Financial sector

Switzerland is recognized globally for the solidity and transparency of its financial system. In international comparison, Switzerland is one of the most important and competitive financial centres in the world. Around a quarter of the world's foreign assets are managed in Switzerland. Zurich and Geneva are two cities of international standing, followed by Lugano, the third largest financial centre in Switzerland. The financial sector is a backbone of the Swiss economy and represents around 10% of gross domestic product.

Anyone intending to operate on the financial market must obtain authorization from FINMA, which verifies whether companies satisfy the legislative requirements. Banks, certain financial institutions (e.g. securities firms, fund management companies, collective asset managers), insurance companies, collective investment schemes and financial market infrastructures must meet high organizational requirements , financial and risk management and are subject to the prudential supervision of FINMA.

FINMA also issues authorization to asset managers and trustees; however, compliance with the licensing conditions is not monitored directly by FINMA, but by a Supervisory Organisation (SO) which is authorized by FINMA and subject to its supervision.

Adequate Corporate Governance

Adequate organization and corporate governance are essential for companies active in the Swiss financial sector, for several reasons:

Transparency and Accountability: Adequate governance promotes transparency in business decisions and ensures that executives are accountable for their actions, increasing investor and customer trust.
Risk Management: The Risk Management function is crucial for identifying, evaluating and mitigating financial and operational risks. Strong governance ensures there is a structured and integrated approach to risk management.
Compliance: The Compliance function ensures that the Company complies with applicable laws and regulations. Effective governance helps implement policies and procedures that reduce the risk of regulatory violations and related sanctions.
Internal audit: subordinated to the body responsible for top management or to the relevant audit committee, it independently carries out the control and surveillance tasks assigned to it and guarantees the third line of defence.
Long-Term Sustainability: Well-structured corporate governance promotes sustainable business strategies and responsible use of resources, contributing to the stability and reputation of the company in the long term.

Adequate governance not only protects the interests of stakeholders, but is a necessary condition for obtaining and maintaining a FINMA license and is essential for the resilience and competitiveness of companies supervised by FINMA.

PLURIAUDIT can support you by directly assuming the outsourced compliance and/or risk control role, assessing the adequacy of Corporate Governance or supporting you in the FINMA authorization process. Furthermore, as a member of the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), PLURIAUDIT carries out outsourced internal audit activities for banks and securities firms.

Prudential audit in accordance with FINMA and the SOs and SROs

Audit firms play an important role within FINMA's supervisory activities. They are mainly used in the framework of prudential auditing and act as an extended arm of FINMA, Supervisory Organization (SO) or Self-Regulatory Organizations (SRO).
As part of the audit, it is assessed whether the prudential and legal provisions are respected and whether they can also be respected in the medium term.
Thanks to a team of competent professionals with significant experience, we are qualified to carry out:

prudential audit pursuant to FINMA for collective asset managers and fintech companies.
prudential audit pursuant to SO for individual asset managers and trustees.
AML audit pursuant to Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO).

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Financial Audit

Thanks to our audit methodology and approach, oriented towards effectiveness and efficiency, we guarantee our clients a high quality service in the areas of:

ordinary audits of individual and consolidated annual accounts;
limited statutory examinations, including for the purposes referred to in the art. 725a para. 2 CO (capital loss);
audit of particular operations (incorporation, capital increase, capital reduction, liquidation, transfer of headquarters, merger);
reviews of sustainability reports;
agreed upon procedures;
appraisals and investigations.

Why is an audit important?

In addition to the legal obligation to have its annual accounts audited, a company must comply with the increasingly numerous and complicated corporate regulations and know how to protect itself from errors and fraud. Thanks to the procedures and suggestions of the auditor, the company can proceed with continuous improvement of its internal processes and its control system. All for the benefit of the company itself and its shareholders, directors, employees, customers, suppliers and authorities; in summary of the entire economic environment in which the company operates. Thanks to the audit, the annual statement can become a promotional tool for the company image. The burden of the audit therefore turns into a real investment.

PLURIAUDIT and SPECTAS, a winning synergy for our customers too

PLURIAUDIT uses the Swiss audit software Spectas, created by the company Spectas AG from Pfäffikon (SZ). Spectas represents the first example of fully online audit software in Switzerland. We believe that the online approach is the optimal way for efficient digitalization as well as laying the foundations for a pragmatic implementation of what will be the concept of "audit of the future".
With Spectas many phases of the review process can be carried out partially or entirely remotely. The client company, through access to a reserved area of the audit database, can answer the auditor's questions and upload the requested documents, simply and independently.
Thanks to the online solution proposed by Spectas, the data exchange between PLURIAUDIT and its customers takes place via an encrypted and anonymous connection according to the e-banking standard. Furthermore, data is protected by professionally managed firewalls in Swisscom's data centers in Switzerland where Spectas is hosted.

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Governance, Risk & Compliance

We carry out the following services with the aim of providing valid support to executives, members of boards of directors and company owners, supporting companies active in the financial sector to comply with FINMA's requirements:

internal audit in outsourcing for banks or securities firms;
compliance and risk control in outsourcing for banks, collective asset managers, individual asset managers and trustees;
support in the FINMA authorization process for asset managers and trustees or for managers of collective assets;
representation towards FINMA as compliance function of asset managers and trustees or managers of collective assets;
evaluation of Corporate Governance, with particular reference to the needs of FINMA or Supervisory Organisation (SO);
evaluation of the Internal Control System;
fraud risk assessment;
support in the self-evaluation of boards of directors.

Why is good governance important?

Governance is the set of those attitudes aimed at obtaining good management and control of the company. Inserting Governance processes into the company means preparing it to adequately address the most relevant and critical problems it may encounter: market crises, leadership changes, including succession; other significant changes such as expansion, market and external environment changes, technological innovation, internationalization, etc. The good governance of a company starts from the assumption of establishing a framework of corporate attitudes and processes that add value to the company's activities and guarantee its continuity and long-term success. For companies active in the financial sector, adequate governance not only protects the interests of stakeholders, but is a necessary condition for obtaining and maintaining the FINMA license.

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Supervisory audits for collective asset managers and fintech companies authorized by FINMA

Anyone who professionally manages collective investment scheme or assets of pension institutions requires authorization from FINMA.
Through our representative office in Lugano of ASMA Asset Management Audit & Compliance SA, a company supervised by the Federal Audit Oversight Authority (FAOA), we are authorized to carry out :

prudential audits pursuant to FINMA for managers of investment scheme
compliance checks with the authorization conditions for companies requesting authorization as a manager of collective investment scheme pursuant to the FinIA;
prudential audits pursuant to FINMA for companies with Fintech authorization
ordinary audits of the annual financial statements.

Why is the supervisory audit important?

Audit firms play an important role in FINMA's supervisory activities. They are used as part of supervisory auditing and act as an extended arm of FINMA.
During the audit, it is assessed whether the prudential provisions are respected and whether they can also be respected in the medium term. The verification carried out by the audit companies is therefore fundamental for the constant verification of legal requirements and to be able to anticipate future requirements.

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Supervisory audit for asset managers and trustees who are subject to a Supervisory Organisation (SO)

The ongoing supervision of asset managers and trustees is carried out via a Supervisory Organisation (SO) approved by FINMA.
Through our Lugano representative office of AML Revisions AG, we are authorized by all Supervisory Organisation (SO) in Switzerland (AOOS, OSFIN, FINcontrol Suisse SA, OSIF and SO-FIT) to carry out supervisory audits. We also perform ordinary audit or limited statutory examination of the annual financial statements.

Why is the supervisory audit important?

Asset managers and trustees must comply with the legal requirements established by the relevant law, as well as various financial, organizational and personnel requirements. Furthermore, the people in charge of top management, supervision and control, as well as the people in charge of management must offer the guarantee of irreproachable activity, enjoy a good reputation and have the necessary professional qualifications.
Audit companies play a fundamental role in verifying that all provisions are constantly respected.

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Services

Why choose PLURIAUDIT

Choosing a small audit and advisory firm like PLURIAUDIT offers a series of concrete advantages that go beyond the simple audit and advisory service.

Personalized and tailor-made service: Unlike large leading audit and advisory companies, PLURIAUDIT is dedicated to fully understanding the specific needs of each client, offering customized solutions that respond to the real needs of their business . The closeness and direct relationship with senior professionals guarantee high-level advisory, without intermediaries.
Direct access to partners: In PLURIAUDIT, clients can rely on direct and constant contact with the company's partners, ensuring that key decisions are taken with the utmost attention and competence. This level of accessibility is rare in large corporations, where field work is often delegated to junior teams.
Flexibility and speed of response: PLURIAUDIT's agile structures allow it to respond quickly to customer requests, quickly adapting to changes and new needs. This flexibility is essential to effectively manage constantly changing business dynamics.
Competitive fees: Being a small company, PLURIAUDIT is able to offer its very high quality services at more competitive rates than large companies. The streamlined structure and operational efficiency allow for optimal value for money.
Deep knowledge of SMEs: PLURIAUDIT, being an SME itself, deeply understands the daily challenges that small and medium-sized businesses face. This translates into targeted and pragmatic consultancy, aimed at improving business management and creating added value for the customer.
Absence of conflicts of interest: PLURIAUDIT maintains a transparent and independent relationship with its clients, avoiding possible conflicts of interest that could arise in more structured contexts.
Team stability and long-lasting relationships: PLURIAUDIT stands out for the continuity of its team. This means that clients work with the same professionals over time, building long-lasting relationships of trust and ensuring a deep understanding of specific business dynamics.

PLURIAUDIT represents a strategic choice for companies that want a trusted partner, capable of offering high-level auditing and advisory services, with personalized attention and competitive prices, all in a context of maximum transparency and professionalism .