INTERVIEW - «Irgendwann fühlt man sich fremd im eigenen Land», sagt der Präsident von Swiss Life

Rolf Dörig, the president of Swiss Life, has spoken out against the lack of social engagement from the economy and expressed his opposition to the new European agreements. In 2002, Swiss Life suffered a loss of 1.7 billion Swiss francs, which was a critical time for the company. Dörig admits that he may not have had the courage to switch from Credit Suisse to Swiss Life if he had known what was coming.

He emphasizes the importance of returning trust to Swiss Life, spending time with the public and internally with employees. The company worked on realigning its business and built a new business leadership. After purchasing AWD, Swiss Life faced criticism for the high price and significant liabilities. However, Dörig considers the purchase a success story as it laid the foundation for Swiss Life Select, focusing on financial and pension advice.

Swiss Life has also been expanding its private investment business, but Dörig clarifies that they do not aspire to become a traditional private bank. Instead, they aim to cover the entire scope of retirement through financial planning with investment products, as banks and insurance services are increasingly similar. Swiss Life has decided to cut around 600 jobs, with 300 in Switzerland, due to certain business areas becoming less significant while others, like compliance, have grown.

Dörig believes that artificial intelligence (AI) is an industrial revolution 2.0, but cautions that it will have winners and losers. He is particularly concerned about the impact of AI on young people and their ability to develop their own judgment and experience in a corporate environment. Dörig advocates for more investment in the youth to ensure they can still contribute to the company and learn from their experiences.