{{short description|German banker and businessman|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox person | name = Martin Blessing | image = | caption = Martin Blessing | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|7|6}} | birth_place = Bremen, West Germany | alma_mater = University of Frankfurt, University of St. Gallen, University of Chicago | occupation = Co-Founder of the SPAC European FinTech IPO Company (EFIC1) | employer = Danske Bank | boards = Danske Bank (Member of the Supervisory Board), Executive Board of the Baden-Baden Entrepreneur Talks }} '''Martin Blessing''' (born July 6, 1963) is a German banker and business person. Since 2025, he has been serving as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's personal envoy for increasing foreign investment in Germany.<ref name="handelsblatt.com">Jan Hildebrand and Andreas Kröner (22 September 2025), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/bundesregierung-ex-commerzbank-chef-blessing-wird-merz-investitionsbeauftragter/100157098.html Ex-Commerzbank-Chef Blessing wird Merz’ Investitionsbeauftragter] ''Handelsblatt''.</ref>
==Early life and education== Blessing was born in Bremen, Germany. He is from a family of bankers. His father Werner Blessing was a board member of Deutsche Bank and his grandfather Karl Blessing was the President of the German Federal Bank.<ref name="ft.com"/>
Blessing received his high-school diploma at the Bischof-Neumann-Schule in Königstein im Taunus. After completing a banking apprenticeship at Dresdner Bank, he studied business administration at the University of Frankfurt and the University of St. Gallen (HSG) from 1984 to 1987, where he was also a member of the International Students' Committee. He continued his studies at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and was awarded the title Master of Business Administration in 1988.
==Career== From 1989 to 1996, Blessing worked for McKinsey & Company where he became Partner two years prior to his leaving the company. From 1997 to 2000, he held the position of joint Head Private Clients at Dresdner Bank. From 2000 to 2001, he was Chief Executive Officer of Advance Bank, a subsidiary of Dresdner Bank AG. In July 2003 Advance Bank was dissolved as a stock corporation and legally integrated into Dresdner Bank.
===Commerzbank, 2001–2016=== In November 2001, Blessing joined the Commerzbank AG, where he worked for 15 years. Before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2008, he held several senior management positions; from 2001 to 2004, he was Head of Private Clients, from 2004 to 2008, he was Head of Corporate Banking<ref>Carter Dougherty (November 9, 2004), [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/09/business/worldbusiness/commerzbank-weighs-investment-operation-bank-plans-to.html Commerzbank weighs investment operation: Bank plans to cut backailing unit] ''New York Times''.</ref> and from 2006 onward he was also responsible for IT & Operations.<ref name=":0" />
One of his first moves as Commerzbank’s CEO – two weeks before the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers – was to oversee Commerzbank’s takeover of Dresdner Bank, combining the-then second and third largest operators in the German banking market.<ref name="ft.com">Ralph Atkins and James Shotter (May 11, 2016), [https://www.ft.com/content/1190d730-177f-11e6-9d98-00386a18e39d UBS appoints Martin Blessing as Swiss head] ''Financial Times''.</ref> He was later credited with nursing the bank back to health after it was bailed out with 18.2 billion euros by the German government in early 2009,<ref>David Jolly (November 3, 2008), [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/business/worldbusiness/04eurobanks.html German Bank Seeks $10.5 Billion in Bailout Aid] ''New York Times''.</ref> although its share price remained under pressure.<ref name="ft.com"/> Following the bailout, Blessing’s pay was limited to 500,000 euros a year and he waived his right to bonus payments in 2012 as Commerzbank made just 6 million euros of net income that year.<ref>James Wilson (February 15, 2013), [https://www.ft.com/content/a4ce25d8-7747-11e2-9ebc-00144feabdc0 Commerzbank chief Blessing to forgo bonus] ''Financial Times''.</ref>
In his capacity as CEO, Blessing accompanied Chancellor Angela Merkel on various state visits abroad, including to China in 2010<ref>Peer Junker (July 16, 2010), [https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/merkel-in-china-die-kuschel-kanzlerin/1885552.html Merkel in China: Die Kuschel-Kanzlerin] ''Der Tagesspiegel''.</ref> and 2012.<ref>Christian Geinitz (February 4, 2012), [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/besuch-der-kanzlerin-china-will-europa-nicht-aufkaufen-11636929.html Besuch der Kanzlerin: China will Europa nicht aufkaufen] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung''.</ref>
===Later career=== In 2016, Blessing joined UBS. He served as Co-President Global Wealth Management at UBS Group AG and member of the UBS Group Executive Board. Prior to this, he held the position of President Wealth Management from January 2018 to February 2018 and President Personal & Corporate Banking of UBS Group AG and President UBS Switzerland as well as President of the Executive Board of UBS Switzerland AG from September 2016 to December 2017.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ubs.com/global/en/about_ubs/corporate-governance/group-executive-board/cv-martin-blessing.html|title=CV Martin Blessing|website=Global topics|language=en|access-date=2018-09-10}}</ref> In October 2019, Blessing left UBS and was succeeded by Iqbal Khan.<ref>Alice Ross and Sarah Provan (August 29, 2019), [https://www.ft.com/content/cf84ef4a-ca20-11e9-a1f4-3669401ba76f UBS hires Credit Suisse veteran Iqbal Khan as wealth head] ''Financial Times''. {{subscription required}}</ref>
On March 15, 2021, it was confirmed that Blessing, together with other top managers from the financial industry, would establish the first European special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) focused on fintechs and the financial industry.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Peter|first=Hody|title=Martin Blessing: "SPACs are High-Speed Lifts"|url=https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/45456-martin-blessing-spac-fintech-efic-interview-ubs|access-date=2021-03-16|website=finews.ch}}</ref>
==Other activities== * Germany Trade and Invest, Chair of the Supervisory Board (since 2025)<ref name="handelsblatt.com"/> * Unzer, Member of the Advisory Board (since 2022)<ref>[https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/banken/martin-blessing-neuer-job-fuer-den-ex-chef-der-commerzbank/28700896.html Neuer Job für den Ex-Chef der Commerzbank] ''Handelsblatt'', 23 September 2022.</ref> * Danske Bank, Member of the Supervisory Board (since 2020),<ref>[https://danskebank.com/-/media/danske-bank-com/file-cloud/2020/2/annual-general-meeting-in-danske-bank-2020-agenda.pdf Annual general meeting of Danske Bank A/S 2020] Danske Bank, February 21, 2020.</ref><ref>Hanno Mussler (February 21, 2020), [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/martin-blessing-wird-aufsichtsrat-der-danske-bank-16645449.html Ex-Commerzbank-Chef: Martin Blessing wird Aufsichtsrat der Danske Bank] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung''.</ref> Chair of the Supervisory Board (since 2022)<ref>Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen (8 February 2022), [https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/danske-bank-chairman-step-down-agm-2022-02-08/ Danske Bank recommends veteran German banker Blessing as new chairman] ''Reuters''.</ref> * Association of German Banks, Member of the Board (2009-2012)<ref>Nicole Bastian and Yasmin Osman (March 9, 2012), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/bankenverband-commerzbank-chef-blessing-erzuernt-seine-kollegen/6307252.html Bankenverband: Commerzbank-Chef Blessing erzürnt seine Kollegen] ''Handelsblatt''.</ref> * Baden-Baden Entrepreneur Talks, Member of the Executive Board<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbug.de/en/ueber-uns/der-verein.php|title=Association / Bodies|website=www.bbug.de|language=en|access-date=2018-09-10}}</ref>
==Personal life== During his studies he met his wife-to-be Dorothee, who as of 2026 is the global head of investment banking at J.P. Morgan & Co.<ref>{{Cite web|title=JPMorgan promotes Blessing to sole head of investment banking in reshuffle|url=https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/jpmorgan-promotes-blessing-to-sole-head-of-investment-banking-in-reshuffle-bebc8331|website=www.fnlondon.com|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en-GB|first=Paul|last=Clarke}}</ref> The couple has three daughters. A brother-in-law of Blessing, Axel Wieandt, was CEO of Hypo Real Estate from 2008 to 2010.
== External links == * [https://danskebank.com/-/media/danske-bank-com/file-cloud/2020/6/martin-blessing---english-cv.pdf?rev=a2e45355dc8e45999a790b3f292551c8&hash=8F5A8553C031904EE49ADEDEF1AD1D6D Curriculum Vitae on Dansk Bank website]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blessing, Martin}} Category:1963 births Category:German bankers Category:German chief executives Category:Living people Category:McKinsey & Company people Category:Businesspeople from Bremen (city) Category:University of St. Gallen alumni Category:University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni Category:Commerzbank