Corporate Center

As an integral part of the bank’s Infrastructure area, the Corporate Center, with its strategy, risk management and control functions, supports the Management Board in the fulfilment of its executive duties for Deutsche Bank Group. The established set-up, whereby the functions are for the most part globally integrated into the business divisions but have their own, independent reporting lines, has proven successful over the years.

The Corporate Center is comprised of the central functions Finance, Audit, Tax, Legal, Risk & Capital, Investor Relations, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Human Resources, Corporate Development and DB Research.

Corporate social responsibility

During 2008 we realigned the CSR program under the motto “More than money: Building social capital” with the aim of integrating Deutsche Bank’s CSR activities even more closely into the core business. Numerous initiatives were then launched to further increase the loyalty to the bank of staff, clients and shareholders.

Our claim “A Passion to Perform” became even more widely recognized in 2008. Our staff identify very closely with the brand as well as with Deutsche Bank’s corporate social responsibility activities.

Energy security and global climate change are issues of increasing importance for Deutsche Bank. Based on thorough research of these problems, DB Research proposed measures to slow the pace of climate change and mitigate its negative impact. In response to a proposal by the global Environmental Steering Committee, a decision was taken in September 2008 to make Deutsche Bank a carbon neutral company by 2012.

Deutsche Bank:
total capital markets issues

Requirements in 2008

The central functions Legal, Risk & Capital, Finance, Tax, Investor Relations and Communications faced particular challenges in 2008 due to the turbulence on the financial markets. These departments worked closely together supported by the economic analyses and risk assessments supplied by DB Research.

Despite the extremely adverse market environment, our Treasury ensured that Deutsche Bank had adequate liquidity reserves available at all times. Our stable funding base was enhanced by increased private client deposits which grew from € 124 billion to € 148 billion by the end of 2008. We increased our longer-term capital market issuance from € 103 billion to € 139 billion in the reporting year, to some extent already in anticipation of our requirements in 2009.