Stefan Walter

Stefan Walter (1965) has been FINMA’s CEO since 1 April 2024. In this role he is responsible for the operational management of FINMA.

From 2014 to 2024, Stefan Walter was Director General at the European Central Bank (ECB). There, he was responsible for the supervision of systemic banks in the eurozone and led this division for six years. From 2020, he was responsible for horizontal risk supervision at the ECB. This encompassed all categories of risk, in particular credit and liquidity risks, as well as developing and conducting stress tests.

Previously, Stefan Walter was Global Bank Regulatory and Supervisory Policy Network Leader at Ernst & Young for two years. From 2006 until 2011, he was Secretary General of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. In this role, he coordinated the international negotiations on regulatory reforms during the global financial crisis. Prior to this, Stefan Walter held various roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, most recently that of Senior Vice President responsible for supervisory policy, financial analysis, and financial stability.

Stefan Walter studied at Columbia University, New York and the University of California, Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in International Banking and Finance.