The Financial Professional of the Future

The hybrid professional: seeing the bigger picture, making sharper judgments

The role of the financial professional is changing. Technical knowledge remains essential, but new skills are also required: understanding data, working with technology, interpreting customer behavior, and knowing your own limits. On this page, you’ll learn what this expansion means for your professional competence and what choices you make in this regard—for example, when you acknowledge that something is beyond your area of expertise.

In brief

The hybrid professional combines subject-matter expertise with digital, communication, and ethical skills.
Professional competence isn’t something you achieve once and for all, but something you must continually maintain.
Being honest about what you don’t know is part of professional competence.

From Real-World Experience

The Limits of Your Knowledge

A broader field of study means more situations in which your knowledge falls short. These statements illustrate how the Ethics Enforcement court assesses what you should and should not have known.

Take responsibility: don’t be afraid to ask questions yourself

Case 2018
A manager carried out a major transaction despite signs of potential integrity risks because the Board had decided to do so. Take responsibility means: ask questions, discuss any concerns, and involve the compliance department if necessary—even if the directive comes from higher-ups.

Focus on the customer’s best interests: always put the customer first

Case 2023
An investment advisor prioritized his own interests and failed to intervene when client assets suffered significant losses. Focus on the Customer’s Best Interests means: act with care, be alert to conflicts of interest, and always put your client’s interests first.

Act with care: recognize risks and act thoughtfully

Case 2025
An investment specialist executed an order despite signs of possible market manipulation, without consulting compliance beforehand. Be mindfull means: assess risks, discuss concerns, and act only when it is appropriate to do so.

Ensure Confidentiality: Always Protect Customer Data

Case 2022
For years, an account manager sent confidential customer data to his personal email address, despite the applicable rules. Confidentiality Guarantee meaning: Always work in a secure environment and protect customer data, even if you have good intentions.

DSI Code of Conduct

What do the core principles say about professional competence?

A broader field requires clear boundaries. The core principles help you determine what you should be able to do on your own and when you should bring in a colleague or specialist. They also make it clear that staying up to date isn’t just a formality—it’s part of what clients have a right to expect from you.

Discover our core principles Explanation of Core Principles