One of us

A fictionalized story of a high-flyer and media charmer who, with entrepreneurial talent, catapults a medium-sized mortgage institution into the top three of the system-relevant banks in a wink of an eye. A tragicomedy between success and embarrassment that could not be more (a)typical for Switzerland - because at some point the accounts will be settled.

Inspired by entrepreneurial flair and model balance sheets, he takes off as a banker to media applause. The top manager from the mountains manoeuvres a cooperatively structured rural bank into the premier league of Swiss financial institutions. The National Bank describes the dusty financial cooperative under his leadership as a "system-relevant bank". The almost two million cooperative members also love and celebrate him. They say: He is one of us. 

The doer is getting used to the luxury of the privileged. His suits are tailor-made, business trips for private purposes are a matter of course and visits to brothels become socially acceptable. He puts friends into key positions, founds subsidiaries and gets himself elected to the board of directors. The press accompanies him sympathetically, shares responsibility for his rapid rise, and for a long time does not ask the media darling any significant questions. Too long?

A few years later, the inconsistencies are obvious on all sides, because no one ever asked about due diligence - whether board of directors, auditing company or internal risk- and audit-committees.

Genre

Tragicomedy

Idea

Inspired by a true story

Producers

Susann Henggeler and Hans Syz