Mr Bernd Grund was appointed as CEO of the Hampshire Community Bank in February 2021. He initially joined the Board of the Community Bank as Director of Corporate Business and Chief Operating Officer in July 2020.
Mr Grund has a history of successful management and development of a number of cooperative banks focused on SME lending in Germany, where the structure of local banking has been instrumental in the success of the German Mittelstand sector, often referred to as the backbone of the German economy. Enterprises in this sector are often highly innovative and entrepreneurial.
Mr Grund said “The Hampshire Community Bank will support the local economy and focus on the financing and sustainable growth of local companies and job creation in Hampshire. We see the sectors that Hampshire Community Bank will operate in as the engine and driver of the economy, especially during and post Covid-19.”
During the Covid-19 Pandemic the Hampshire Community Bank has demonstrated how small businesses can benefit from the personal service and flexibility which a local institution can offer. As the Community Bank approaches the completion of its application for a banking licence, preparations are in hand to step up local lending significantly.