A new era is bound to dawn for Spuerkeess. Following the departure of the chief executive officer, Françoise Thoma, which will step down from the day-to-day management of the bank for the post of special adviser to the future board of directors, and the deputy chief executive, Aly Kohll, who is set to retire, a third manager will be leaving the company at the start of the new school year.

On 1st of october, Romain Wehles will also be taking his retirement. Romain Wehles was in charge of retail, private, corporate and institutional banking – areas of business that are highly visible both to the general public and to numerous partners.

This marks a rare generational change at the country’s leading bank, just as Spuerkeess embarks on a particularly ambitious transformation programme. In its 2025 annual report, the bank explains that it has already been preparing for succession within the executive committee since the end of 2025.

Of the five current members of the executive committee, only Doris Engel, the chief financial officer, and Olivier Wantz, the chief risk officer, will remain in their posts following the planned departures of Françoise Thoma, Aly Kohll and Romain Wehles. At least three new executives will therefore need to be appointed to the future executive committee, which could lead to a rebalancing of responsibilities and the bank’s internal operations.

A management transition against a backdrop of transformation

The future executive committee will have to manage several major projects simultaneously. The bank has embarked on a comprehensive modernisation of its technological infrastructure, with a ‘North Star’ strategy designed to simplify the IT architecture, strengthen cybersecurity and accelerate the integration of digital services and tools related to data and artificial intelligence. This transformation is taking place against a particularly sensitive regulatory backdrop. Following the administrative sanction imposed by the CSSF in 2025 regarding its AML transaction monitoring system, Spuerkeess recognised the need to accelerate several remediation programmes and further strengthen its capabilities in compliance, risk control and governance. The bank refers to a “robust and ambitious” plan spanning several years.

From a commercial perspective, the stakes remain just as high. Spuerkeess aims to maintain its leading position in retail banking, continue to develop its institutional and private banking activities, support the gradual recovery of the residential property market, and further accelerate the digitalisation of the customer journey.