Corporate portfolio management in practice: the case of credit suisse's turnaround

Abstract

Corporate Portfolio Management tools are widely used by corporations since the 1970s but have received limited academic attention in the last few decades. This paper aims to add to the existing literature on the topic and illustrate how Corporate Portfolio Management tools can be effectively used in practice to rebalance a corporate portfolio and turn a business around, through the analysis of Credit Suisse’s successful corporate transformation in the period 2015-2019. It covers the decision-making process and strategic reorientation decisions of Credit Suisse, offering an interesting blueprint for similar corporate portfolio turnarounds, particularly in the financial services industry.