Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area
Senior finance professional Axel Wieandt leverages his deep expertise in finance, banking, fintech, and digital assets to advise U.S. and European private equity, growth and venture capital funds. He also serves as a business angel, advisor, and board member for growth-stage companies in financial services and pharmaceuticals. Currently, he is inter alia serving as Managing Director of Atlantic BidCo GmbH, the holding company of Aareal Bank AG, and as senior advisor to Orphalan S.A. and the Jefferies EMEA FIG team. He recently joined the Supervisory Board of Allane SE. Axel earned a Diploma in Business Management from WHU Otto-Beisheim School of Management, an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Business Management from WHU, all with high honors. He is a scholar of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). His career began at McKinsey & Company, and progressed through roles at Morgan Stanley Ltd., Deutsche Bank AG, Hypo Real Estate Holding AG, pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Ltd., and Valovis Bank AG. During his 10 years+ tenure at Deutsche Bank, Axel quickly rose to become the youngest divisional board member, with global responsibilities for strategy development and M&A execution, and managing the multi-billion Euro Corporate Investments portfolio. As CEO of the DAX 30 listed banking group Hypo Real Estate Holding AG and its banking subisdiary pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG, as Chairman of Depfa Bank plc., and as CEO Valovis Bank AG, he navigated these institutions through periods of significant restructuring during the Great Financial Crisis and the Euro Crisis. More recently, as Chairman of Hannover Leasing, Axel led the BaFin-regulated KVG and leasing platform through the acquisition by, and operational integration with, the private-equity-back Corestate S.A. (Luxembourg);and as Chairman of the Audit Committee of Berlin-based, publicly-listed Linus Digital Finance AG, he oversaw the company´s financial governance and risk management during the challenging post-COVID period. In the academic realm, Axel has been imparting his knowledge at WHU, Goethe Business School, and Kellogg for over two decades as adjunct professor in the field of banking and finance. He is the author of over 90 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, op-eds, and blog posts. His book, "Unfinished Business: Putting European Banks (and Europe) Back on Track" (2017), stands as a testament to his profound expertise and commitment to the financial sector.
Management and IT Consulting
Co-Teaching a class on "Digital Assets, Blockchain Technology, and the Future of Finance" with Paul P. Momtaz (Summer Semester 2024)
Investment Banking, Financial Institutions Group, EMEA/DACH