953, was the first to commercialize internet usage on mobile phones in the 1990s, which resulted in NTT achieving much success in Japan. However, by the end of the 2000s, Japan faced challenges with an aging population and a stagnant economy. Recognizing disruption in the ICT sector, CEO Satoshi Miura understood the need for the dominant players in the ICT industry to integrate emerging business domains beyond their existing frameworks. To secure leading global positions in ICT and the new paradigm of cloud computing, Miura needed to make strategic choices to revive growth. Case A provides information on NTT, its rivals, the global market and cloud computing disruptions. The case ends with NTT’s CEO exploring strategic growth options to prepare NTT for the future.

Reference IMD-7-2351

Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

General Management

Digital

Disruption

Browse all topics