UBS says Sarah Youngwood to succeed Gardner as group CFO

Geneva

SWISS bank UBS said on Wednesday (Dec 1) it has appointed Sarah Youngwood as its group chief financial officer, effective from May, after current CFO Kirt Gardner decided to step down.

Youngwood has been the financial chief of JPMorgan Chase's Consumer & Community Banking line of business since 2016, UBS said in a statement, adding that she will join its executive board from March.

Gardner will help Youngwood during her 2-month onboarding period before leaving from UBS to "pursue other opportunities"in May, Switzerland's biggest bank said.

Since 2020, Youngwood's role has included leading finance for JP Morgan Chase's global technology unit, as well as its diversity and inclusion team. Between 2012 and 2016, she was the head of investor relations for JPMorgan Chase and before that spent 14 years in various roles in the Financial Institutions Group within JPM's Investment Bank in Paris, London and New York.

Gardner, who joined UBS in 2013, has been group CFO since January 2016. Chief executive officer Ralph Hamers said Gardner had been instrumental in maintaining the bank's financial position and safeguarding client and investor trust through different market environments.

"I'm also excited to welcome Sarah Youngwood to the UBS team in her role as group CFO and group executive board member," Hamers added. "With her strong track record, in-depth finance expertise, and experience across various banking areas, Sarah is ideally suited to lead our finance function into the future." REUTERS