UZH Finance Roundtable November 2025
Focus: Political Uncertainty and CFO Risk Mitigation
The second Finance Roundtable Took place on 28 November 2025 at the University of Zurich, where an exclusive group of CFOs met to discuss the impact of political uncertainty and risk mitigation.
Hosted by Prof. Walter Farkas from our Department of Finance and by Dr. Jürgen Brücker, CEO of the Executive Education, the roundtable connects CFOs with the University of Zurich, with a particular focus on family-controlled companies.
The event series is initiated by Dr. Patricio Ohle from FBXperts. The roundtables aims to foster a community of CFOs at the University of Zurich by leveraging Zurich’s strategic location and the University’s comprehensive and diverse academic landscape and executive education, particularly within the field of finance. UZH's spirit of academic freedom and research excellence makes it the perfect place for such impactful discussions.
"A successful event with outstanding keynote contributions and an in-depth discussion on the topic of ‘Political Uncertainty and CFO Risk Mitigation’. A strong example of how our ecosystem of companies and the University of Zurich comes together effectively as a platform."
-Jürgen Brücker, CEO Executive Education at the University of Zurich
Program
Time: 28 November 2025, 09:30 - 16:00
Location: University of Zurich (UZH)
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Welcome and introduction of participants and speakers at the roundtable by |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | Presentation: "Global balancing – challenges for a European player in a new geopolitical situation" by Felix Hess, CFO, Hilti Group A look at Hilti’s adaptation to shifting geopolitical conditions and the rebalancing of its global operations |
| 11:00 - 11:20 | Coffee Break |
| 11:20 - 12:00 | Presentation: "From the US (University of Chicago), to Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization the Department of Economics at UZH" by Prof. Ralph Ossa, Department of Economics, UZH Insights into global economic dynamics |
| 12:00 - 12:45 | Presentation: "Navigating geopolitics, tariffs, supply chain operating models and global trade systems adaptation" by Jonathan Baumeler, Direktor Tax and Legal, E&Y EY’s strategies for addressing tariffs, shifting supply-chain models, and the evolution of the global trade system |
12:45 - 13:45 |
Lunch Snacks |
| 13:45 - 14:20 | Presentation: "Szenario Analysen, auch angewandt auf geopolitische Risiken und Threat Casting" by Dr. Philipp Keller, CRO, Generali Versicherung A session on scenario analysis and geopolitical risk assessment |
14:20 - 14:40 |
Coffee Break |
14:40 - 15:30 |
Presentation: "Geo-Politik und Unternehmensführung" by Oliver Müller, Corporate Services, RUAG Holding AG An overview of the challenges and transformations shaping today’s security environment |
15:30 - 16:15 |
Panel Session: "Building resilience"
|
16:15 |
Summary and outlook for the next meeting (Future of Sustainable Finance, Schweiz und Europa, Cyber Risks & Legal Risks) Followed by an Apéro |
More information and impressions.
- UZH Finance Roundtable February 2025: CFO Insights on AI, Big Data and Impact on Investment Management: Link
- FBXperts: https://www.fbxperts.ch/
