Karin Svoboda Returns to Erste Group as Head of People and Culture; Robert Schmidbauer to Join Tiroler Sparkasse Management Board

The Supervisory Board of Tiroler Sparkasse has appointed Robert Schmidbauer as Chief Risk Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. As of 16 August, he will join Patrick Götz on the Management Board of Tiroler Sparkasse. In his new role, Schmidbauer will oversee risk management, organisation, processes, infrastructure and finance. He succeeds Karin Svoboda, who will move to Vienna to take up the role of Head of People and Culture at Erste Group and Erste Bank Oesterreich. His appointment remains subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Ilinka Kajgana, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Tiroler Sparkasse, said: “Robert is a trusted leader across the Group and brings deep insight into the legal, regulatory and organisational framework of the savings bank sector, built over many years of working closely with Austrian savings banks. These are strong foundations to lead Tiroler Sparkasse into its next phase of development. On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I wish him every success in his new role and would also like to express my sincere thanks to Karin Svoboda. Over the past three years, she has modernized locations, consolidated the product portfolio, established a childcare center, and sustainably strengthened the team spirit at Tiroler Sparkasse.”

Peter Bosek, CEO of Erste Group, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Karin back to Vienna. She knows the Group like few others and, over nearly 30 years in a range of roles, has gained a broad set of perspectives. With her experience and strategic outlook, she will play a key role in advancing our people agenda and shaping the next stage of our corporate culture.”

He added: “Over the past few years, Manuel Gerber has worked closely with me and has brought structure and clarity even to the most complex topics. He has led key strategic initiatives and brings the right professional background to his new role. I am also particularly pleased to welcome a strong representative of the next generation to this role, further strengthening our leadership with a fresh perspective and bringing new impulses to our decision-making. I look forward to continuing to work with both Karin and Manuel and wish them every success in their new positions.”

Before joining Erste Group, Robert Schmidbauer held management positions for many years at the Austrian Savings Banks Association and Haftungsverbund GmbH. In these roles, he supported the Austrian savings bank sector through numerous strategic, regulatory and organisational transformation processes. He worked closely with management and supervisory boards across the Group and developed a deep understanding of overall bank management, corporate governance, and the strategic development of organisations.

Karin Svoboda has many years of experience in international banking. She held senior management roles within Erste Group for more than two decades, particularly in risk management as well as finance and strategy. Most recently, she served on the Management Board of Tiroler Sparkasse, where she was responsible for the back-office divisions as CRO, CFO and COO. She succeeds Sabine Bothe, who left the bank at her own request in early May.

Manuel Gerber has served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Erste Group since 2024 and is responsible for leading the CEO Office. In this role, he coordinated the CEO’s agenda and supported strategic initiatives across the Group at the interface between the Management Board and the business divisions. Prior to his current position, Gerber worked as an attorney at leading corporate law firms in Vienna. Before that, he was part of Erste Group’s Risk Management team. His background combines expertise in law, financial economics and mathematics. He studied Law at the University of Graz and Financial Economics at Maastricht University, and completed further studies in Mathematics, Management and Finance at King’s College London.