Hesse Selects Fritzi Köhler-Geib for Bundesbank Board Role: A New Perspective on Germany’s Financial Future

The Hessian state government has finally made a decision after a long search for the vacant position on the board of the Bundesbank. According to information from the Tagesspiegel, Fritzi Köhler-Geib is set to take over the role. Köhler-Geib currently serves as the chief economist at the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) in Frankfurt am Main.

It was important for Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) to nominate a politically independent woman for the role. Köhler-Geib, who is 46 years old, has been the chief economist at KfW since 2019 and has previous experience working for the World Bank. As chief economist, she is responsible for research and analysis services at KfW with a focus on analyzing economic developments and growth trends in Germany.

The Federal Council has the formal right to propose candidates for this position, but approval from other states is considered certain during an upcoming meeting. The delay in making this decision by Hesse was attributed to a change in government from black-green to black-red in January of this year.

The Bundesbank’s Executive Board is almost fully staffed again after several months of vacancies due to resignations and appointments of new members. Most recently, Lutz Lienenkämper was nominated by the black-green state government in North Rhine-Westphalia. Köhler-Geib will replace board members who left last year and will bring her own unique perspective and expertise to this important role on one of Germany’s most influential financial institutions.