These days, banking and financial crises are rarely out of the headlines in the financial press and Switzerland, with its strong banking tradition, is particularly affected. This textbook offers a sound introduction to the world of banks: part one focuses on the Swiss banking sector, its structures and its integration into institutional contexts. Part two deals with the key fields of activity of an individual bank, including its business model, customer segmentation and risk management. The book therefore covers both the generally applicable principles of bank management and the characteristic features of the Swiss banking system.