Julius Baer has announced the appointment of Jean Nabaa as Chief Operating Officer from April 2026 and the creation of a new Group Communications function led by Cindy Leggett-Flynn, as part of broader leadership changes.
Julius Baer Group has announced a series of senior leadership appointments as part of efforts to strengthen its transformation programme and execution of strategy, including the appointment of Jean Nabaa as Chief Operating Officer and a new head of group communications.
The Swiss wealth manager said Jean Nabaa will join the Executive Board as Chief Operating Officer with effect from 13 April 2026, subject to final regulatory approval. He will succeed Nic Dreckmann, who will step down from his roles as COO and Deputy CEO on the same date and leave the group by the summer of 2026 following an orderly transition.
Jean Nabaa brings more than 20 years of international experience in financial services, with a strong focus on wealth management. He joins Julius Baer from HSBC, where he most recently served as COO for International Wealth and Premier Banking as well as COO for Global Private Banking. Prior to that, he held senior operational roles at Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and began his career at McKinsey & Company in Switzerland. A Swiss national, he holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Lausanne.
Stefan Bollinger, Chief Executive Officer of Julius Baer, said Nabaa’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the group, adding that his experience will be central to driving operational excellence, optimising end-to-end processes, and advancing technology and innovation to support client experience and strategic goals.
Nic Dreckmann’s departure brings to a close a career of more than two decades at Julius Baer. Bollinger thanked him for his leadership and long-standing contribution to the organisation, noting that Dreckmann had played a significant role in shaping the group’s development over many years, and wished him success in his future endeavours outside the company.
In a separate move, Julius Baer announced the creation of a new Group Communications function, which will be led by Cindy Leggett-Flynn. She will join the bank in January 2026 and report directly to the CEO.
Leggett-Flynn has held senior communications roles across global financial institutions and advisory firms. Most recently, she was Global Head of Communications at Credit Suisse, where she led the function during its acquisition by UBS. She previously served as Chief Communications Officer at AIG and spent more than 16 years at Brunswick Group, including as Partner and Managing Partner for Greater China. A US national, she holds a Master of Arts in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge.
Bollinger said Leggett-Flynn’s international experience and background in strategic communications would bring valuable expertise to the newly established role at a time of continued transformation for the group.
