World’s Best Private Banks 2025: Western Europe

Greater competition drives more personalization.

Amid an improving monetary landscape and enhanced investment banking opportunities, many of Western Europe’s leading private banks are witnessing a strong resurgence in assets under management and profitability growth. Yet, despite these positive trends, the region faces significant geopolitical and long-term economic risks that make achieving industry excellence more complex.

As clients continue to amass greater wealth, their demand for highly specialized services intensifies. This often leads them to engage multiple private banks to fulfill their evolving objectives.

In response to the growing client-retention challenge, banks increasingly invest in expanding their technological capabilities, establishing this as a cornerstone strategy for industry growth. Simultaneously, large banks in the region are pursuing inorganic growth strategies to enhance their market position by acquiring smaller, well-regarded local institutions.

This year’s winners distinguished themselves, consistently delivering best-in-class wealth management services to their clients by not only anticipating these trends but also excelling in navigating them.

Best Private Bank: UBS

Since UBS completed the Credit Suisse acquisition in mid-2023, UBS Private Wealth Management is now the world’s largest private bank, with a mind-blowing $2.6 trillion in invested assets.

According to KPMG Switzerland research, the impressive numbers make the giant bigger than all other Swiss banks combined in terms of invested assets in the wealth management segment alone.

However, while the bank’s undisputed leadership in Western Europe is evident, UBS’ impact goes far beyond that. The firms’s depth in products, offerings, and market positioning gives it a significant edge over its varied competition.

One of its latest developments, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to its clients, was the launch of a tool that can swiftly identify potential M&A deals by analyzing a database of over 300,000 companies in under 30 seconds.

Best Private Bank For Sustainable Investing: LGT

LGT has made significant strides last year towards meeting its ambitious goal of boosting client allocations in sustainable investments to 80% by 2030, as part of its flagship Sustainability Strategy 2030.

The private bank recently debuted pioneering funds, such as the LGT PB Sustainable Transition Enabler Fund, which focuses on investments that facilitate shifting to a low-carbon economy.

Furthermore, the launch of GIM NextGen, a new share class co-investing with the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, has expanded sustainable investment opportunities to the bank’s clients.

The bank’s active stewardship strategy includes enhanced engagement with companies on sustainability issues, ensuring corporate alignment with environmental goals. LGT also joined critical initiatives like the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment’s Advance collaborative human rights initiative, enhancing the bank’s impact on sustainable practices.

LGT also hosted its inaugural LGT Climate Conference in Vienna, bringing together over 330 clients and leaders from various sectors to address climate science and investing.

Best Private Bank Digital Solutions For Clients: Santander Private Banking

Santander Private Banking’s push for more and better globally integrated offerings has at its forefront a laser-sharp focus on improving its own already-best-in-class digital offering.

Recently, the Spanish giant upgraded its flagship Banking app, enabling relationship managers in Miami and Switzerland to access client accounts on mobile devices for efficient, on-the-go management.

In mid-2023, the bank also rolled out secure digital custody for cryptographic keys, providing high net worth clients with digital solid asset security.

Furthermore, the bank used digital tools for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, by launching reports with environmental and social metrics that leverage advanced data analytics in six key markets.

It plans to expand these services into all European markets by 2025, further deepening the bank’s ethical investment offering.