Media Release
Frankfurt am Main, July 29, 2025
Simone Kämpfer appointed as General Counsel and Ralph Nash as Head of Anti-Financial Crime
Friederike Rotsch and Nita Patel to leave Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank today announced that Simone Kämpfer will join Deutsche Bank as General Counsel, effective September 15, 2025. She will also become a member of the Group Management Committee. Simone Kämpfer succeeds Friederike Rotsch who has decided to leave the bank to pursue new opportunities. She joined Deutsche Bank in September 2023 and has played an important role in Deutsche Bank’s efforts to reduce litigation risks.
Simone Kämpfer is currently one of the most senior partners at Freshfields, where she leads the firm’s White-Collar Defence practice in Continental Europe. A former public prosecutor, she is widely recognized as one of Germany’s foremost experts in commercial law and compliance, with extensive experience advising companies on regulatory matters, governance and investigations. She is also a board member of the investment firm Droege Group.
“Friederike has made a significant contribution to Deutsche Bank during her tenure. Her leadership and expertise have been instrumental in dealing with complex legacy cases, navigating a complex environment and shaping our Legal & Group Governance function for the future. We thank her for her dedication and wish her continued success in her future endeavours,” said Christian Sewing, Chief Executive Officer. “At the same time, I am delighted that we could appoint a strong successor. Simone brings a wealth of experience in various areas of commercial law and a strong track record in legal leadership. Her widely recognized expertise will be invaluable as we continue to further evolve our Legal department and support the bank’s long-term growth.”
Simone Kämpfer will be based in Frankfurt and report directly to Christian Sewing.
Deutsche Bank also announced a leadership change within its Compliance & Anti-Financial Crime division. Nita Patel, Head of Anti-Financial Crime and Group Anti-Money Laundering Officer, has decided to leave the bank for personal reasons. Since joining the bank in September 2024, she has reshaped the Anti-Financial Crime division and strengthened its capabilities as a proactive risk management function to protect the bank’s clients in all market conditions.
As Nita Patel’s successor, effective August 1, Deutsche Bank appointed Ralph Nash, who joined the bank in May as Head of AFC EMEA and Global Head of Regions and Standards. He brings over 30 years of banking and regulatory experience, and previously held senior risk, compliance and anti-financial crime roles at HSBC.
“We are grateful to Nita for her dedication and achievements that have strengthened our Anti-Financial Crime function,” said Laura Padovani, member of the Management Board and Chief Compliance & Anti-Financial Crime Officer. “She hands over a function that is more robust and better able to anticipate risks for the benefit of our clients. I wish her every success in future.”
Padovani continued: “Ralph is a well-respected risk management leader who has proven he can deliver lasting change in global organisations. With his extensive experience, and a strong team behind him, we are well-positioned to continue advancing our efforts in financial crime prevention.”
Ralph Nash will be based in Frankfurt and report directly to Laura Padovani.
For further information please contact:
Deutsche Bank AG
Media Relations
Anke Hallmann
Phone: +49 69 910-42554
Email: anke.hallmann@db.com
Dylan Riddle
Phone: +1 212 250-4982
Email: dylan.riddle@db.com
Christopher R. Springer
Phone: +49 69 910-48935
Email: christopher-renz.springer@db.com
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 800 910-8000
Email: db.ir@db.com
About Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank provides retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management products and services as well as focused investment banking to private individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporations, governments and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is the leading bank in Germany with strong European roots and a global network.
Forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they include statements about our beliefs and expectations and the assumptions underlying them. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections as they are currently available to the management of Deutsche Bank. Forward-looking statements therefore speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could therefore cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
Such factors include the conditions in the financial markets in Germany, in Europe, in the United States and elsewhere from which we derive a substantial portion of our revenues and in which we hold a substantial portion of our assets, the development of asset prices and market volatility, potential defaults of borrowers or trading counterparties, the implementation of our strategic initiatives, the reliability of our risk management policies, procedures and methods, and other risks referenced in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Such factors are described in detail in our SEC Form 20-F of 13 March 2025 under the heading “Risk Factors”. Copies of this document are readily available upon request or can be downloaded from www.db.com/ir
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