As Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of ESG Germany at HypoVereinsbank, Andreas Wagner is driving the sustainable transformation of his institution, with long-standing expertise and a keen sense for ethical economic issues. During his doctoral studies, he already addressed the responsibilities of banks. His role encompasses the comprehensive integration of sustainability into the bank's core areas.

For Wagner, the question of which business models are future-proof, and how sustainability can create added value, is a central theme of his work. „With the EU's Green Deal, this issue has gained significant importance“, he says.

By creating a level playing field, a crucial incentive has been established that links sustainability with economic interests. This symbiosis is key to engaging companies and private customers in sustainable actions. By connecting economic incentives with ecological responsibility, a path is created to embed sustainable business practices throughout the economy. Wagner is committed to this aim – his role goes beyond traditional banking activities, and focuses on integrating ecological and social responsibility into the bank's DNA. His professional career, which began in 1999 at BayernLB, has taken him through various positions in Germany and abroad, at HypoVereinsbank and Unicredit.

After working in strategic planning and M&A at HypoVereinsbank, he took on various leadership roles, including Chief Executive in Hong Kong, and Head of Strategy in Unicredit's Corporate & Investment Banking division. Since 2019, he has led the sustainability sector at HVB.

Wagner places particular importance on embedding ESG in the core business, an approach that benefits both customers and employees: „Acceptance and credibility are higher when those responsible for ESG also understand the business", he notes. For example, in the area of credit processes, ESG often brings additional challenges and discussion requirements. Therefore, in his view, ESG is not an isolated department, but must be integrated into decision-making processes and day-to-day operations.

Wagner also focuses on integrating sustainability into the capital structure of companies. Ultimately, the guidance aims to show companies how they can unlock new sources of capital using innovative financing instruments linked to sustainability.

„One issue that is particularly close to my heart is biodiversity, where the banking sector still has considerable room for improvement“, says Wagner. He believes it makes sense to integrate biodiversity more strongly into ESG strategies, as the loss of biodiversity poses not only ecological but also long-term economic risks.