We unite visions and solutions

Christoph Kohlbach
Managing Director, Erste Digital

Experience and learning are at the heart of most of Christoph’s work and life experiences, and he could well have made a name for himself as an academic, had he not opted for a career in the private sector. He is interested in almost any subject and is always looking for roles that offer some form of mental challenge.

A major shaping period of Christoph’s career was his eight years in Consultancy, during which he not only had the opportunity to work in all areas of banking, but also gained invaluable international exposure. However, Christoph is also passionate about numbers and therefore takes a special interest in all things quantitative. That’s why he loves Finance, but would feel equally at home in other quantitatively focused areas of banking, such as Risk Management.

One of the most important aspects in Christoph’s work are the teams he works with. Being part of a well-functioning team brings him huge satisfaction, and he is always very happy when things run smoothly, both with his MD colleagues and the Finance team.

A key motivation for Christoph is the desire for new experiences in his work life. These keep him engaged and challenged, and provide him with opportunities for personal growth. 

Mathias Frey
Managing Director, Erste Digital

Mathias is a technician by heart with many years of experience in IT, both within and outside the banking sector. He has worked in IT for more than 20 years, including ten years in various roles within Erste Group. From 2014 to 2018, Mathias worked on George, initially as Technical Project Lead for the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, and later as Lead Architect. Since 2021, his focus has been on platform architecture, data and AI for Erste Group and Erste Digital.

He describes his mandate as simple: shape the future of banking by reducing complexity in a big way, ensuring we possess the best possible tech engineering, and leveraging the power of AI so it is secure and fit. 

He never forgets that people come first and cultivates a work environment that is hands-on, high-performance, and merit-based. He is known for empowering his teams to create something larger than themselves through their curiosity, confidence, and commitment to their shared goals. It’s about making an impact on the financial lives of millions of people across Central Europe.