How should Deutsche Bank's Corporate Bank use digital products to win the German Mittelstand's international business?

Introduction

At its November 2025 Investor Deep Dive, Deutsche Bank set out "Scaling the Global Hausbank" as its next phase, targeting a return on tangible equity above 13% by 2028 and describing its ambition as being the leading bank in Germany and the gateway to Europe for clients worldwide. A central part of that story is the German Mittelstand: thousands of family-owned, export-heavy mid-sized companies that need payments, FX, trade finance and lending across many countries. Many still bank primarily with Sparkassen, cooperative banks or Commerzbank for domestic needs. The prompt asks how Deutsche Bank's Corporate Bank should use digital products to win the Mittelstand's international business. I'll clarify goals, analyse the market, define a vision and roadmap, prioritise initiatives, plan execution, set KPIs and manage risks.

Step 1

Clarify the Strategic Goals (3-4 minutes)

Clarifying questions and hypothetical answers:

• Which Mittelstand clients?
  • Companies with €25 million to €1 billion annual revenue, exporting at least 30% of sales, often with subsidiaries in the US, China, India or Eastern Europe.
• What is the business goal?
  • Grow the number of Mittelstand clients for whom Deutsche Bank is the main international bank and increase revenue per client from payments, FX and trade.
• What is the timeline?
  • Three years, aligned with 2028 targets.
• What assets can we use?
  • Global network in around 58 countries, FX4Cash, trade finance, cash management platforms, and Deutsche Bank's technology centres in Germany and India.

Strategic goals:

1. Become the default bank for the Mittelstand's international transactions.
2. Raise products per client from about two to four.
3. Lower cost-to-serve through digital self-service so mid-sized clients are profitable.