Bankenverband Mitte
The Bankenverband Mitte represents private banks in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The registered association is based in Frankfurt am Main and is a regional member of the Association of German Banks. Through the federal association, Bankenverband Mitte also represents the interests of its members nationally and internationally.
About 100 member institutions employ almost 40,000 people, including employees of major banks, regional banks, mortgage banks, private bankers and branches of foreign banks. Bankenverband Mitte brings their concerns into discussions with legislators and public institutions and works to strengthen the Frankfurt financial center. Financial education and support for financial research are also part of the association's work.
Board and managing director
The board is chaired by Sabine Mlnarsky of Commerzbank. Her deputies are Mario Mattera of B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co., André Munkelt of Morgan Stanley and Silke Roth of Deutsche Bank.
The managing director is Sarah Schmidtke. She also runs the Interessengemeinschaft Frankfurter Kreditinstitute at the same address. On 1 February 2027 she becomes CEO of Frankfurt Main Finance and gives up both roles.
Tasks of the association
The association names the Frankfurt financial center as its first task. Bankenverband Mitte speaks for its members toward legislators and public bodies in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and it calls itself a network platform between politics, banks and society. Representatives of Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, ODDO BHF, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe and Société Générale sit on its working committees. Bankenverband Mitte's events deal with financial education, innovation and sustainability.
Financial education and young researchers
The association has worked on financial education for more than 20 years. With the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management it runs further training and seminars for teachers. At Goethe University Frankfurt it funds Deutschlandstipendium scholarships, and it gives prizes for academic work in finance.
Holdings for start-ups and medium-sized companies
The Bankenverband Mitte holds stakes in Bürgschaftsbank Hessen and in MBG H Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Hessen. Through them it supports company founders and the financing of innovation in Hesse. The Bürgschaftsbank guarantees loans for companies that lack collateral; the MBG H takes equity stakes in medium-sized firms.
Upcoming finance events in Frankfurt
Bankenverband Mitte and Finance Loop
The Bankenverband Mitte was a network partner of the Euro Finance Summit in Frankfurt. Bankenverband Mitte's managing director, Sarah Schmidtke, becomes CEO of Frankfurt Main Finance in February 2027; Finance Loop has been a member of Frankfurt Main Finance since 2024.
Finance Loop is a professional network and has the goal of driving the adoption of emerging technologies in finance, such as AI, digital payments, cloud and blockchain solutions. Finance Loop helps its members build skills and personal networks in these fields: Investment & Digital Assets, Payments & Digital Money, Digital Infrastructure & Sovereignty, and Risk & Compliance.