We have expanded our governance structure
We are convinced that a constructive and critical dialog will bring us forward. For this reason, as one of the first major German banks, we have constituted an external sustainability advisory board.
From politics, science, society and small and medium-sized enterprises. We have at least one expert on the advisory board for each area. Extensive knowledge and advice are the basis for balanced decisions. That is why the view from the outside is so important. The extensive knowledge and advice provided by the Sustainability Advisory Board help us to reflect on our sustainability strategy and continue to drive it forward together.
The Sustainability Advisory Board is under the patronage of the Chairman of the Executive Board, Manfred Knof.
We are pleased to introduce you to our members:
Frank Bsirske, Member of the Bundestag of the party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Frank Bsirske was already active in political youth work before his diploma in political science. After his studies, he became a member of the party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. In 1991, he was appointed deputy chairman of the labour union ÖTV in lower Saxony. In addition to experience as a full-time councillor of the Hannover HR and organizational department, Frank Bsirkse can also draw on extensive experience as chairman of the labour union ver.di and ÖTV. Within the scope of his activities, he organized the first successful European citizens' initiative "water is a human right" and was the first German labour union chairman to speak with the activists of Fridays for future.
"More than ever before, we need to look at the big picture. Ecology, economy and social issues must be considered and all opportunities taken to counteract climate change must be exploited. In doing so, industry and service professions must be prepared for the future and sustainable prosperity must be created. This requires a renewal of the social security promise. Ecological restructuring must be combined with a social balance and the cohesion of our society must be strengthened."
Ana-Cristina Grohnert, author and chairman of the Charter of Diversity
The studied business manager can look back on many years of banking and industry experience in financial and risk management. In particular, she took the view of the business and human resources manager and accompanied companies in their transformation. Among other things, she was chief human resources officer at Allianz Deutschland AG. Previously, she refocused the HR strategy at Ernst & Young. Since 2013, she has been chairwoman of the executive board of the employers' Charter of Diversity initiative and is committed to greater sustainability, diversity and appreciation in the economy.
"Today, companies can only be sustainable if they understand themselves as part of an ecosystem and offer relevant added value to all their stakeholders. This includes employees, customers, residents, service providers and business partners - basically society as a whole. Growth is only possible if the entire ecosystem grows with it, not against the interests of the ecosystem. As a member of Commerzbank's Sustainability Advisory Board, I am therefore pleased to support the company in its Net-Zero strategy in the area of sustainability."
Tim Janßen, co-managing director and co-founder of Cradle to Cradle NGO
Tim Janßen founded the non-governmental organization "Cradle to Cradle NGO" in 2012 and has since headed it as co-managing director. With more than ten years of expertise, the economist is a sought-after interlocutor for the transformation of our economy into a closed-loop economy at political roundtables and economic congresses. Cradle to Cradle NGO networks business, science, education, politics and civil society, and drives the Cradle to Cradle concept, according to which all resources circulate in technical or biological cycles and can become a nutrient for new products.
"The financial sector can be a driver of the urgently needed transformation of our linear economy into a circular economy, because for this we need innovative circular business models and appropriate financing. As a member of Commerzbank's Sustainability Advisory Board, I can help to anchor approaches such as Cradle to Cradle also among financial services providers."
Kristina Jeromin, Co-Managing Director Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany
After studying philosophy and political science, Kristina Jeromin worked at Deutsche Börse Group from 2009 to 2020 and was initially responsible for internal and external communication of sustainability issues. As Head of Group Sustainability, she was responsible for the Group-wide sustainability management of Deutsche Börse from 2015. Kristina Jeromin has also been Managing Director of the Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany since 2018. She was a member of the sustainable Finance Advisory Board of the last German federal government and its deputy chairwoman from 2019 to 2021. She is also a member of the German Society of the Club of Rome.
"The financial sector has an important role to play in the development and expansion of resilient and sustainable economic structures. The extent to which the industry succeeds in fulfilling this role has enormous consequences for its own competitiveness and future viability. Sustainable Finance has not yet reached the centre of the market, and the anchoring of sustainability in all areas of core business poses major challenges for financial market players. To face it is courageous, wise and contemporary. I am looking forward to accompanying Commerzbank in this."
Stefan Müller, Managing Director Marketing Hassia Group
He studied business administration and has been working for the Hassia Group as Managing Director of Marketing and Corporate Development since 2016. The Hassia Group is a longstanding customer of Commerzbank and is strongly committed to the topic of sustainability, which is located in the marketing department. As a provider of a wide range of regional mineral waters and natural soft drinks such as Bionade, sustainability is of particular importance at Hassia. Hassia attaches great importance to the sustainable orientation of all business areas and thus to combine responsible consumption and entrepreneurial behaviour.
"As a family business, we do not think in quarters, but in generations. Therefore, sustainable management has always been part of our DNA. Everything we do, we think to the end and take responsibility for our actions. We are not concerned about perfection, but about staying on and constantly improving."
Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, environmental scientist
As a graduate physicist and a PhD biologist, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker has been dealing with climate change for a long time. His commitment is particularly focused on climate protection and climate justice. As founding president of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy, as former co-president of the "Club of Rome", former member of the Bundestag (there chairman of the environmental committee) and head of the Californian environmental college, he has long been one of the most relevant German thought leaders in climate protection. He is in a lively exchange with the new generation of climate activists, thus combining decades of science with current efforts to improve climate protection and justice.
"Financial firms are like adjusting screws, also in terms of sustainability."
