Christian sewing deutsche bank biography books

Christian Sewing (born 1970) is a German banking executive serving as chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank since April 2018.^[1][2]Sewing joined Deutsche Bank in 1989 as an apprentice and progressed through operational and risk management roles over nearly three decades, becoming a member of the management board in January 2015 initially overseeing legal, compliance, and audit functions before assuming responsibility for risk from July 2015.^[1][3] In May 2021, he expanded his oversight to include the corporate bank division.^[1] His appointment as CEO followed a period of intense scrutiny for the bank amid regulatory fines, litigation costs exceeding €15 billion since 2010, and failed merger attempts, positioning him to lead a strategic overhaul focused on cost reductions, including thousands of job cuts, and a pivot toward core strengths in investment banking and wealth management.^[4][5] Under Sewing's tenure, Deutsche Bank has reported improved capital ratios and narrowed losses, though challenges persist from legacy issues such as involvement in high-profile transactions and subsidiary probes, including a 2022 greenwashing investigation at DWS.^[5][6] He also chairs the Association of German Banks, influencing sector-wide policy on regulatory and economic matters.^[7]

Early life and education

Upbringing and family background

Christian Sewing was born on 24 April 1970 in Bielefeld, Germany, where he grew up and later described as his hometown.^[8] In his youth, Sewing was a talented tennis player and an avid supporter of FC Bayern Munich, briefly aspiring to a career as a sports journalist before pursuing banking.^[9] He completed his Abitur, the German high school leaving examination, in 1989 at age 19, marking the transition to professional training.Sewing is married and has four children; he maintains a family residence in Bielefeld, commuting from Frankfurt during the workweek to spend weekends with them.^[8] Limited public details exist on his parental background or early socioeconomic influences, with available accounts emphasizing his local roots in the North Rhine-Westphalia region and early affinity for competitive sports and team loyalty.^[9]

Professional training and academic qualifications

Christian Sewing commenced his professional training with a banking apprenticeship at Deutsche Bank, which he completed in 1989 after joining the institution as a teenager.^[10][3] This vocational program provided foundational skills in banking operations, reflecting the German dual education system's emphasis on practical experience combined with theoretical instruction.^[11]Subsequently, Sewing earned a diploma from the Bankakademie in Bielefeld and Hamburg, a specialized institution focused on banking and finance education, building directly on his apprenticeship to deepen expertise in financial services.^[10][12] He further pursued academic qualifications, obtaining a degree in Business Administration from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, an institution renowned for its programs in finance and management.^[13][11] These credentials equipped him with a blend of practical banking knowledge and formal business acumen, aligning with his subsequent roles in risk management and compliance at Deutsche Bank.^[14] No advanced degrees or additional certifications beyond these are documented in available records.

Banking career prior to CEO role

Entry and early positions at Deutsche Bank

Christian Sewing joined Deutsche Bank in 1989 as a bank apprentice in Bielefeld, his hometown in Germany, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall later that year.^[15][16] He completed the apprenticeship program, which provided foundational training in banking operations, and went on to earn a diploma from the Bankakademie in Bielefeld and Hamburg.^[1][10]His initial professional role was as a banking trainee in the retail business, where he handled customer-facing operations and basic financial services in branch settings.^[17] This entry-level position marked the start of his progression within the bank's domestic network, building expertise in everyday retail banking functions such as account management and client advisory.^[18]In the early phases of his tenure through the 1990s, Sewing accumulated experience across multiple Deutsche Bank locations in Germany, including Frankfurt and Hamburg, focusing on operational roles that supported the expansion of retail and commercial activities amid post-reunification economic integration.^[19] These positions emphasized practical skills in risk assessment for consumer lending and compliance with emerging regulatory standards in a consolidating European banking sector.^[2]

Advancement in risk management and compliance

Sewing advanced through Deutsche Bank's risk management functions after joining the institution in 1989, holding multiple senior positions in risk oversight prior to 2012.^[19] From 2012 to 2013, he served as Deputy Head of the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) and Equities Division Risk team, focusing on mitigating exposures in trading and investment activities.^[20]In June 2013, Sewing was appointed Head of Group Audit, a critical role overseeing internal controls, financial reporting integrity, and risk assessments across the bank's global operations; he retained this position until February 2015.^[19] During this period, his team conducted investigations into legacy issues, including derivatives trades flagged by regulators for potential misconduct dating back over a decade, demonstrating his involvement in remediating complex risk exposures.^[21]Sewing's audit leadership extended to compliance-related functions, as Group Audit collaborated with regulatory adherence and anti-financial crime units to strengthen internal governance.

He studied banking at the Bankakademie Bielefeld (now part of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management) and began his career in finance at Deutsche Bank in 1989, joining the company as an apprentice.

Career at Deutsche Bank

Sewing's career at Deutsche Bank spans more than three decades, during which he has held a variety of roles across different divisions of the bank.

Under his leadership, Deutsche Bank has successfully navigated multiple economic challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and regulatory pressures.

His transformation approach emphasizes sustainable profitability over aggressive growth, marking a significant departure from previous strategic directions.

This initiative demonstrates Sewing's understanding that sustainable banking practices are essential for long-term value creation and stakeholder trust in the evolving financial landscape.

Recognition and Industry Leadership

Sewing's exceptional leadership has earned him recognition as Euromoney's Banker of the Year 2023, acknowledging his transformational impact on Deutsche Bank and the broader financial services industry.

Subsequent internal reviews post-2017 under Sewing's later senior roles emphasized enhanced compliance investments, but critics, including U.S. congressional inquiries in 2019, questioned whether earlier audit rigor could have mitigated the exposure.^[92]Regarding risky derivatives trades, Sewing, in his pre-audit capacity as a credit officer, approved elements of structured derivative deals with Italy's Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) in the mid-2000s, including a €1.5 billion transaction later scrutinized.

His commitment to sustainable finance extends beyond compliance to encompass innovative product development and client advisory services that support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The bank's €500 billion sustainable financing target by 2025 represents one of the most ambitious commitments in the financial services industry. This audit informed Italian proceedings, resulting in 2019 convictions for Schiraldi and colleagues on market manipulation charges (acquitted on appeal in 2022).

His leadership will continue to be crucial in navigating the bank through ongoing challenges and seizing opportunities in the global financial industry.