Thomas Jorberg, spokesman of the Executive Board of the GLS Bank, has received the ‹European Banker of the Year 2021› award. Jorberg was selected by the Group of 20+1, an independent association of leading international business and financial journalists in Frankfurt am Main. Jorberg’s «great pioneering achievement» is to be honored with this award, according to the press release of the DFV Euro group, which hosts the award ceremony.
Over the past decades, Jorberg has made achievements in a range of topics. «The overriding importance thereof was only recognized much later, even by industry leaders.» The award ceremony makes clear how important the issue of sustainability is in the financial sector today. Jorberg is «a strong voice» in the political debate on sustainable investments. While larger competitors were facing greenwashing allegations, the GLS Bank was also successful in asset management, reporting a 63 percent increase in managed assets for its sustainable funds in 2021. Founded in 1974, the GLS Bank was already concerned with Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and sustainability long before green investments became a megatrend in the global financial industry, the dfv Euro Finance Group reports further. Thomas Jorberg emphasizes: «Being European Banker of the Year 2021 is a huge honor for me and recognition for all employees of the GLS-Bank.» At the same time, the award shows that sustainable banking is of outstanding importance for the industry. It is also «motivation to further improve the quality of our work in order to provide impetus, drive debates and innovation.» In order to accompany the necessary transformation toward a climate-friendly and social economy, courageous players are needed. With its banking business, the GLS Bank shows how it can be designed in an economically sensible way. Jorberg was the GLS Bank’s first trainee in 1977. After studying economics in Stuttgart and Bochum, he returned to the bank and has been at the forefront since 2003. Since 1994, the ‹European Banker of the Year› award has honored personalities in the European banking world for outstanding achievements. The award ceremony is organized by the dfv Euro Finance Group, a conference organizer in the field of financial market communication, based in Frankfurt. As dfv points out, Thomas Jorberg has gone from being a formerly ridiculed outsider to a recognized pioneer of green banking. The award ceremony will take place on the 14th of November in Frankfurt. Translation: Simone Ioannou
Image Thomas Jorberg, Photo: Patrick Tiedtke.
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