Credit Suisse vs Deutsche Bank: Founders, CEOs and History
Credit Suisse was founded in 1856 by Alfred Escher. Deutsche Bank was founded in 1870 by Adelbert Delbrück, Ludwig Bamberger and is led by Christian Sewing.
Company facts
Credit Suisse
- Founded
- 1856
- Headquarters
- Paradeplatz, Zurich, Switzerland
- Employees
- 50,480
Deutsche Bank
- Founded
- 1870
- Headquarters
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Current CEO
- Christian Sewing
- Employees
- 89,742
Founders
Credit Suisse
Alfred Escher
Alfred Escher (1819-1882) was a Zurich politician and railway entrepreneur who founded Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, the bank later known as Credit Suisse, in 1856. He wanted Swiss railways financed with Swiss capital rather than by French and German banks.
Deutsche Bank
Adelbert Delbrück
Adelbert Delbrück (1822-1890) was a Berlin private banker who took the initiative in founding Deutsche Bank in 1870.
Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger (1823-1899) was a banker, economist and National Liberal member of the Reichstag. He co-founded Deutsche Bank in 1870 alongside Adelbert Delbrück and helped draft its founding concept as a bank for foreign trade.
CEOs and their tenures
Credit Suisse
- Alfred Escher1856–1882
Founder & Board Chairman
Built the domestic capital market that helped industrialize Switzerland and made Paradeplatz in Zurich a banking center.
Source - Tidjane Thiam2015–2020
Chief Executive Officer (2015-2020)
Returned the bank to profit, with pre-tax income of about $5.64 billion (CHF 4.7 billion) in 2019, and reduced risk-weighted assets, although the spying affair damaged its reputation.
Source - Ulrich Körner2022–2024
Chief Executive Officer (2022-2024)
Steered the bank through its final tumultuous months and successfully executed the operational integration of Credit Suisse AG into UBS AG before the legal entity's dissolution in May 2024.
Source
Deutsche Bank
- Josef Ackermann2002–2012
Former Chief Executive Officer
He steered the bank through the 2008 financial crisis without a direct state capital injection, but the trading-led model he built left legal and regulatory problems that cost billions in the following decade.
Source - Christian Sewing2018–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Sewing the bank moved from five straight years of net losses (2015-2019) to a record ~$11 billion (€9.7 billion) profit before tax in 2025, with all 2025 financial targets met and ~$9.61 billion (€8.5 billion) of cumulative distributions for 2021-2025.
Source
Timeline: Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank side by side
1856Credit Suisse
Founding of Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA) by Alfred Escher: Alfred Escher founds Schweizerische Kreditanstalt in Zurich in July 1856 to finance Switzerland's railway network and industrialization…
1870Deutsche Bank
Foundation in Berlin
Deutsche Bank receives its banking licence on March 10, 1870, with a mandate to finance German foreign trade.
1873Deutsche Bank
London branch opens
After opening in Shanghai and Yokohama in 1872, the bank opens a London branch, putting it in the world's main trade-finance centre.
1876Credit Suisse
Move to Paradeplatz 8 Headquarters in Zurich: Completes its neoclassical headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich, which became a symbol of Swiss banking.
1929Deutsche Bank
Merger with Disconto-Gesellschaft
Deutsche Bank merges with Disconto-Gesellschaft, then Germany's largest bank merger.
1957Deutsche Bank
Reunification in Frankfurt
After the Allies split it into regional banks following World War II, the three successor banks merge back into Deutsche Bank AG, headquartered in Frankfurt.
1988Credit Suisse
Acquisition of First Boston (CS First Boston): Merges its joint venture with New York investment bank First Boston, taking a large stake that became control in 1990 and creating CS First Boston.
1989Deutsche Bank
Acquisition of Morgan Grenfell
Deutsche Bank buys the London merchant bank Morgan Grenfell, its first big step into international investment banking.
1999Deutsche Bank
Acquisition of Bankers Trust
Deutsche Bank completes its roughly $10 billion takeover of New York's Bankers Trust, building a large U.S. markets business.
2000Credit Suisse
Acquisition of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette for $11.5 Billion: Buys DLJ, then majority-owned by AXA, for about $11.5 billion, becoming a leader in leveraged finance and private equity sponsor advisory…
2008Credit Suisse
Navigating 2008 Crisis Without Swiss State Bailout: Credit Suisse raises about $12 billion (CHF 10 billion) from private investors including Qatar and survives the crisis without state aid, while UBS…
2010Deutsche Bank
Postbank takeover
Deutsche Bank gains majority control of Postbank, adding millions of German retail customers and a large deposit base.
2019Deutsche Bank
"Compete to Win" restructuring
CEO Christian Sewing announces the exit from equities sales and trading, about 18,000 job cuts and a Capital Release Unit for non-core assets.
2021Credit Suisse
The Dual Collapse of Archegos and Greensill Capital: In March 2021 Credit Suisse freezes about $10 billion of Greensill supply-chain finance funds and loses about $5.5 billion on the Archegos default.
2023Credit Suisse
Historic Emergency Takeover by UBS for CHF 3 Billion: After ~$133 billion (CHF 110.5 billion) of net asset outflows in Q4 2022 and the March 2023 bank panic, the Swiss government arranges UBS's ~$3.6…
2024Credit Suisse
Legal Entity Dissolved and Integrated into UBS AG: Credit Suisse AG is merged into UBS AG on May 31, 2024, ending its existence as a separate legal entity.
2025Deutsche Bank
Record profit
Profit before tax reaches a record ~$11 billion (€9.7 billion) and net profit ~$8.02 billion (€7.1 billion) on ~$36.3 billion (€32.1 billion) of net revenues; all 2025 targets met.
2026Credit Suisse
All Former Credit Suisse Clients Migrated to UBS: UBS completes the migration of Swiss-booked clients on March 18, 2026, finishing the transfer of about 1.2 million former Credit Suisse clients worldw…
2026Deutsche Bank
Scaling the Global Hausbank
The 2026-2028 plan targets RoTE above 13% and a cost/income ratio below 60% by 2028; H1 2026 post-tax profit reaches a record ~$4.63 billion (€4.1 billion).
Acquisitions
Credit Suisse
- Takeover by UBS Group AG2023$3.3B
- Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ)2000$11.5B
- First Boston Corporation (CS First Boston)1988Undisclosed
Deutsche Bank
- Numis2023$410M
- Postbank2010Undisclosed
- Sal. Oppenheim2010$1B
- Bankers Trust1999$10.1B
- Morgan Grenfell1989$1.5B
Questions about Credit Suisse vs Deutsche Bank
Who is the CEO of Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank AG?
Deutsche Bank AG is currently led by Christian Sewing. The current CEO or equivalent executive for Credit Suisse was not available in our dataset.
When was Credit Suisse founded vs Deutsche Bank AG?
Credit Suisse was founded in 1856 — 14 years before Deutsche Bank AG, which was founded in 1870. Credit Suisse's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Deutsche Bank AG.
How many employees does Credit Suisse have compared to Deutsche Bank AG?
Credit Suisse employs approximately 50,480 people, while Deutsche Bank AG employs approximately 89,742. Deutsche Bank AG has the larger workforce at 89,742 employees, compared to Credit Suisse's 50,480. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank AG headquartered?
Credit Suisse is headquartered in Switzerland and Deutsche Bank AG is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank AG?
Credit Suisse was founded by Alfred Escher. Deutsche Bank AG was founded by Adelbert Delbrück, Ludwig Bamberger.
Which company has a longer operating history — Credit Suisse or Deutsche Bank AG?
Credit Suisse has been operating for approximately 170 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Deutsche Bank AG has been in operation for around 156 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Credit Suisse vs Deutsche Bank overview