Career

Annemarie BAUMEISTER

Regional Manager
International Banking

My career path

In 2016, I started as a trainee in Corporates & Markets. During the extensive 18-month program, I was specifically trained in International Banking: I supported the teams responsible for Africa and South America as an Associate Regional Manager. Today, I have taken on responsibility for my own countries.

What I do every day

As Regional Manager, I manage a portfolio of countries in Africa and Latin America. I am in daily contact with our local correspondent banks and regularly go on business trips. My day-to-day business mainly consists of securing and processing international trade finance such as letters of credit, guarantees or export pre-financing. We also offer foreign exchange trading and payment transactions to our partner banks. It is very important to keep an eye on political and economic developments in the respective countries, but also to maintain good contact to our local contacts on a personal level. This combination of macroeconomic, political and intercultural requirements makes working in International Banking very exciting.

A personal anecdote

At ODDO BHF, we daily hedge the requests of our clients in worldwide trade finance. Therefore, we have an insight into the most diverse trade flows. Most of the goods are imports or exports of machinery or raw materials - but sometimes one cannot resist a smile, when, for example, shoes or kitchen appliances are being delivered. It is also particularly exciting when we offer long-term financing solutions with export credit insurance for infrastructure projects or major investments. Just recently, for example, we made an offer to finance a hospital in Kenya.

Advice for candidats

If you wish to join the International Banking division, be open-minded about other cultures and enjoy working in multicultural teams!

Christian SIEVERS

Director of Leveraged Finance
OBAM - Frankfurt

Why ODDO BHF ?

The idea of working for a private bank always appealed to me more than working for a major bank. ODDO BHF has the critical size to cover attractive market segments professionally and play a relevant role within them. At the same time, the bank is also dynamic and entrepreneurial. ODDO BHF is one of the pioneers on the German small- and mid-cap LBO market and has an excellent reputation among its business partners and in general on the market.

My background

After completing a degree in business administration and an MBA, I started a trainee programme at ODDO BHF. This was an excellent opportunity to familiarise myself with the wide variety of activities performed in the various departments of the bank and to develop a personal network. I then decided on the Leveraged Finance department and started work as an analyst here. After a couple of years, I became a project manager and have since had independent responsibility for transactions.

What I do every day

Leveraged finance is about financing corporate acquisitions with private equity investors. My tasks as a project manager are highly varied, and this is what particularly appeals to me. They combine elements of financial analysis, company and market analysis, and a legal component when it comes to negotiating contracts. Due to the project-based nature of the work, there is no conventional day-to-day business. The activities involved include acquiring new business, supporting private equity customers, analysing and researching company and market data, financial modelling, structuring acquisition finance, and finally implementing the finance.

An anecdote from my day-to-day work

I can still remember clearly when I started working in the department. I had been in the department only for three weeks when I was already brought along to a customer meeting/management presentation as a team member. This came as a very positive surprise to me because I knew that at other banks you have to spend years working with Excel and PowerPoint before you get to meet a customer face to face.

My advice to applicants

They should be able to identify with the values of a family-owned private bank and should have an entrepreneurial attitude and be authentic.

David CHITOU

Equity Sales
Research & Brokerage / Corporates & Markets – New York

MY CAREER PATH

I have worked in a variety of departments at ODDO BHF, and the opportunities for changing roles within the Group are one of its strengths. I started working for the ODDO BHF Asset Management front office on an internship programme as part of my Master's 222 degree at Dauphine University. Once I finished my studies, I was offered a permanent contract and joined the discretionary asset management team at ODDO BHF Banque Privée. This was an opportunity to find out more about new asset classes. I soon had the chance to take on more responsibility and was put in charge of structured products for the whole bank. Today, I have gone back to my first area of interest - equities.

WHAT I DO EVERY DAY

I am part of the equity sales team at ODDO BHF Securities. I promote the equity research department's investment ideas, mainly for institutional clients. This is a fast-moving, demanding and intellectually stimulating environment and each day has its share of surprises. Earnings releases, political events and crises all play a decisive role in my work in a global environment which combines macroeconomics, microeconomics and psychology. My goal is to provide the best investment ideas by adapting them to different objectives, constraints and sensibilities to assist my contacts in creating value.

A PERSONAL ANECDOTE

September 2008 was definitely a major point of my career. The end of the 'too big to fail' myth with the demise of Lehman Brothers. An institution that disappeared before our very eyes. I witnessed the collapse of most economic assets on my computer screens that were hooked up to the financial markets - it was quite a sight. What I took away from this experience was that you really see the benefits of our family-run management model at times like this. The combination of our financial expertise, the diversification of our businesses and the careful use of our resources are ultimately one of the best guarantees of lasting success.

Joseph VATUS

Private Banker
Private Wealth Management - Paris

MY CAREER PATH

I joined the teams of ODDO BHF Banque Privée as part of an internship. I was immediately marked by the accessibility, expertise and commitment of my colleagues. After completing my studies, I returned to work in the same team, this time as a private banker. I now manage the search for new clients and the follow-up of a clientele of high net worth individuals, with a prism for wine-growing families.

WHY ODDO BHF ?

Everything happened during my internship period. I applied because I was looking for a commercial experience that few private banks would offer to young people. During these 6 months, I had the opportunity to work on a very large number of projects, meet clients and see my ideas implemented. Today, I have the ideal framework to progress with high-performance teams, horizontal and available management, and the possibility of working with a long-term approach.

WHAT I DO EVERY DAY

My daily life is extremely different from one day to the next. My job has a strong commercial dimension: I have to find clients and coordinate all the bank's services at their service. The Group offers a broad cross-divisional approach, making it easy to mobilize the best in-house experts to serve private clients. The great diversity of clients and their expectations brings a great variety to my assignments. Each client is different and requires personalized support. This business involves being both generalist and technical in many areas: financial markets, taxes, civil law, private equity, philanthropy, etc. Bankers are also encouraged to focus on specific expertise. Having always been passionate about wine, I try to help develop a clientele in the wine sector.

ADVICE FOR CANDIDATES

In my opinion, ODDO BHF stands out for a strong, results-oriented family business culture. This implies a high level of commitment, an ability to maintain very good relations with colleagues, but also proactivity and transversality.

Katja JÄGEL

Legal Counsel
Legal Credit - Frankfurt

My career path

After having obtained my second legal state examination, I could well imagine starting my career in a legal department in a bank. Since the merger of the ODDO BHF Group, I have been working as an in-house lawyer in the Legal Credit department of ODDO BHF AG’s Credit Risk Management division.

What I do every day

In addition to providing legal advice to the business units and credit risk management in the areas of credit, loan collateral and other credit products, my responsibilities at the bank include the preparation of model contracts and of individual contracts for corporate and private customers.

I am happy to have gained further insights into the bank and its processes by participating in project work. Thus, the work in my department always remains exciting and varied. In 2018, I had the opportunity to participate in the bank's Development Program. In this program, it is possible to express new ideas and develop oneself further within the bank.

A personal anecdote

In addition to my routine activities, I am always happy to have the opportunity to explore new topics that are necessary for being a successful bank. In particular, I am focusing on the support of complex financing transactions and the implementation of legislative changes. In the last major project that I was part of, I particularly remember the commitment and enthusiasm of the teams and colleagues involved in the implementation.

Advice for candidats

For working in a family-run and dynamic company, I would give applicants the advice to be open to new tasks, to contribute ideas and to act in a solution-oriented manner. Commitment pays off!

Marlène DENIZE

Co-Head of Equity Execution Services
ODDO BHF Corporates & Markets - Paris

MY CAREER PATH

Graduated from an engineering school with a specialization in "Mathematical Engineering" and a master's degree in International Finance, I started my career as a Sales Trader in the equity markets. After 6 years of experience in a competing group, I joined the ODDO BHF Group in 2011 with the objective of extending and developing our execution platform within the broker's activities.

Since July 2018, I have been co-head of equity execution services in ODDO BHF Corporates & Markets.

WHAT I DO EVERY DAY

Based in Paris Haussmann since the partnership with Natixis, our team is specialized in the execution of share flows for institutional clients and retail networks..

We cover a wide range of private banking clients, hedge funds, portfolio management companies, banking networks... with a franchise particularly identified on small and medium capitalisations. The broker's role is to find liquidity on the securities and ensure execution on the various financial markets in line with the client's benchmark and strategy.

My mission is to ensure the management and development of this activity on operational, commercial and technical aspects. Our trading platform has grown significantly as a result of our acquisitions and partnerships. It has also followed the Mifid 2 regulatory changes in parallel and is constantly evolving to meet our customers' demands.

A PERSONAL ANECDOTE

In recent news, we have created and integrated a new front-to-back business line managing the flows of banking networks. Our electronic capacity has been extended 24 hours a day with Asia and the US for small orders.

ADVICE TO OUR CANDIDATES?

The ODDO BHF group has a strong entrepreneurial culture in all its business lines: dare and be proactive!

Matthieu GAY

Aluminium & tin trader
Metals trading / Corporates & Markets – Paris

MY CAREER PATH

I joined ODDO BHF in May 2006, when Oddo Metals was being launched. I was on my final internship to complete my degree at Grenoble EM. I discovered an interesting job and got to know a team whose expertise and good humour won me over straight away. After my placement, I was put on a permanent contract and gradually got to grips with the various aspects of physical metal trading. At the beginning, I was in charge of the logistics management of contracts and market-risk hedging before moving to the front office and becoming involved in negotiating the contracts.

WHAT I DO EVERY DAY

Today, I am an aluminium and tin trader. As such, I am in daily contact with producers from all over the world and our clients in the processing industry. I play an active role in rolling out our sales strategy. Each day is different, which is what makes this job so interesting. I have also had the chance to travel to countries including Iceland, Indonesia and Bahrain.

A PERSONAL ANECDOTE

I could talk about the travel, but what has struck me the most is the change in how other departments seeODDO BHF Metals. I remember playing at a football match with some of the teams at Oddo Securities in 2006. Everyone was very surprised to hear that ODDO BHF Metals owns a stock of aluminium in Rotterdam and that our clients are supplied by trucks or even barges, etc. Now everyone knows ODDO BHF Metals.

ADVICE FOR CANDIDATES

I think that you need to share the Group's values which form the cornerstone of our corporate culture. This is true of all the departments!

Simon SCHOLL

Debt Capital Markets
Corporate Finance / Corporates & Markets - Frankfurt 

Mon parcours

I joined ODDO BHF Corporate Finance at the end of 2013 and I am specialised in DCM. Previously I worked for Ernst & Young and KPMG in the Valuation & Business Modelling Department. I hold a Master’s degree in Finance & Accounting of the University of Edinburgh and a Bachelor’s degree of Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main. Furthermore, I spent one term in Qingdao (China) as part of the International Chinese Business Program.

What I do every day

It always depends. In some periods I am fully occupied with project work such as execution debt financing deals in form of a Schuldschein, a bond or a private debt product. The preparation and the execution include – amongst others – the credit positioning of a company, the communication and negotiation with investors/issuer and the coordination of the whole process and all parties involved.
In other periods we are more focused on winning new mandates which means that I screen the market for potential customers, follow-up with old contacts, prepare pitch presentations and visit new companies.

A personal anecdote

I am a great fan of the football team of Borussia Dortmund and I am also a member of the club. Since Borussia Dortmund is one of customers we were mandated to execute the last capital increase in the summer break between two seasons. Even though I am more focused on debt products I was allowed to be part of the transaction, meaning for example that I could attend all management meetings at the headquarter of Borussia Dortmund. After the successful completion of the deal we were even invited to watch a game of Borussia Dortmund together. Great experience!

Advice for candidates

UA general advice is to be open-minded and friendly to all your colleagues and business partner. Since ODDO BHF is family-owned bank it is in my opinion very entrepreneurial and socially-minded which should fit your personality. Besides the soft skills you need to be a proactive thinker with a strong attention to details and the willingness to work hard if necessary.If you are willing to provide all these skills ODDO BHF is more than happy to welcome you to the 'family'.