PROFILE: ALEX WILMOT-SITWELL
Alex Wilmot-Sitwell is a household name in the City of London. He was born in 1961, the son of Peter, a former SG Warburg chairman.
SG Warburg may have disappeared as a brand after the firm’s acquisition by Swiss bank UBS, but through Alex’s efforts the Wilmot-Sitwell name has been more enduring in the world of finance.
Educated at Eton, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in modern history at Bristol University in the early 1980s.
After a stint as director of corporate finance for Robert Fleming in South Africa, he stayed in the country and followed his father’s path by joining SBC Warburg in 1996, which later became UBS.
Making a fast and steady ascent, at 37 he became head of UK investment banking at UBS and moved back to London.
The UBS veteran has held several senior positions, including joint head of European investment banking and Asia-Pacific co-chief executive, during which time he was based in Hong Kong. In 2009, he became one of London’s most senior bankers when he was appointed co-chief executive of UBS Investment Bank.
During his time at UBS, he worked on some of the biggest deals around, including the restructuring of Lloyds Banking Group and fending off Xstrata’s hostile takeover of Anglo American.
He is said to enjoy tennis, golf, skiing, diving, opera and fine wine.
He is also a vice president of the charity Save the Children UK.