The trained banker, business graduate and economist was welcomed and introduced by HNU Vice President Prof. Dr. Elmar Steurer and Prof. Dr. Martin Marz. Daniel Gastl is currently Chairman of Sparkasse Günzburg-Krumbach; following its merger with Sparkasse Schwaben-Bodensee on July 1, 2024, he will initially lead the fortunes of the merged large savings bank as Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and from December 1 as Chairman of the Management Board.
Motives, feasibility and milestones: in-depth insights into a successful bank merger
Daniel Gastl gave the interested audience comprehensive insights into this banking marriage: he explained the motives - including the shortage of skilled workers, digitalization and regulation -, outlined the timeline and milestones and gave an overview of both the feasibility study carried out and the strategy underlying the major project.
Daniel Gastl also summarized the most important success factors of the bank merger. His conclusion: the chemistry had to be right - and in the case of the savings bank merger, this was immediately the case. According to the expert, a good basis of trust and discretion are just as important as the commitment of the shareholders to the committee structure and a shared business and risk philosophy on the Management Board. The fact that the economic areas complement each other well while maintaining regionality was also a key condition for the successful merger.
Afterwards, the speaker answered questions from the guests, who - despite the European Football Championship - had come to HNU in large numbers to gain insight into the complex and interesting topic of company mergers. The students in the audience in particular benefited from the practical points of reference that Daniel Gastl offered in his presentation.
About the HNU Management Forum
The HNU regularly invites business leaders to the university to report on current, practical topics from the various areas of corporate management and to share their valuable wealth of experience at the HNU-Management-Forum.
