Management

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The Advanzia management team is responsible for implementing the strategy and handling the operational management of the company.

Roland Ludwig, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Executive Management Committee

Roland Ludwig joined the bank in April 2017 and was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Advanzia Bank in July 2017.

Prior to joining Advanzia, Roland Ludwig worked in various management positions in the financial services sector in Switzerland and Venezuela. Most recently, he was CEO of Cetrel S.A. in Luxembourg (today: SIX Payment Services (Europe) S.A.), which he transformed into a central hub for the group’s European issuing and acquiring operations.

Roland Ludwig has a master’s degree (M.A. HSG) from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and is a graduate of the Chinese University in Hong Kong. He is also a CFA charterholder and has successfully completed executive management programmes at INSEAD and Wharton.

Gregor Sanner, Chief Technology Officer, member of the Executive Management Committee

Gregor Sanner was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Advanzia Bank in January 2018. He has been with the bank since 2008, first as Head of the Project Office and since 2012 as Chief Operating Officer, heading the conception and implementation of several IT projects and system migrations.

Gregor Sanner has a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Trier (Germany), specialising in IT and Finance. He started his career as an IT project manager in the banking and trade sector.

Frank Hamen, Chief Risk Officer, member of the Executive Management Committee

Frank Hamen joined Advanzia Bank as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) in September 2017.

He started his career in 1990 at Bayerische Landesbank S.A. (later renamed Banque LBLux S.A.), specialised in Corporate and Private Banking, where he was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 1999 and Chief Risk Officer in 2012. From 2014 to 2017 he worked in the office of the CEO of the Banque de Luxembourg before joining Advanzia Bank in September 2017.

Frank Hamen has a bachelor’s degree in Econometrics and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg (France).

Johannes Neander, Chief Commercial Officer

Johannes Neander joined Advanzia Bank as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer in 2017 from PayPal, where he served as the General Manager PayPal Credit for Germany. Prior to this role, Johannes Neander held various management positions in the consumer finance industry working for Société Générale, GE Money Bank and KarstadtQuelle Financial Services. He started his career in management consulting with Oliver Wyman in New York. Johannes Neander was appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in January 2018.

Johannes holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business (US), and is a graduate in Business Administration from the Berufsakademie, Mannheim (Germany).

Patrick Thilges, Chief Financial Officer

Patrick Thilges started working for Advanzia Bank in 2007 as a Business Analyst and played a key role in defining new business opportunities, as well as optimising operational efficiency. He was also instrumental in Advanzia's entry in the French market. In August 2016, Patrick was appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Prior to joining Advanzia, Patrick Thilges was a controller at the Luxembourg headquarters of Arcelor Mittal. He has a master’s degree in Management Science from the Solvay Business School in Brussels (Belgium).

Patrick Thilges, Chief Financial Officer

Pieter Verhoeckx, Chief Customer Relations Officer

Pieter Verhoeckx was appointed Chief Customer Relations Officer (CCRO) at Advanzia Bank in May 2008.

Prior to joining Advanzia, Pieter Verhoeckx held various management positions at Fortis Bank in the Netherlands. Between 2005 and 2008 he was involved in Fortis’ entry into the German market. He was also instrumental in setting up the Customer Service Department.

Pieter Verhoeckx has a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from the Haagse Hoge School in the Netherlands. He is a member of the board of ACCIE, the Association of Credit Card Issuers in Europe.