Dr. Josef Ackermann EUROPEAN BANKER OF THE YEAR 2009

23.07.2010: The Group of 20 + 1 has chosen

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"The Group of 20 + 1" has chosen Dr. Josef Ackermann, Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Bank AG and of its Group Executive Committee, as This award has been presented each year since 1994 by "The Group of 20 + 1", a union of leading international economic and financial journalists, at the headquarters of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main.

The reasons for our choice are as follows:

• Upon taking office, Dr. Josef Ackermann set out a clear strategy for Deutsche Bank: development of its international competitiveness through strong operational performance and earnings, as well as building up and expanding leading positions in all the Bank's core businesses all over the world. Mr. Ackermann pursued the ambitious goal of creating a large European bank, with a global perspective, from a German base. Despite the crisis, he has taken a significant step towards that goal. Such an international focus is unique in the German banking industry.

• Deutsche Bank has, in recent years, developed into a slim, focused, all-purpose bank with an aggressive market presence, and has established itself as a leading global investment bank. This process has been seen through under Ackermann's swift and forceful leadership.  In addition, in the last few years, he has fought, successfully, to emphasise the word "German" ("Deutsche") in the name Deutsche Bank, in that he has massively expanded business in Germany. Deutsche Bank will justify its position as 
  No. 1, and as a benchmark, in Germany and Europe, in every respect, much more strongly than before.    

• Dr. Ackermann is a committed advocate of the integration of the European financial markets, and of <st1:place w:st="on">Frankfurt</st1:place> as a financial centre. In his speeches and essays, he pleads for greater understanding for this process, and drives it forward. In addition, he is one of the initiators of the "Initiative Finanzstandort Deutschland" ("Finance Initiative Germany" – IFD).  Dr. Ackermann enjoys a high degree of international recognition in the financial arena, for example, as the long-standing chairman of the "Institute of International Finance“ (IIF), supported by the international commercial banking community, and as a mentor of the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

The "European Banker of the Year 2009" awards ceremony will take place onNovember 15, 2010, in Frankfurt am Main.