Looking back and making a fresh start: our representatives in Paris, Rome and Madrid 

Four years ago, the Bundesbank created new positions for representatives at the German Embassies in Paris, Rome and Madrid. Now, the terms of office have come to an end for these first-generation representatives, who used their dedication and expertise to strengthen relations with our European partners. We invited them to share their experiences and insights, and asked their successors to introduce themselves. 

Paris

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Julian Berner: Looking back – insights – what I wish my successor:

The past few years in Paris were a rewarding time for me, full of exciting challenges and valuable experiences. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the variety and dynamism of day-to-day work, with tasks ranging from looking after high-level delegations to organising events at the Palais Beauharnais, all the way to building up a network in the French capital. Because my position didn’t exist before, I had the opportunity to shape it for myself, which was a special challenge but also very enriching.

During my stint, I came to appreciate the value of the Franco-German friendship and how decisive a close working relationship at the European level can be. I will miss life in Paris – the cultural diversity, the impressive museums and France’s beautiful scenery, which I got to experience in all its intensity during a hike around the Mont Blanc massif. Another thing I will miss is the French language, though I would like to stay in practice.

Political developments in France, with five prime ministers during my stay there, made the work particularly exciting and garnered greater interest from Frankfurt and Berlin. Saying that, I do hope that France enjoys greater political stability going forward. One particular highlight was the presentation of the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau – that was an auspicious occasion that will remain a cherished memory for me.

I wish my successor every success and joy in the many and varied tasks this job involves and a steady hand when things get rough. I also hope he finds the time, alongside his daily duties, to soak up the beauty of Paris and France with his family. Paris is an inspirational and rewarding city, both as a place to work and as a place to live.

© Embassy Paris

Introducing Tim Hagemann:

Salut from Paris! I took up the position of Bundesbank representative at the German Embassy in Paris in August 2025. Germany and France enjoy one of the closest economic partnerships in the world. This special relationship is a central pillar of the European single market and of Europe’s political future. However, the much discussed Franco-German engine is facing major challenges right now. Both countries are confronted by intense political uncertainty and demographic imbalances, on top of a tense fiscal position in France. All the same, though, within the space of my first few weeks in Paris, I was struck by the sheer number of actors, including in France, who are keen to see our two countries act together and closely coordinate their policies.

My portfolio of tasks in Paris ranges from monitoring and analysing French economic and fiscal policy to sharing information on Bundesbank-related topics, right through to maintaining the network of local contacts that my predecessor Julian Berner built up. I have long been fascinated by France, and Franco-German relations are something I hold very dear. Before taking up my post in Paris, I worked on financial and capital market topics in the Bundesbank’s Directorate General Markets. I am very much looking forward to what the next few years hold in store for the CIC.

Rome 

© Florian Riese

Elisabetta Fiorentino: Looking back – insights – what I wish my successor:

It was a great honour and a privilege for me to represent the Bundesbank in Italy. As an Italian native who came to Germany in 1999 as a student, where I was later awarded a PhD, this task was something really special for me. I have been with the Bundesbank since 2005, and the opportunity to see my home country from a different perspective was a hugely enriching experience. One of the greatest challenges was to build up a network, given that the Bundesbank hadn’t had a representative on the ground in Rome for more than two decades. But it was precisely that task that showed me how closely Germany and Italy are intertwined – economically, politically and culturally.

Over the past years, I have seen even more clearly how important it is for Germany and Italy to work together. Both countries play a central role in Europe and share close ties as founding members of the European Union.Our economies are facing similar structural and cyclical challenges. Greater cooperation could help us tackle these challenges together and integrate our economies even more deeply.

I wish Timon Dreyer every success in this important position for European cooperation. Much can still be done to further bolster relations between our two countries. And of course I hope he will be able to enjoy the beauty of Rome in every respect. The Eternal City, as it is known, is a huge open-air museum where you can immerse yourself in thousands of years of history on every street corner. It is a privilege to be able to work and live in such a fascinating city.

© Dr. Carolyn Dreyer

Introducing Timon Dreyer:

I will be taking up my position as the Bundesbank’s new representative in Italy in winter 2025. I savour the opportunity to represent the Bundesbank in Rome at an interface between the central bank, financial markets and politics, expand the network that’s in place on the ground and – hopefully – contribute to good German-Italian relations. In terms of subject matter, I am particularly interested in the further development of the banking union and the savings and investments union. And of course, the prospect of being able to live as a family in a cosmopolitan city like Rome only makes me more eager to get started!

I joined the Bundesbank in 2023, when I became a member of the group responsible for systemically important banks. Before that, I studied economics and philosophy in Bonn and Oxford, then worked at a bank in London and finally joined the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin. I am therefore particularly pleased to immerse myself in a new culture in this fantastic country south of the Alps.

Madrid

© Jose Alberto

Fabian Huttner: Looking back – insights – what I wish my successor:

After four years of service as the Bundesbank’s representative in Spain, it is with great gratitude and fondness that I look back on a hugely rewarding period of my life. One thing that particularly impressed me from day one was how open-minded and warm-hearted the Spanish people are. Everywhere I went, I was welcomed with open arms, and I was always struck by the people’s great hospitality.

One particular highlight during my stint in Madrid was Spain’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. That period gave me the opportunity to experience European business first hand and to actively participate in numerous events and discussions. Panels and in-house events were especially revealing because I saw over and over again how keen our Spanish partners were to exchange views and get talking, and also how interested they were in Germany as a country. I found this intense dialogue highly enriching, and it taught me once again how important it is to engage bilaterally.

Another aspect I appreciated greatly was the close and cordial cooperation with the Banco de España. Together, we succeeded in building up a trusting relationship over the past years, as reflected in various study visits, amongst other things.

Outside my work, I had the opportunity to explore the many different sides of Spain on my travels through the country – from vibrant capital city life in Madrid to the often still untouched majestic scenery further afield. These moments made my stay even more rewarding.

As far as my wishes for my successor are concerned, I hope he enjoys his time in Spain as much as I did. I also hope he engages in many exciting conversations, gets to know interesting people and, together with his family, grows to love the Spanish people’s proverbial family friendliness and the country’s unspoilt beauty. Spain is a place bursting with warm-heartedness, diversity and joie de vivre – one that is truly rewarding at both a professional and a personal level.

© Frank Rumpenhorst

Introducing Philipp Marek:

I started working as the Bundesbank’s new representative at the Germany Embassy in Madrid on 1 October 2025. It is a great pleasure and a privilege to represent the Bundesbank in Spain in the coming years and to seek dialogue with institutions and financial sector actors here. My predecessor Fabian Huttner has built up a very broad network over the past four years that will benefit me greatly.

After studying economics in Konstanz, I began my career at the Halle Institute for Economic Research, during which time I was awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen for my work on the transformation process in Central and Eastern Europe. That is a topic that has also shaped the Spanish economy since Spain joined the EU around 40 years ago, and one that gained even greater significance after the real estate price bubble burst in 2008. For me, the renewable energy transition and the growing uptake of digital payment methods are two particularly exciting topics at the moment.

I have been with the Bundesbank since 2016, first in the Research Centre, where I helped coordinate the Panel on Household Finances (PHF). Then, in 2018, I moved to the Directorate General Financial Stability, where I focused on analysing developments in the financial system and evaluating macroprudential measures. In that role, I already took on several representative tasks for the Bundesbank, participating in international working groups of the European Central Bank and the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

I am now very pleased to be working in Madrid in the next few years and to live here with my family. During my many visits to Madrid since first coming as a student, I have always been impressed by the city’s dynamism and by the friendliness and openness of the people here. I’m happy to say that the first impressions I have gained since taking up my position at the Embassy have been exactly the same. 

Two new faces in the project management team in Frankfurt

© Andrea Peters

Ardahan Cati, project manager

I joined the Bundesbank’s CIC project management team on 18 March 2025. Before that, I successfully completed commercial training and a dual bachelor’s degree in central banking at the Bundesbank.

I mainly work on planning, running and following up on international central banking courses, both in-person events – which are mainly held in Frankfurt am Main – and virtual ones. In-person courses are all about interacting face-to-face and giving the participants all the support they need. As a project management team, we are always there to assist our guests with any organisational issues, such as the course schedule or visa matters.

Our courses are not just about delivering subject-specific expertise – they’re also mainly a forum for sharing views and opinions. We also think it’s really important for participants to build networks that will endure long after the course is over.

I look forward to welcoming many international guests to Frankfurt.

© Miriam Hofmann

Mia Giang, project manager 

I joined the Centre for International Central Bank Dialogue back in October 2024, when I took on the role of project manager in Frankfurt. In this capacity I’m responsible, together with my team colleagues, for organising international central banking courses and bilateral activities. 

Previously, I worked in the Directorate General Payments and Settlement Systems, where my tasks included income and maturity payments as part of the correspondent central banking model (CCBM) and transactions for foreign central banks and domestic credit institutions, as well as the monitoring and reporting of Clearstream Banking Luxembourg (CBL) account balances – a central securities depository for foreign securities transactions – in the context of negative remuneration.

I am sure the expertise and experience I have gathered so far will help me greatly as a CIC project manager. As a new team member, I look forward to playing a role in the team’s continued growth and success.