* Wiesendanger hops over to UBS WM from rival C. Suisse * To report to ex-CS vet Gaehwiler, now UBS Swiss CEO
ZURICH, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS has hired former Credit Suisse executive Christian Wiesendanger to head wealth management Switzerland, the latest in a series of UBS hires from its cross-town rival as the struggle for Swiss banking supremacy rages.
Wiesendanger, who has been at Credit Suisse since 2001 and was most recently head of wealth management for Latin America, will take up his position at the beginning of October.
UBS, the world's second biggest wealth manager in terms of assets, said Wiesendanger would replace veteran banker Stefan Bodmer and would report to Lukas Gaehwiler, recently appointed as CEO of UBS Switzerland.
Wiesendanger joins a number of ex-Credit Suisse executives, including Gaehwiler, who have crossed to UBS since Oswald Gruebel was lured out of retirement to join the bank as chief executive in early 2009.
Gruebel spent the bulk of his career at Credit Suisse, and stood down from the top executive role in 2007.
One of his most important hiring coups was when he brought Gaehwiler, a 20-year veteran of Credit Suisse, to head UBS's Swiss business.
In the continuing battle for top talent Anthony Iliya recently left Credit Suisse to join UBS as chief executive for Middle East and North Africa, while Ann Luke took the opposite direction, joining Credit Suisse's private banking division from UBS Wealth Management. (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)