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Basler Kantonalbank is an all-services bank operating primarily in the Basel region. The private client base is supported by a dense network of branch offices throughout Basel. The specific needs of local business are addressed in the so-called SME Center. The Bank also provides comprehensive advice and wide-ranging banking services for high net worth private clients, large corporate clients, institutions, and banks, which gives it a well diversified earnings structure. Since 2000, Basler Kantonalbank has a majority ownership of Bank Coop, which operates throughout Switzerland, with the operations of the two banks managed separately. BKB is a banking institution with State guarantee and an AA rating from Standard & Poor’s. Based on total assets, the BKB Group is one of the ten largest Swiss banks.

Ownership and business focus
Basler Kantonalbank is a separate legal entity under public cantonal law (public institution) in accordance with the law relating to the Basler Kantonalbank of December 9, 2015 The Canton of Basel-City provides a subsidiary state guarantee to Basler Kantonalbank. Excluded from the state guarantee are the participation capital and subordinate liabilities of Basler Kantonalbank, liabilities of Basler Kantonalbank to subsidiaries and controlled companies and their creditors or shareholders, and the liabilities of the subsidiaries and controlled companies themselves. The Canton of Basel-City receives compensation from Basler Kantonalbank for the cantonal guarantee. As owner, the Canton also receives as far as possible from the annual profit an interest payment on the endowment capital as well as a distribution of profit.

The area of activity of Basler Kantonalbank encompasses the comprehensive and independent support of private clients and private banking clients. SME business is conducted by Basler Kantonalbank primarily in the region of North-western Switzerland, while large corporations and listed companies are supported throughout Switzerland. For institutional investors, Basler Kantonalbank offers a wide range of banking services from a single source.

History
Since 1999, it has a majority ownership of the Coop Bank.

In October 2012 the bank's CEO, Hans Rudolf Matter, resigned after 620 clients lost more than CHF 100 million in a scandal involving ASE investments. Eventually the number of affected clients grew to about 1,500.

In 2013 Chairman Andreas Albrecht was forced to resign following the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) determined that the bank had rigged sales of its own participation certificates. BKB was ordered on 21 November 2013 to pay back CHF 2.6 million ($2.9 million) that it had earned through these improper sales.

Organization
The highest governing body of Basler Kantonalbank is the Bank Council. This council has 13 members, with Andreas Sturm as the current president. Operational responsibility lies with the executive Board, which has six members and is headed by Guy Lachappelle (CEO).