Chetan Tolia

Chetan is the Head of the Strategic Development Lab within the Investment Bank’s Digital Platforms unit.
Focussed on the IB of the future, SDL is responsible for enabling the firm to innovate it’s business model in order to remain relevant in a digital disruptive age.
This includes running innovation pilots with clients, strategic partnerships with external firms and external direct investment with a long term horizon investment perspective.

Some of Chetan’s current areas of focus include:
1) Tokenisation – how blockchain technology enables digital assets, digital cash and digital custody in financial markets
2) Innovation mindset – how large established firms can innovate their approach and culture to remain competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing environment where FinTechs and BigTechs have are increasing prominence

Joining UBS as an intern in 1997 he has held several change management and transformation roles in both business and technology divisions out of London and Zurich.

Chetan is a UBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Ambassador and co-chairs the IB DE&I council in Switzerland.
He’s an active member of the MOSAIC network that focuses on ethnicity DE&I, and leads the Refugee Engagement Stream as part of that network.

He holds a 1st class honours degree in Software Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology.

Originally from Nairobi, Kenya he lives with his wife and son in Zurich.