Credit Suisse Group appoints Joanne Hannaford as Chief Technology & Operations Officer and a member of the Executive Board

Credit Suisse Group AG announced the appointment of Joanne Hannaford as Chief Technology & Operations Officer and a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse Group, effective January 1, 2022.

Mrs. Hannaford joins from Goldman Sachs, bringing deep technical expertise, creativity and strong leadership acquired in a global setting over the past three decades. Joanne will be based in Zürich and report directly to the Group CEO, Thomas Gottstein. James Walker, the current Chief Operating Officer, will continue in his role until the end of the year.

As of January 1, 2022, James will become the deputy CEO of Credit Suisse Holdings (USA), Inc. and be based in USA for family reasons. James will focus on ensuring that we operate our US businesses in a controlled and efficient manner.

Sir António Horta-Osório, Chairman of Credit Suisse, said: "I am very pleased to welcome Joanne to Credit Suisse, where she will drive the IT and digital strategy of the bank. Technology is and will increasingly be a key success factor in financial services and with her skills, Joanne is well positioned to lead our strategic efforts going forward."

Thomas Gottstein, Group CEO, stated: "Joanne is a recognized technology professional and her joining the leadership team highlights our commitment to technology as a key factor of success. Joanne’s expertise in leading technological changes as well as implementing digital strategies will be key as Credit Suisse further focuses on technology to deliver value for its clients. I am very much looking forward to the new perspectives Joanne will bring to the Executive Board. I also would like to thank James for his services over the past years in his role as Chief Operating Officer and look forward to continue working with him."

Mrs. Hannaford has held a number of senior roles across Goldman Sachs Engineering in London and New York, including co-head of Enterprise platforms and global head of resiliency. Most recently Mrs. Hannaford has been instrumental in defining the EMEA Engineering location strategy and leading significant change programs.  She was named managing director in 2008 and partner in 2014. She served as a member of the Goldman Sachs Engineering Executive Group.

Joanne Hannaford started her career at Merrill Lynch after graduating with a First Class Bachelor of Science degree from Staffordshire University. She was awarded the Professor Michaelson Award for outstanding research in Computer Science.  Mrs. Hannaford serves on the UK Government Digital Service Advisory Board, Chairs the Bank of England CIO Forum (CMORG) and is a member of the Royal Society Science, Industry and Translation Committee. In 2020 she received the Women in Banking and Finance Award for Achievement.