Dialog with Stakeholders

Credit Suisse as an international financial services provider is part of an increasingly globalized society. To help us operate successfully while assuming our various responsibilities, we maintain a close relationship with all our stakeholders, including the authorities, international bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

As a globally active company, we not only try to align the interests of our clients, shareholders and employees but also strive to take account of the needs of other representatives of society such as NGOs (see graph below). The way in which a company is perceived externally is of key importance. We therefore take our dialog with all of our stakeholders seriously. This dialog enables joint solutions to be formulated and facilitates an exchange of views and ideas. We cultivate relationships with various representatives from the business community, society and politics to ensure that we see the big picture when reaching business decisions. Governments, regulatory authorities, think tanks, business organizations, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Institute of International Finance (IFF), the European Financial Services Roundtable (EFR), and international bodies such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), are partners with whom we conduct regular discussions.

Dialog with Stakeholders Click this link to enlarge chart.

Sharing expertise

In addition to our involvement in business and sociopolitical organizations, we also participate in national and international conferences, at which we can share our expertise on a range of subjects. In early 2007, we organized a panel discussion on renewable energies at the WEF in Davos. In October 2007, Credit Suisse also participated in the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Global Roundtable - a conference dedicated to the topic of sustainability in the finance industry. We also supported other national and international conferences such as the Swiss NanoConvention in Berne, the Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong and the London Accord on sustainability, either as a sponsor or co-organizer.

Contributions to the public debate

We contribute to the formation of public opinion through various studies and analyses developed by our specialists. Credit Suisse’s Economic Research publications attract considerable interest. These studies address current economic and sociopolitical issues, such as the role of the state, migration, growth or pension reforms, as well as highlighting important trends and devel opments. We also communicate with our stakeholders through a number of other publications such as the "Bulletin" - the world’s oldest banking magazine for clients - and the weekly online publication, "In Focus", which features articles on social, financial and business themes. In the "Global Investor", experts from the worlds of science and politics, as well as the business community, provide in-depth analyses of key global themes relating to sustainability (alternative energies, microfinance, public investments). We contribute specialist articles to the London Accord, a City of London cooperative research program which focuses on sustainability.

Our online forums on selected topics such as sustainable investments are another channel through which we communicate directly with the public. These forums provide a platform for discussions and enable interested parties to discuss questions and concerns directly with Credit Suisse specialists. The Credit Suisse Worry Barometer survey, which has been conducted for over 30 years, provides extensive data about the concerns and needs of the Swiss population and is frequently used by decision-makers in the areas of politics, business and the media.