Dr. Hans Vontobel, Honorary Chairman of Vontobel Holding AG, died on January 3rd 2016 at the age of 100. According to Vontobel’s statement “The employees of Vontobel are mourning an exceptional man, with whom they all felt a special bond.”
Hans Vontobel joined the then J. Vontobel & Co. in 1943, and under his leadership it became one of the leading internationally active investment advisory firms. He took over as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1981, and had served as Honorary Chairman since 1991. For many years, he was the Chairman of the Zurich Stock Exchange, a member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Bankers Association and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and Chairman of the German-Swiss Chamber of Commerce.
A father of two daughters and a son, he was not only a passionate banker, he was also an author and publicist. His credo “quand même” was immortalized in his his last Blog entry, He had an acute sense of civic awareness, and was a keen observer of his time. Hislife was greatly influenced by his love of nature, and by his commitment to a wide range of charitable causes. As a philanthropist he will be remembered, among other things, for having set up the Vontobel Foundation, the Kreatives Alter Foundation, and the Lyra Foundation, which supports highly gifted young musicians.
As a prudent and far-sighted entrepreneur, he soon put his stamp on the house and also addressed his own transience with the transfer of significant stakes to the Vontobel Foundation and the family-controlled Vontrust AG. “Ensuring that the company would remain independent after his death was a matter of great importance to him,” stated Vontobel.
Herbert J. Scheidt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vontobel Holding AG said: «Hans Vontobel was one of the most important bankers in our country, but beyond that he was a convinced humanist, who put people at the heart of everything he did. He will remain an example to us all, as a source of considered, far-sighted advice, and with his cosmopolitan outlook and thirst for knowledge. The Board of Directors, Group Executive Management and the employees will carry on his work and his values with a due sense of responsibility, resolve and commitment. All the employees send their heartfelt condolences to the family.»