Head International & Transformation, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Bankers Association (SBA)
Since July 2017, August Benz is Head of International & Transformation at the SBA and, since December 2017, he is Deputy CEO of the office. He is responsible for all matters relating to Private Banking, Asset Management, Europe, digitalisation and sustainable finance. Since April 2022, he is President of the Swiss Financial Sector Cyber Security Centre (FS-CSC). He has also been on the Board of the Asset Management Association Switzerland (AMAS) since September 2020. Since October 2023, he is a member of the Foundation Board of Building Bridges.
He started his time at UBS in 1999 and held various management positions. He was head of UBS Asset Management’s global strategy department. He was responsible for leading and restructuring Europe’s largest fund platform and for leading the B2B distribution in Switzerland. He built up UBS Asset Management’s global distribution management function and was Head Client Servicing, with global responsibility for establishing and implementing client servicing standards.
He has a proven track record in the finance industry and is well acquainted with the various aspects of financial market regulation. He has a Ph.D. in political science from St. Gallen University and a Master of Science from Edinburgh University.
Roundtable Room 1 (Level 2)
Open
As technology advances, so do the tactics of illicit actors. Criminal networks are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to launder money, conduct fraud, and evade detection at unprecedented speed and scale. At the same time, these same technologies hold the key to turning the tide—enhancing transparency, accelerating detection, and strengthening financial crime controls.
This roundtable will explore the dual-use nature of AI and blockchain in financial crime, unpacking key questions such as:
- How criminals are weaponising AI for money laundering, fraud, and deepfake-driven scams—and how financial institutions can counteract these threats using AI-powered defenses
- How AI’s predictive capabilities and blockchain’s transparency can work together to enhance compliance, improve regulatory oversight, and disrupt criminal networks
- Emerging challenges, including AI bias, privacy risks, and the arms race between law enforcement and bad actors leveraging next-gen technology
By convening policymakers, financial industry leaders, and technology experts, this discussion will examine how we can turn these emerging technologies from a double-edged sword into a powerful force for financial security and integrity.