Reto Ringger
Founder and CEO
“We have a big idea that we are committed to.”
RETO’S BACKGROUND
Reto Ringger is the founder of Globalance Bank. Initiating and advancing companies is in his blood. As early as 1995, he founded the SAM Group, the world’s first provider to focus on sustainable investments. The great success proved his pioneering spirit right: in 2008 Reto Ringger sold the prospering SAM Group to the Robeco Group.
While the SAM Group was aimed exclusively at institutional investors, Reto Ringger now also enables private clients, families and foundations to invest in future-oriented companies and investment products with Globalance Bank.
Under Reto Ringger’s leadership, SAM became one of the world’s leading providers of sustainable investments. In 1997, the bank launched the world’s first investment fund with a focus on sustainability investments. Later, in cooperation with Dow Jones, SAM launched the world’s first equity index for sustainable investments. In 2001, the group launched the first private equity fund in the cleantech sector. Reto Ringger is familiar with all aspects of investment banking, having worked in this field at various well-known financial institutions, including Swiss Re, UBS and Bank Vontobel.
Reto Ringger has received numerous awards for his entrepreneurial successes. Here are just two of them: the Global Green Award from Green Cross International (www.gcint.org) for the launch of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index – and the Cleantech Pioneer Award (www.cleantech.com) for the successful establishment of the world’s first globally investing private equity cleantech fund.
Reto Ringger holds a degree in economics (lic. oec. publ.) from the University of Zurich. He is a member of the Club of Rome (www.clubofrome.org) and was a member of the Executive Committee from 2012 -2018. He was also President of the Foundation Board of WWF Switzerland (www.wwf.ch) from 2012 -2016.
In July 2019, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the International University in Geneva (IUG) for his exceptional achievements and numerous innovations in the field of sustainable investments.
“It was in June 1997 when we developed the idea in our young company to launch a sustainable stock index. So we flew to New York to convince our partner of choice, Dow Jones, of the idea. We had to make several attempts before it worked. But when Dow Jones finally agreed, we could get started. An idea turned into a great success that is still going strong 17 years later. With Globalance, we again have a big idea that we are committed to. Today, however, our partner is not Dow Jones, but many private investors, foundations and families who achieve a return with meaning with their investments.”
