Skip to main content
C
CorpDigest
Search

Deutsche Bank AG

Global Investment Banking and Financial ServicesFounded 1870
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Deutsche Bank: CEO History

4 leaders · 2002 to present

Who is the CEO of Deutsche Bank?

Christian Sewing is the CEO of Deutsche Bank, in the role since 2018. The first chief executive was Josef Ackermann, from 2002.

Current CEO
Christian Sewing (since 2018)
First CEO
Josef Ackermann (2002)
Leaders documented
4
Founded
1870
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Christian SewingChief Executive Officer2018Present8
John CryanChief Executive Officer201520183
Anshu JainCo-Chief Executive Officer201220153
Josef AckermannFormer Chief Executive Officer2002201210
Who was CEO of Deutsche Bank before Christian Sewing?
John Cryan was CEO of Deutsche Bank from 2015 to 2018, before Christian Sewing took over in 2018.

Company Overview

Deutsche Bank was founded in Berlin in 1870 to finance German trade abroad, rebuilt in Frankfurt after World War II, and spent the 1990s and 2000s trying to become a Wall Street-scale investment bank. That push brought the Bankers Trust acquisition, then a decade of fines over LIBOR, mortgage securities and anti-money-laundering failures. Since 2019, CEO Christian Sewing has shrunk the riskiest activities and refocused the bank on corporate clients, fixed income and wealth, culminating in record profits in 2025. The company is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. The highly controversial, massive global investment bank was founded in Berlin in 1870 to aggressively promote German exports across the world, eventually growing into a financial juggernaut heavily plagued by massive multi-billion-dollar legal scandals.

Christian Sewing

Chief Executive Officer

2018 – Present

8 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Became CEO in April 2018. In July 2019 he launched the "Compete to Win" restructuring, exiting equities sales and trading, cutting about 18,000 jobs and moving non-core assets into a Capital Release Unit. In 2025 he set the 2026-2028 "Scaling the Global Hausbank" plan.

Legacy

Under Sewing the bank moved from five straight years of net losses (2015-2019) to a record ~$11 billion (€9.7 billion) profit before tax in 2025, with all 2025 financial targets met and ~$9.61 billion (€8.5 billion) of cumulative distributions for 2021-2025.

Source →

John Cryan

Chief Executive Officer

2015 – 2018

3 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Cryan became chief executive in 2015 and began a cost-cutting and restructuring programme that included reducing the investment bank.

Legacy

The bank reported losses and restructuring charges during his tenure. Christian Sewing replaced him in 2018.

Source →

Anshu Jain

Co-Chief Executive Officer

2012 – 2015

3 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Jain became co-chief executive of Deutsche Bank in 2012 with Jurgen Fitschen, after leading the investment bank.

Legacy

The bank faced legal and regulatory costs during his tenure and Jain resigned in 2015.

Source →

Josef Ackermann

Former Chief Executive Officer

2002 – 2012

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

As CEO from 2002 to 2012, Ackermann expanded investment banking in London and New York and set a public target of a 25% pre-tax return on equity.

Legacy

He steered the bank through the 2008 financial crisis without a direct state capital injection, but the trading-led model he built left legal and regulatory problems that cost billions in the following decade.

Source →

Challenges & Strategic Context

The bank faces credit-cycle risk, regulatory scrutiny, litigation, market volatility, European macro pressure, technology spending demands, and competition from U.S. and European banking peers.

Deutsche Bank CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is Christian Sewing and when did he become CEO of Deutsche Bank?

Christian Sewing became CEO of Deutsche Bank in April 2018. Having joined the bank as a 19-year-old vocational apprentice in 1989, Sewing rose through credit risk, audit, and retail banking leadership before being appointed to execute the bank's turnaround.

What were the key achievements of Christian Sewing's tenure as CEO?

Sewing led the 2019 restructuring, returned the bank to profit from 2020 after five years of losses, and delivered a record ~$11 billion (€9.7 billion) profit before tax in 2025 while meeting all 2025 targets.

Who was John Cryan and what was his role as CEO from 2015 to 2018?

John Cryan served as CEO from 2015 to 2018, focusing on settling multi-billion-dollar legacy legal disputes, modernizing risk management frameworks, strengthening regulatory relations, and building the capital base required for subsequent structural transformation.

Who were Anshu Jain and Jürgen Fitschen and what was the co-CEO era at Deutsche Bank?

Anshu Jain and Jürgen Fitschen served as co-CEOs from 2012 to 2015. Jain oversaw the global investment bank while Fitschen managed German corporate and government relations, during an era defined by global regulatory reform and post-crisis litigation.

What was Josef Ackermann's legacy as CEO of Deutsche Bank from 2002 to 2012?

Josef Ackermann led Deutsche Bank as CEO for a decade, aggressively expanding its Anglo-American investment banking presence, achieving record pre-crisis profits, and steering the institution through the 2008 global financial crisis without direct German state bailout funds.

Who was Alfred Herrhausen and why is he a historic figure in Deutsche Bank's history?

Alfred Herrhausen was the visionary Spokesman of the Management Board from 1988 until his tragic assassination in November 1989. Herrhausen championed developing-world debt relief, initiated the acquisition of Morgan Grenfell, and prepared Deutsche Bank for global expansion.

Who are the current key members of Deutsche Bank's Management Board?

The Management Board is chaired by CEO Christian Sewing, with Fabrizio Campelli as Deputy Chairman. Members include CFO Raja Akram, Marcus Chromik, Marie-Jeanne Deverdun, Stefan Hoops, Alexander von zur Mühlen, Laura Padovani, Claudio de Sanctis and Rebecca Short.

What corporate governance structure governs Deutsche Bank AG?

Deutsche Bank operates under the German two-tier board system comprising the Management Board (Vorstand), responsible for executive operations, and the Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat), chaired by Alexander Wynaendts, which oversees and appoints executive leadership.

Who is Deutsche Bank's CFO?

Raja Akram, previously Deputy CFO of Morgan Stanley, joined in October 2025 and succeeded James von Moltke as Chief Financial Officer in 2026. Von Moltke left the bank when his contract expired at the end of June 2026.

Who is the CEO of Deutsche Bank?

Christian Sewing serves as CEO. A rare "lifer" who joined the bank as a teenage apprentice in 1989, he took over in 2018 and brutally executed a massive restructuring plan, firing 18,000 employees to save the bank from total collapse.

Related Leadership Timelines

Compare executive leadership tenures and strategic transitions

Competitor

Barclays

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Bnp Paribas

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Hsbc

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Ubs

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Goldman Sachs

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Jpmorgan Chase

View Leadership Timelines

Explore Deutsche Bank

Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.