Commerzbank: This time they hope it’s different

Any bank promoting its new strategy as ‘version 4.0’ has clearly suffered a chequered recent history. Now Commerzbank’s management is pinning its hopes on a renewed focus on corporate clients, especially in Germany. It sounds simple, but insiders admit it will require a cultural, as well as digital, transformation.

commerzbank4.0-600x215 

Illustration: Kevin February

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. When John Cryan revealed his latest plans for Deutsche Bank on March 5, his equivalent at rival Commerzbank, Martin Zielke, might have been forgiven for doing a double-take. 

Aside from the headline-grabbing capital raise, Deutsche plans to keep its Postbank unit in order to focus on domestic retail banking; combine its global markets, corporate finance and transaction banking businesses into a single unit to better focus on corporate clients and to intensify the disposal and run-off of legacy assets.

Thanks for your interest in Euromoney!
To unlock this article: