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Jürgen Fitschen was the co-CEO of Deutsche Bank from 2012 to 2015.
He brought a wealth of experience to the role, having joined the bank in 1987.
Fitschen played a key role in shaping the bank's strategy and direction during his tenure.
Deutsche Bank, 1987-2016
Jürgen Fitschen joined Deutsche Bank in 1987 and held various executive positions in Thailand, Japan, and Singapore.
He became a member of the Global Corporates and Institutions Divisional Board in 1997, based in Frankfurt.
A year later, he joined the newly designed Global Corporates and Institutions division, based in London.
In 2001, Fitschen was appointed to Deutsche Bank Group Board of Managing Directors, where he was responsible for the Corporate and Investment divisions of the bank.
Fitschen first became a member of Deutsche Bank’s Group Executive Committee in 2002.
In 2005, he was appointed Head of the newly established Regional Management team worldwide and CEO Germany, based in Frankfurt.
As CEO Germany, he also served as Chairman of the Management Committee Germany.
In these capacities, Fitschen joined the Deutsche Bank Management Board in 2009.
In 2011, Deutsche Bank announced that Anshu Jain and Fitschen would share chief executive duties at Deutsche Bank by 2012.
Fitschen was under investigation for alleged sales tax evasion in December 2012.
Deutsche Bank extended Fitschen’s contract by two years in 2013.
By 2014, his compensation was at 6.66 million euros.
Fitschen and several former bank leaders were accused of colluding to give false testimony in a long-running lawsuit over the collapse of Kirch Group in 2014.
Fitschen and the others were acquitted by 2016.
Following his departure as Co-CEO, Fitschen continued to work for Deutsche Bank, concentrating on the German and Asian businesses.
Professional Life
Jürgen Fitschen's professional life is a testament to his dedication and perseverance. He grew up in Hollenbeck bei Harsefeld as a farmer's son and made his Abitur at the Athenaeum Stade in 1966.
Fitschen's education and early career were marked by a series of impressive achievements. He studied Wirtschaftswissenschaften at the University of Hamburg from 1971 to 1977 and earned a Diplom-Kaufmann degree.
Fitschen's career in finance spanned over three decades, with notable positions at Citibank and Deutsche Bank. He rose through the ranks, becoming a member of the Geschäftsleitung at Citibank Deutschland in 1983 and later serving as General Manager Asia at Deutsche Bank.
A timeline of Fitschen's notable positions includes:
- 1983: Member of the Geschäftsleitung at Citibank Deutschland
- 1986: Responsible for the Asia business at Citibank
- 1987: Joined Deutsche Bank AG
- 1993: Became Bereichsvorstand for the Firmenkundengeschäft with a seat in Singapore
- 2001: Returned to Germany and was appointed to the Konzernvorstand
- 2002: Became a member of the Group Executive Committee at Deutsche Bank
- 2009: Returned to the Vorstand at Deutsche Bank
- 2012: Became co-CEO of Deutsche Bank alongside Anshu Jain
Leben und Beruf
Jürgen Fitschen grew up as a son of a farmer in Hollenbeck near Harsefeld and made his Abitur in 1966 at the Athenaeum Stade.
He then served in the military and began an apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trade merchant in Hamburg. He later studied economics at the University of Hamburg from 1971 to 1977, graduating as a Diplom-Kaufmann.
Fitschen started working at Citibank in 1975, holding various positions, including in the corporate client business. By 1983, he was a member of the management board of Citibank Germany, and in 1986, he was responsible for the bank's Asia business.
After joining the Deutsche Bank in 1987, Fitschen worked in Hamburg at the subsidiary Deutsche Bank Asia, but moved to Bangkok and Tokyo for the parent company later that year. He quickly became the General Manager Asia and in 1993, he became the head of the corporate client business with a seat in Singapore.
Here's an overview of Fitschen's career progression:
Vorstandsmandate und Ehrenämter
Jürgen Fitschen's professional life is marked by various board memberships and honorary positions. He has been a member of the supervisory board of Metro AG since 2008.
Fitschen has also been on the management board of Kühne + Nagel and was a supervisory board member of Schott AG until June 2012. He is currently a member of the supervisory board of Ceconomy AG and has been the chairman of the supervisory board of Vonovia SE since May 2018.
In addition to his corporate board memberships, Fitschen has also held several honorary positions. He was the chairman of the Ostasiatischen Verein, one of the five associations of the Asia-Pacific Committee of the German Economy (APA), from 2008 to 2014.
Here are some of Fitschen's notable honorary positions:
- Chairman of the Ostasiatischen Verein (2008-2014)
- Member of the supervisory board of Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe (2010-2016)
- Member of the Stiftungsrat of Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe (2016-present)
- Member of the Stiftungsrat of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
- Member of the Kuratorium of the Stifterverband
- President of the Bundesverband deutscher Banken (2013-2016)
- Member of the Trilateral Commission
- Member of the Vorstand of the Atlantik-Brücke
- Vorsitzender of the Kuratorium of the Kronberg Academy Stiftung
Controversies
Jürgen Fitschen has been involved in several controversies throughout his career. One notable example is the Libor scandal, where he was a member of the board of directors at Deutsche Bank.
Fitschen was also criticized for his role in the bank's involvement in the 2008 financial crisis.
As a result of the scandal, Deutsche Bank was fined $2.5 billion by US and UK regulators.
Fitschen's leadership during this time has been questioned, with some critics arguing that he should have done more to prevent the bank's involvement in the scandal.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Fitschen
- https://www.esgtoday.com/former-deutsche-bank-ceo-jurgen-fitschen-joins-board-of-arabesque-s-ray/
- https://www.arabesque.com/2021/05/25/arabesque-announces-the-appointment-of-jurgen-fitschen-dr-christof-mascher-and-dr-lars-jaeger/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Fitschen_(Manager)
- https://www.dw.com/en/trial-of-deutsche-bank-co-ceo-fitschen-starts/a-18407529
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