The role of branch manager (‘BOM’) is making a comeback at UBS’s wealth-management arm.  As Wall Street puts an increasing premium on wealth management, UBS Americas is shifting the role of the BOM from administrative caretaker to something closer to the broker- and client-focused manager that had existed before the financial crisis.

In recent months, UBS Americas has given BOMs greater authority and a clearer understanding of how their pay is calculated. President Tom Naratil, who took over UBS’s U.S. wealth unit in January, also streamlined the unit by cutting a management layer and expanding the number of branch managers, while giving them greater leeway to make decisions on matters such as local marketing and client pricing.

Mr. Naratil hopes the changes improve UBS’s fortunes by improving service for clients, such as shorter lag times when helping clients, and boosting revenue and assets by shifting managers’ emphasis to helping brokers again. 

Branch managers are already noticing the shift. “There’s not as many distractions now, so when I got that extra 30 minutes because I’m not on a call, I can go and talk with my advisers. That relationship is key,” said Kelly Tinsley, a branch manager at UBS in Wilmington, NC, since 2002. “It feels like back when I started. It’s fun again.”