Hannes is responsible for Real Estate Loan Syndication at Erste Group Bank AG which is heading the Austrian savings bank sector. Based in Erste’s Viennese headquarters he manages the syndication of real estate transactions in Austria and CEE. Hannes has worked in various positions in the industry including origination as well as restructuring, accumulating over 25 years of experience in the field. In total across the region, Erste Group manages a commercial real estate portfolio of more than €30 bn with an annual deal flow of more than €5 bn.

Early 2026, Erste Group acquired a controlling stake in Santander Bank Polska, the third-largest bank in Poland. Which makes Poland Erste’s seventh core market in CEE.

Founded in 1819 as the first Austrian savings bank, Erste Group went public in 1997 with a strategy to expand its retail and corporate business into CEE. Since then, Erste Group has grown through numerous acquisitions and organic growth to be the leading financial services provider in the Eastern part of EU in terms of clients (23 mn) and total assets (€461 bn).