Caroline Edunyah – Office Manager at the Representative Office in Brussels 

© Caroline Edunyah

I have been supporting the team of the Representative Office in Brussels since June 2026 and am delighted with this new role. 

 

The Representative Office is my first workplace following the successful completion of my training at the Bundesbank. This position marks the beginning of an exciting new stage in my professional career.

 

In my work, I support my colleagues in a variety of organisational and administrative tasks and gain interesting insights into the functioning of the Representative Office. I am particularly looking forward to contributing the knowledge gathered during my training, to further develop my professional skills and, at the same time, to gain new experience in an international environment.

 

I am excited about the tasks that lie ahead and keen to dedicate myself to the Representative Office’s work.

Alexander Schwarz – Representative in São Paulo 

© Marco Torelli

Since July 2026, I have been working as the Bundesbank’s new representative in South America and as financial attaché at the Consulate General in São Paulo. I have been part of the CIC team for over three years and was previously employed as a senior advisor for financial stability in Frankfurt. One thing I particularly enjoyed in this capacity was the international exchange with central banks and supervisory authorities. It greatly benefited me both professionally and personally and enabled me to build a valuable network with colleagues from all over the world. I am now delighted to apply these experiences in South America and, at the same time, to gather new insights myself. 
 

São Paulo is the financial hub and economic heartbeat of Brazil. With its economic diversity, international character and energetic spirit, the city provides a fascinating environment. The friendly welcome and my new contacts’ willingness to talk helped me to ease into my new role, even if the Portuguese language is challenging.

 

The focus of my work is the continuous exchange with central banks, banks, financial market players, firms and academia. I would like to closely monitor developments in Brazil, share the Bundesbank’s perspectives and strengthen the direct connection to Frankfurt. The pace of change in Brazil’s banking and payments landscape is particularly impressive. Digital solutions, new business models and modern payment solutions are visible in many areas of everyday life and create an exciting basis for expert discussions on innovation, efficiency, regulation and trust in the financial system.

 

I am starting under very positive conditions: my predecessor, Alexander Lieber, has built up sustainable contacts shaped by mutual trust. Building on this network and developing it together with our partners is both a valuable foundation and a particular incentive for me. 

Gunnar Dickfeld – senior advisor for payment systems, central bank digital currencies (CBDC), and IT in Frankfurt

© Simon Stobbe

Since May 2026, I have been supporting the Frankfurt team as a senior advisor with a focus on payment systems, central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and IT. At the CIC, I am responsible, in particular, for bilateral activities and international central bank courses on these topics. My work mainly involves professional exchanges with other central banks as well as conducting courses and workshops. What I find particularly exciting is the opportunity to contribute my many years of professional and technical experience to international cooperation. I share knowledge, discuss current topics such as CBDCs, cybersecurity and AI with central banks from different countries, and work with them on practical issues relating to payment systems and test automation.
 

I joined the Bundesbank in 2009, after having worked for several years in the field of custody, i.e. in the custody and settlement of securities transactions for institutional investors. At the Bundesbank, I initially contributed to the development of TARGET2‑Securities (T2S), the European platform for the settlement of securities transactions. This allowed me to continue my previous work in the field of securities settlement directly. As part of T2S, I coordinated the development of ISO 20022 messages. ISO 20022 is an international standard for structured financial messaging that enables a consistent and automated exchange of information.

 

In 2014, I took on responsibility for the overall test coordination within the 4CB, the alliance of the four central banks involved in the development: Deutsche Bundesbank, Banque de France, Banca d’Italia and Banco de España. From 2019 until my move in May 2026, my focus was on test automation for T2S and T2. During this time, I was able to make a significant contribution to advancing test automation, both in terms of subject matter and methodology, and to introduce new solutions together with the team. In addition, there were always interesting special tasks. I was also able to participate in various international working groups, such as the SMPG (Securities Market Practice Group), which is concerned with the development and coordination of market practices for financial messaging.

 

Alongside my professional activities, I earned a master’s degree in Chinese studies – an interesting contrast that has given me fresh perspectives time and again.

 

I look forward to working together and exchanging ideas – both with everyone in the CIC team and with the international central bank community.