CBH Bank

CBH Bank, formally CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SA, is a privately owned Swiss banking and wealth-management group headquartered in Geneva. The institution traces its origins to Stock and Commodity Services, a Geneva brokerage established in 1975. It obtained a full Swiss banking licence in 1991 and subsequently developed from a securities and brokerage business into an international private-banking group with activities spanning wealth management, asset management, investment management, banking and related financial services. The group focuses primarily on high-net-worth individuals, families, entrepreneurs and institutional clients. Its relationship base has developed across Switzerland, Israel, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The group’s Swiss presence includes its Geneva headquarters and a Zurich branch, together with representative offices in St. Moritz and Israel. Its international structure has included subsidiaries and operating entities in the Bahamas, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Brazil. Through these locations, CBH has sought to combine Swiss private-banking services with access to international investment-management and client-service capabilities. CBH expanded through a series of acquisitions and organizational additions. In 1993 it created the 1618 SICAV family of funds in Luxembourg and opened a representative office in St. Moritz. A fully licensed bank in Nassau, Bahamas, followed in 1995. The 2002 acquisition of PG Partner Bank AG added a Zurich branch. The group later established a representative office in Tel Aviv, opened a London subsidiary with an investment-management licence, and acquired or integrated client and wealth-management activities associated with Banque Privée Espirito Santo, TTG in Hong Kong, FIBI Bank–Switzerland and Schroeder & Co Bank AG. CBH also pursued a limited fintech-related investment when it acquired a 30% minority stake in Geneva digital bank FlowBank in 2020. That investment was sold in March 2022. The group continues to operate principally as a private bank and asset manager rather than as a mass-market retail bank, although its banking services include payment and credit cards. According to the cited Wikipedia reference, CBH’s assets under management grew from less than USD 2 billion in 2010 to USD 16.3 billion in 2024. The same reference describes the group as one of Switzerland’s 25 largest banks by assets under management and capital and reports a Tier 1 ratio of 40%. These figures relate to the stated periods and should not be treated as current without confirmation from a newer official disclosure. The group employed approximately 350 people as of 2025, according to the same reference. Simon Benhamou is identified as the current chief executive officer. CBH’s public profile has also been shaped by reporting and legal or regulatory controversies concerning client due diligence, alleged links to offshore structures and suspected money-laundering risks. The available material includes allegations connected with Venezuelan and Kazakh clients, a Bahamas court finding concerning fraud committed through a client account, and reporting about a reputation-management company. The allegations and findings concern different entities, jurisdictions and levels of evidentiary certainty; they should not be conflated into a single conclusion about the group’s overall conduct. CBH has stated in relation to the Venezuela allegations that it was unaware of money-laundering activity and complied with applicable laws and regulations.

CBH Bank began in Geneva in 1975 as Stock and Commodity Services, a brokerage company. The business initially operated in the securities and commodities field before expanding into banking. In 1991 it obtained a full Swiss banking licence, establishing the foundation for the modern CBH private-banking and asset-management group. The group broadened its investment and geographic platform during the 1990s. In 1993 it created the 1618 SICAV family of funds in Luxembourg and opened a representative office in St. Moritz. In 1995 it opened a fully licensed bank in Nassau, giving the group an offshore banking presence in The Bahamas. The 2002 acquisition of PG Partner Bank AG supported the creation of a Zurich branch and strengthened CBH’s Swiss coverage beyond Geneva. International expansion continued in the following decade. CBH opened a representative office in Tel Aviv in 2010. In 2012 it established a London subsidiary and obtained an investment-management licence regulated by the United Kingdom’s then Financial Services Authority. In 2014 the group acquired a substantial portion of Banque Privée Espirito Santo’s private-banking clientele. In 2016 it acquired TTG (HK) Limited, an independent wealth-management company in Hong Kong. In 2017 it acquired the private-banking activities of FIBI Bank–Switzerland, the Swiss operation associated with First International Bank of Israel, based in Zurich. In 2018 it acquired Eastern European banking clients from Schroeder & Co Bank AG, a member of the Schroders group. CBH entered the digital-banking investment field in 2020 by purchasing a 30% minority stake in FlowBank, a Geneva-based digital bank. The investment was subsequently sold on 24 March 2022, ending CBH’s minority ownership position. This transaction represented a portfolio decision rather than a change in CBH’s central identity, which remained focused on private banking and asset management. The group’s corporate umbrella is CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SA. Its activities encompass transactions associated with an asset-management bank operating with securities-trader status. The group’s structure has included the Geneva headquarters, a Zurich branch, representative offices in St. Moritz and Israel, and subsidiaries or related operating entities in the Bahamas, England, Hong Kong and Brazil. CBH’s growth has been reflected in its reported assets under management. The cited reference states that assets under management were below USD 2 billion in 2010 and reached USD 16.3 billion in 2024. It also places CBH among Switzerland’s 25 largest banks by assets under management and capital and reports a Tier 1 ratio of 40%. As of 2025, the group was reported to employ approximately 350 people. Simon Benhamou is identified as chief executive officer. The bank’s history has also included scrutiny over financial-crime controls and client relationships. Reporting has associated the group or its subsidiaries with investigations and allegations involving Venezuelan and Kazakh clients, while a 2022 Bahamas court judgment criticized the handling of fraudulent withdrawals from a client account. The reference material also describes allegations concerning reputation-management services and a disputed proposed investment involving a Kazakh client. These matters differ in jurisdiction and evidentiary status. Some are allegations or media reports, while the Bahamas matter involved a court ruling and the Venezuela material includes a reported regulatory reprimand. CBH has denied knowledge of money-laundering activity in relation to the Venezuela allegations and has stated that it complied with applicable laws.

1. 2022FlowBank stake sold

   CBH sold its entire 30% minority stake in FlowBank on 24 March 2022.

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2. 2020Minority investment in FlowBank

   CBH acquired a 30% stake in Geneva digital bank FlowBank.

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3. 2018Eastern European client portfolio acquired

   The group acquired Eastern European banking clientele from Schroeder & Co Bank AG.

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4. 2017FIBI Bank–Switzerland private-banking activities acquired

   CBH acquired the Swiss private-banking activities of FIBI Bank–Switzerland in Zurich.

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5. 2016TTG (HK) Limited acquired

   CBH acquired the Hong Kong-based independent wealth-management company.

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6. 2014Banque Privée Espirito Santo client-business acquisition

   CBH acquired a major part of the bank’s private-banking clientele.

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7. 2012London subsidiary and investment-management licence

   The group opened a London subsidiary and obtained a United Kingdom investment-management licence.

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8. 2010Tel Aviv representative office opened

   CBH expanded its representative-office network into Israel.

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9. 2002PG Partner Bank AG acquired

   The acquisition supported the creation of a CBH branch in Zurich.

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10. 1995Bahamas banking operation opened

    The group opened a fully licensed bank in Nassau, The Bahamas.

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11. 19931618 SICAV funds established

    CBH created the 1618 SICAV family of funds in Luxembourg and opened a representative office in St. Moritz.

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12. 1991Swiss banking licence obtained

    The institution obtained a full banking licence in Switzerland.

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13. 1975Creation of Stock and Commodity Services

    A Geneva brokerage company that later developed into CBH Bank was established.

    Source

An owner-controlled Swiss private-banking and asset-management group positioned around personalized service for high-net-worth and institutional clients with international investment needs.

• Private bankingBanking

  CBH’s core banking activity serves high-net-worth individuals, families and other private clients. Services are built around relationship management, portfolio structuring, investment access and banking support rather than mass-market retail distribution. The group’s client coverage extends across Switzerland and several international regions.

• Wealth and asset managementInvestment management

  The group provides discretionary and advisory wealth-management and asset-management services for private and institutional clients. Its international offices and subsidiaries support cross-border client relationships and investment-management activities, while the Swiss parent provides the principal private-banking platform.

• 1618 SICAV family of fundsFunds1993

  Established in Luxembourg in 1993, the 1618 SICAV family of funds formed part of CBH’s investment-product and fund-management platform. The available reference identifies the fund family but does not provide a current list of strategies or fund assets.

• Payment and credit cardsBanking services

  CBH issues payment and credit cards as part of its banking services. The available material confirms that the institution is recognized in Switzerland among card issuers but does not specify current card products, brands or pricing.

• 2022Exit FlowBank investmentM&A

  After holding a minority interest in the digital bank for approximately two years, CBH changed its ownership position.

  What changed. CBH sold its complete 30% stake in FlowBank.

  Aftermath. The sale returned CBH to a position without the reported minority investment in FlowBank.

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• 2020Take a 30% stake in FlowBankM&A

  CBH sought exposure to a Geneva-based digital banking platform while retaining its core private-banking identity.

  What changed. The group acquired a 30% minority stake in FlowBank.

  Aftermath. CBH sold the entire stake on 24 March 2022.

  Source
• 2014Acquire a major portion of Banque Privée Espirito Santo’s private-banking clienteleM&A

  The acquisition formed part of CBH’s expansion of its private-banking franchise and client base.

  What changed. CBH acquired a major part of the Portuguese bank’s private-banking clientele.

  Aftermath. The transaction increased CBH’s private-banking relationship base; no further quantified outcome is provided in the reference material.

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• 2022CBH Bahamas client-account fraud judgmentControversy

  The Bahamas Supreme Court found that fraudsters had taken more than USD 2 million from a client account and criticized CBH Bahamas for failing to exercise the required care and skill in detecting that it was communicating with criminals.

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• Venezuelan corruption and money-laundering allegationsControversy

  U.S. investigative material and media reports alleged that CBH accounts were connected with schemes involving Venezuelan corruption proceeds. The reference also states that the Swiss regulator reprimanded CBH for anti-money-laundering shortcomings involving wealthy Venezuelan offshore clients. CBH said it did not know about money-laundering activity and complied with applicable laws.

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• Kazakh client and oligarch-related transaction scrutinyControversy

  Swiss reporting described a suspected-money-laundering complaint involving payments associated with a Kazakh oligarchic network and mentioned CBH. Separate reporting concerning Aliya Nazarbayeva described an allegation that funds intended for a 51% CBH stake were misappropriated by an adviser. The available reference does not establish that the proposed acquisition occurred or that CBH was found liable.

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• Eliminalia reputation-management allegationsControversy

  The Story Killers project reported that CBH paid almost EUR 229,000 to reputation-management firm Eliminalia after working with its partner ReputationUp. The reported purpose was to remove online material linking the bank to offshore companies and money-laundering allegations.

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• 2022CBH Bank sells its minority stake in FlowBank

  CBH sold the 30% minority interest it had acquired in Geneva-based digital bank FlowBank in 2020.

  M&A
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1. CBH Bank