Based in Zurich, Mr Mueller’s business responsibility as chief executive of RBS Coutts Bank already includes three private banking divisions which cover central and eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Switzerland. He will now take over management responsibility for the Asian private banking divisions and an international private banking team based in London. In his new role he will be appointed to the executive committee of RBS Wealth Management, remaining based in Switzerland. 

Mr Mueller has been with Coutts in Switzerland since 1994 and has served as a member of the executive management of RBS Coutts, formerly Coutts Bank von Ernst, for the last ten years. He has held various management positions - including chief financial officer and chief risk officer - and has led RBS Coutts Bank since 2006.

The departing Hanspeter Brunner had been chief executive of RBS Wealth International and joint CEO with Mr Mueller of RBS Coutts Bank.

The Asian private banking divisions of RBS Coutts will be now managed by Nick Pollard, currently managing director of Coutts & Co in the UK. As head of private banking Asia, RBS Coutts, he will be based in Asia, reporting to Mr Mueller; he will continue to attend the executive committee of RBS Wealth Management.

The RBS Wealth Management division is split into two businesses: Wealth UK, offering onshore UK private banking; and Wealth International, offering offshore international private banking to high net worth individuals.

RBS Coutts Bank forms part of the international private banking arm and is a sister company to Coutts & Co in the UK.