On 14 September 2005, Liberty Foundation for Vested Pension Benefits was the first of Liberty Pension's four foundations to be listed with the commercial register of Canton Schwyz, laying the cornerstone for a singular success story in the Swiss pension market. Liberty Pensions duly celebrated its fifth anniversary on 14 September 2010.
In the pension business, success is not a matter of course, and Liberty had to overcome significant obstacles at the outset. “True, we did not start in a garage but in a shabby two-room attic flat “, Oliver Bienek, Liberty's founder, avowed at the anniversary event. He had the idea of founding Liberty because the Swiss pension market was dominated by large banks and insurance companies. “There was no flexible vehicle capable of offering custom-made solutions along similar lines to what you have in private bankingâ€, Mr Bienek explained.
So he started building a pension platform with an open bank and product architecture offering clients greater freedom in the choice of pension products and investment options, with less administration and more attractive terms and conditions. Board members Gilbert Weber and Martin Hubatka both helped him build up the company. They believed in Bienek's vision from the outset and contributed their support, knowledge of the industry and excellent reputation. “But it would be presumptuous to say I foresaw how things would developâ€, Oliver Bienek added. As a rule, there are several factors contributing to a success story.
Statistics show that every second start-up in Switzerland fails to survive the first five years. Liberty Pensions has now successfully passed this mark. Thanks to its well-chosen location, power of innovation and flexible pension solutions, Liberty currently manages nearly CHF 450 million in pension assets, serving over 4500 clients with its staff of 12 employees.
Liberty's business partners, employees and many guests joined the company's founders in celebrating the good news at the fifth anniversary event: and what a fine celebration it was! Radiant late summer weather and the beautiful setting of the Ital-Reding-Hofstatt, one of Schwyz's most impressive old estates.
Anyone expecting the conventional glass of prosecco and hors d'oeuvres was in for a great surprise! The Liberty Pension competition, with three main prizes of 5 and 10 gram gold ingots, held everyone in suspense. Did you know when a vested benefits account might be of special interest, what Liberty's high-growth investment solution is called, or the name of the office dog? Now you do! The guests' laugh muscles were then put to the test by Fabian Unteregger, an excellent comedian who made his breakthrough on the Giacobbo-Müller TV show, who entertained the audience with biting parodies about politicians, football and business celebrities.