Investment Banking

The tough questions Credit Suisse CEO Thomas Gottstein must answer

The axing of the bank’s chief risk officer and the head of the investment bank is the least that Gottstein could do, David Wighton writes

Under fire: Thomas Gottstein, the Swiss bank’s chief executive
Under fire: Thomas Gottstein, the Swiss bank’s chief executive Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images

Antonio Horta-Osorio who takes over as chairman of Credit Suisse later this year must have been watching recent events with increasing alarm. Individually, the losses caused by the bank’s dealings with Greensill and Archegos are very serious. Together, they suggest that something is badly wrong with the group’s management of risk, perhaps even with its fundamental business model.

But along with the alarm, perhaps Horta-Osorio sees this as an opportunity. If he was thinking that Credit Suisse needed a big shake-up there will now be few who could disagree.

WSJ Logo