2nd July 2021 – Experienced banking professional takes charge of Commerzbank’s financial institutions business across Latin America, CEE, CIS and Africa.

Commerzbank has announced the appointment of Christian Toben as its new Head of Financial Institutions, Emerging Markets. Christian, an experienced banker and trade expert, brings two decades of experience at Commerzbank to the role, having served in a variety of positions in Frankfurt, and several locations in Latin America. During the last six years, Christian was the Bank’s Regional Head of Financial Institutions, Africa. He follows Holger Kautzky who has been appointed Head of Financial Institutions, Public Sector and Country Risk Management at Commerzbank’s Group Risk Management.

As Head of Emerging Markets, Christian will be responsible for overseeing the Commerzbank Group’s relationships with financial institutions, central banks and finance ministries across a variety of regions, including Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Equipped with on-the-ground knowledge in emerging market countries, his unit serves as a key facilitator of business, adopting a product-agnostic, relationship approach with a view to best serving both Commerzbank’s corporate and institutional franchises. An important part of this is the management of Commerzbank’s extensive network of correspondent banks and representative offices across the respective trade corridors.

In his new role, Christian will report to Nikolaus Giesbert, the Divisional Board Member responsible for Institutional Clients and Transaction Banking. Christian will also work closely with the relevant regional Team Heads, to ensure that Commerzbank’s principles of compliance governance, strong relationships, in-depth client knowledge and commitment to digitalisation are reflected in the Bank’s efforts across all markets.

“During my 20 years at Commerzbank, I’ve had the opportunity to serve markets across Europe, Latin America, and Africa,” comments Christian, upon his appointment. “I look forward to applying the expertise and knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career in my new role, to support the bank’s financial institutions division across the world. Following a turbulent year, revival of emerging market trade flows are key to economic recovery – I will continue to ensure Commerzbank is the strategic partner of choice for financial institutions in regard to transaction banking- and market products to nurture and grow their business and guarantee a market leader access for Commerzbank´s corporate customers along the global trade corridors.”