Commerzbank appoints new Senior Representatives in Vietnam and Taiwan
Published: December 09, 2015
- Thomas Debelic will head Commerzbank’s Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Hans-Kurt Schäfer will head Commerzbank’s Representative Office in Taipei, Taiwan
Commerzbank has appointed two new Senior Representatives for its East Asian offices, with Hans-Kurt Schäfer taking over in Taiwan as Thomas Debelic moves to head Commerzbank’s Vietnam Representative Office.
Having led the Taiwan Representative Office since 2012, Debelic will replace Norbert Kraatz, who has retired, in Vietnam – from where he will also cover Cambodia and Laos. Before working in Taipei, Debelic headed Commerzbank‘s Representative Office in Romania. Debelic joined Commerzbank in 2001.
The main task of the Representative Offices is to establish close contacts with local banks, and advise corporate customers mainly from Germany and Europe. Furthermore, it is their task to cultivate contacts to local government offices. Commerzbank is represented at 70 locations in 50 countries worldwide. Commerzbank’s Financial Institutions division maintains relations with about 5,000 credit institutions worldwide.
Commenting on the move, Debelic says: “I look forward to my new position in Vietnam and hope to bring my experience of working with emerging financial markets and micro finance-strategies to South East Asia. I would also like to thank my predecessor, Norbert Kraatz, for having built a solid foundation of expertise and contacts in this fast-developing part of Asia.”
Schäfer takes up the Taipei position having been a relationship manager at Commerzbank for Greater China since 2009. Previously, Schäfer led Commerzbank’s Financial Institutions business in Hong Kong for seven years and was also Chief Representative in Commerzbank‘s Bangkok Office. Schäfer began his Commerzbank career in 1989, and has also worked in Frankfurt, London, Beijing and Shanghai.
Schäfer comments: “I am excited to be returning to Asia and adding to 30 years of experience working there and closely monitoring its development. Taiwan, in particular, is an interesting country and a market with great opportunities for engaging with the wider global economy. I would like to wish Thomas Debelic well on his new position and hope to build on his crucial work in Taiwan.”