District administrators are taking charge of the regional parks in Rhein-Berg.
In a significant shift for Kreissparkasse Cologne, two new leaders have been appointed within the Rhein-Berg branch. Christiane Bechem and Christopher Braun are set to take on their roles as Regional Chairwoman and Regional Director, respectively, effective from August 1, 2025.
Christiane Bechem, who currently serves as a wealth manager and has held various leadership positions within Kreissparkasse Cologne, will assume the role of Regional Chairwoman. She began her career with the bank as an apprentice bank clerk in 2003 and has since risen through the ranks. Bechem has been living privately in Overath with her family.
Bechem's area of responsibility expanded in 2021 when the previously independent market area Bensberg/Refrath was added to the regional directorate Bergisch Gladbach. The Rhein-Berg branch, under her leadership, includes three regional directorates with a total of 15 branches, 9 mobile branch stops, and 14 self-service locations. The branch employs around 225 people, including 28 apprentices.
Christopher Braun, who has been with Kreissparkasse Cologne since the beginning of his career, will take on the role of Regional Director in Bergisch Gladbach. He started his apprenticeship as a bank clerk in the Leichlinger branches and has since shown a consistent commitment to the bank. Braun resides privately in Bergisch Gladbach-Refrath.
Braun has been the Head of Corporate Customers and Mortgages in the Bergisch Gladbach regional branch since 2021, and he is now responsible for a team of 93 employees, including 13 apprentices. The corporate customer directorate Rhein-Berg is headquartered in Bergisch Gladbach.
Meanwhile, Gunter Derksen, who has been with Kreissparkasse Cologne for 28 years, is leaving the bank to join Sparkasse Gummersbach as a new board member. Alexander Wuerst, chairman of Kreissparkasse Cologne, thanked Derksen for his work and wished him well in his new role.
Bechem and Braun's appointments come at a time of change for Kreissparkasse Cologne, as they look to continue providing excellent service to their customers and communities in the Rhein-Berg region.
The appointments of Christiane Bechem and Christopher Braun, both veterans of Kreissparkasse Cologne, signify a shift in leadership within the Rhein-Berg branch. Bechem, a current wealth manager with a rich history in the bank, will oversee the industry and business sector as Regional Chairwoman, while Braun, an experienced banker with a focus on corporate finance and banking-and-insurance, will head the Bergisch Gladbach regional directorate as Regional Director.
