Commerzbank Sustainability Advisory Board
For a constructive and critical view from the outside
Constructive dialogue with experts
In 2022, we established an external Sustainability Advisory Board under the patronage of the CEO. In this way, we want to ensure a constructive and critical dialogue with our stakeholders. The advisory board is composed of five experts from the fields of politics, science, society, NGOs and small and medium-sized enterprises. They represent a broad range of expertise. This covers topics such as the financial education and biodiversity, which are gaining in importance for us. The Sustainability Advisory Board provides impulses for the further development and implementation of our sustainability strategy.
Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller at Siemens Energy , Martina Bentele PhD
Martina Bentele is holder of a PhD in Business Administration has been active in various areas and roles within the Siemens Group for more than 20 years, including positions at Corporate Finance, Siemens Healthineers, Siemens Metals Technologies, and Siemens Financial Services. Since September 2020, she has held the position of Chief Accounting Officer & Corporate Controller at Siemens Energy. Additionally, she was a member of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Council of the previous German government.
Even though sustainability has seemingly receded into the background in public perception lately, it is more important than ever to secure long-term resilience and competitiveness. A close integration of the financial and real economy is essential for this, as are clear and focused regulatory frameworks for sustainability information. 
Chief Executive Officer at VSB Group, Felix Grolman PhD
Dr. Felix Grolman has been the CEO of the VSB Group, a leading European project developer for renewable energy, storage solutions, and e-mobility, since July 2023. Under his leadership, the company achieved a significant milestone in 2025 with its sale to TotalEnergies. His career began at Morgan Stanley in London and the Boston Consulting Group in Zurich. He founded several companies in the renewable energy sector. Additionally, he served as CCO at GreenCom Networks and was a member of the executive management at Energie 360° AG. Dr. Grolman brings extensive experience in the energy and digital economy and pursues the goal of sustainably transforming the European energy landscape. His work is characterized by innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and a strong commitment to the energy transition.
Sustainable energy supply is the most significant driver of innovation in the European economy. However, the energy transition is not merely a technical project but also a societal mission. If we succeed in combining economic strength with climate protection, we will not only reinvent energy but also shape the future. 
Future Researcher, Keynote-Speaker, Author and Co-Founder The Future:Project, Tristan Horx
Tristan Horx is a trend and futurist researcher who has seen himself as a spokesperson for Generation Y since the age of 24. In his lectures, he focuses on topics that are particularly relevant to younger generations. He addresses questions of diversity, digitalization, mobility, and sustainability. In addition to his work as a speaker and author of various publications, he is a lecturer at SRH University Heidelberg and the University of Applied Sciences Wieselburg. Since 2019, he has been writing columns for the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung. He is the co-founder and mentor of "Future:Projects" and, together with his father Matthias Horx, he explores societal and future-relevant topics in the podcast "Horx & Horx."
We need to shift the sustainability discourse from austerity to growth. Ecological hedonism is sustainable for the future and is also appealing! 
Behavioural Economist at Goethe University , Prof Christine Laudenbach PhD
Christine Laudenbach is a Professor of "Household Finance" at the renowned Leibniz Institute for Financial Research "SAFE." Previously, she was a Professor of Finance at the University of Bonn and worked as a postdoc at Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Mannheim, where she successfully earned her Ph.D. in 2012. In her research, she focuses on how household financial decisions can be influenced and improved through financial education, financial advice, or innovative self-help tools. Her scholarly work has been published in esteemed international journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and Management Science. She is Chair of Behavioral Finance e.V., which aims to promote research to enhance financial decision-making skills and particularly support young researchers in this field.
Social sustainability can only be achieved if financial education and participation do not remain privileges and are not merely seen as self-help tools. Companies and society share the responsibility to create structures that reach and truly empower everyone. 
Chairwomen of B.A.U.M. e.V., Yvonne Zwick
The graduate theologian is an expert in sustainable business practices and cross-cutting themes within Sustainable Finance. She has been the chairwoman of the business association BAUM e.V. since 2021, providing valuable guidance to companies interested in transformation processes. Previously, she served as the deputy secretary-general of the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) and oversaw the development and implementation of the German Sustainability Code (DNK) from 2009 to 2020. Her expertise lies at the intersections of sustainability management, reporting, and Sustainable Finance.
The transformation towards sustainable business practices is not an automatic process—it requires robust partnerships between businesses, financial institutions, and civil society. As a member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of Commerzbank, I bring my experience at the intersection of Sustainable Finance, corporate practice, and regulation. I am motivated to contribute to the advancement of a financial institution that is particularly committed to the Mittelstand, thereby reaching a key player in the transformation. 
First Generation of the Sustainability Advisory Board, Members 2022-2024
Manager and Author, former chairperson of the Diversity Charter
Co-Managing Director and Co-Founder of Cradle to Cradle NGO
Head of Initiative Made in Germany 2030 and former Co-Managing Director of the Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany
Managing Director Marketing of Hassia Group, Corporate Client of Commerzbank
Environmental scientist, founding president of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy