UBS co-president of global wealth management Iqbal Khan was shaped by his home country’s commitment to quality and integrity
Since 2024, Iqbal Khan has been the co-president of global wealth management and president of Asia Pacific at UBS, Switzerland’s largest banking institution and the world’s largest private bank. His move to Hong Kong from Zurich last September was a significant milestone, marking the first time a divisional president of the bank was based in Asia.
This strategic relocation underscores the region’s importance to UBS. At the UBS Asia Investment Conference (AIC) Singapore Wealth Edition held in May, Khan said, “APAC is crucial to our growth strategy, as reflected in our first quarter results, where our APAC business surpassed US$900 billion in assets under management. The results highlight our clients’ trust in our advice and global capabilities to protect their wealth in today’s macroeconomic environment.”
Since arriving in Asia, Khan has prioritised connecting with both clients and staff. In an interview with finance magazine Euromoney in March, he said that, although “settling [in] has been an overwhelming experience”, he didn’t hesitate to get straight to work. “When I arrived,
I dedicated a lot of time to meeting clients, but the big priority was getting to know our people.” In the same article, he spoke appreciatively about the directness of the Hong Kong business culture, noting, “I haven’t had anybody get upset with me for asking for business, which I really appreciate. People ask you for business. You ask them for business.”
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UBS sees Asia Pacific as central to its growth strategy, with the region surpassing US$900 billion in assets under management in the first quarter of 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)
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A key focus for Khan is the high-net-worth (HNW) space. He believes that technological advancements will allow UBS to “offer accessibility to the highest-quality services to every HNW family in the world at a competitive price point”, as he explained to Euromoney. Speaking at the AIC, he further highlighted that over 50 per cent of family offices are looking to diversify their investments outside the US, with Asia being a key destination, according to media company Asian Private Banker. In January, he spoke to Bloomberg, during the bank’s Greater China conference, and emphasised the importance of diversification for clients in a “geopolitically more charged and potentially less global” world.
While Khan is committed to present and future success in Asia, it is his past that got him where he is today. “I have a deep appreciation for Swiss precision and integrity. I grew up in Switzerland and began my career in Zurich, holding leadership roles in different Swiss institutions,” he told Tatler; he worked for EY Switzerland and Credit Suisse before joining UBS in 2019.
“Switzerland’s commitment to quality, discretion and innovation has shaped my personal and professional journey in profound ways,” he continued. “I’ve seen first-hand how the country’s stability and global outlook foster trust and ambition. For me, it remains a source of inspiration and a symbol of excellence.
“Switzerland is more than a place—it’s a life philosophy.”
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